A Mystery Writer is in the House!

Annapolis boasts a lion’s share of acclaimed artists of all kinds, and The Colonial Players is happy to host local mystery writer, Marcia Talley, for a Talk Back after the October 2, 2011 matinee performance of The Unexpected Guest. Audience members are invited to stay with the cast and crew after the matinee, and the public is invited to drop in at 4:30 Sunday for this free event. Ms. Talley will be speaking on the process of writing a mystery, developing characters, both good and evil, and plotting believable murders in the style of Agatha Christie. She will also present a reading from her latest release, A Quiet Death.

According to Mystery Lovers Bookshop News, Marcia Talley’s latest book, A Quiet Death “begins with a bang . . . Marcia expertly weaves a viper's nest of secrets into a plot with political shading in the Annapolis/DC territory that is home to the charming sleuth. Letters, postmarks, cell phones, photos, security tapes - all methods are on board for this puzzle and even the ending will leave you thinking."

Marcia Talley is an award-winning mystery novelist and short story writer, and author of the Hannah Ives mystery series. After spending much of her adult life working as a librarian for the federal government, her life changed in 1999 when she landed a book contract with Dell Publishing, a division of Random House. The New York publisher commissioned her to write a three-book series about the capers of Hannah Ives, a smart and sassy sleuth. Her first book, Sing It To Her Bones, won Talley an Agatha nomination. The second book, Unbreathed Memories, which came out in 2000, won even more awards and accolades. A Quiet Death is the tenth book in the series.

In A Quiet Death, Hannah, the amateur sleuth, attempts to reunite a bag found at the scene of a devastating train wreck with its owner. In doing so, however, she unwittingly sets in motion a chain of events that could put her own life in danger. Undaunted, her search gradually narrows to a remote cottage on Maryland’s Eastern Shore where Hannah discovers how fine a line there is between love and hate, forgiveness and betrayal, and how easy it is to cross over that line to murder.

Referring to the series' amateur sleuth, the Kirkus Reviews says, "[Hannah has] a snooping instinct second only to Miss Marple's. If you've a taste for love denied, love reunited . . . you'll have plenty to swoon over here."

Talley divides her time between Annapolis and an antique sailboat in the Bahamas. No reservations are necessary to attend the Talk Back which will be held October 2, 2011, at 4:30, at The Colonial Players theatre at 108 East Street, Annapolis. For more information on the Talk Back contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To read more about Marcia Talley and her book list, visit her website at www.marciatalley.com. Tickets to The Unexpected Guest, Season Subscriptions, and the 10-Ticket Flex Pass can be purchased through the Box Office by calling (410) 268-7373. Regular or senior/student discount tickets are available on-line here: