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John M. Daniel lived in Santa Barbara, California for 20 years, where he and his wife, Susan, owned (and were owned by) a small-press publishing company. In 2003 they relocated McKinleyville, California, where they continue to publish books while John also does free-lance editing and teaches writing through adult education. He is the author of several books, including two mystery novels: Play Melancholy Baby and (most recently) The Poet’s Funeral. http://www.danielpublishing.com/jmd/index.html
*STARRED REVIEW* <p><br>Daniel (Play Melancholy Baby) turns the 1990 Las Vegas ABA convention (now known as BEA) into a murder site in this delicious sendup of the book trade. <br>The meteoric rise of beautiful poet Heidi Yamada begins with the conversion of Guy Mallon, Santa Barbara bookstore owner, into Guy Mallon, publisher. <br>Clever, blatant and aggressive self-promotion wins Heidi a critic here and an agent there. Add a major publishing house and a star is born. But instead <br>of receiving a major literary award, Heidi winds up dead at the ABA ( of an apparent drug overdose, according to Publishers Weekly). In their eulogies, <br>her mentor, her agent, her various publishers and the critic who first hailed her, among others, reveal the Heidi they knew. Each adds a piece of the puzzle that Mallon will eventually decipher. The author lampoons <br>everything from the overstuffed collector's editions to the self-importance of critics and the self-interest of publishers and agents as he parades a growing list of suspects in Heidi's demise. Daniel's sharp, sardonic wit and insider's view of book industry foibles are sure to make this bibliomystery a hit. <br>-- Publishers Weekly 2005-03-14
