The Heirs of Anthony Boucher Marvin Lachman

Mystery & Detective Monthly (1 4–2003)
con.
Some MDM subscribers were bothered by the controversies. Maryell Cleary, a
minister, announced that she would not resubscribe, partly because of the “feuds.”
She was told she’d be missed and changed her mind. Through MDM she met Ellen
Nehr, whose tastes in mysteries she shared, and Nehr loaned books to her.
Eventually 232 people contributed letters to MDM, but there was a small group of
fans that wrote often. Bill Crider never missed an issue. Carolyn G. Hart described
the plight of new readers to MDM: “It’s like dropping into a cocktail party late and
overhearing snatches about people you know.” Using the same metaphor, Margaret
Maron likened MDM to “a nicely raucous cocktail party where one may barge in
on conversations.” MDM’s regulars were welcoming, and newcomers quickly felt at
home.
In September 1993, Napier raised the possibility that he might have to discontinue
publication after that issue, #96. Many letters in #97 expressed dismay at the news,
but Napier decided he could continue. He again considered ending MDM in 2000
because, with job and family commitments, it was too time-consuming. However,
Kelly Wolterman’s agreeing to handle “New Releases” shifted enough of the burden
to allow MDM to continue. In February 2001 Napier announced an irrevocable decision
to cease publication, though not until after issue number 200. By 2001 only
about a dozen people wrote letters for each issue; in the late 1980s several issues had
thirty-three letters. There were only ten letters in #190, but fourteen pages listing
“New Releases.”
Twenty-five people contributed to the final issue in October 2003, heaping praise
on Napier. Art Scott pointed out that he was “the sole loony in mystery fandom”
who had been putting out a publication (DAPA-EM’s mailing) longer than Napier’s
almost twenty years. Beth Fedyn wrote, “Bob and MDM have introduced me to a lot
of wonderful people. I treasure the friends I’ve made through these pages.” Blythe
and Sweet, who wrote together, asked, “Where could you find a more knowledgeable,
friendly group than we’ve encountered here over the years?” Bob Adey wondered
where he would now get “this class of scuttlebutt” about the mystery. I wrote that, as
part of my research for the book you are now reading, I reread MDM from the first
issue and “many letters are just as interesting now as they were the first time.”
In October 2003, at the Las Vegas Bouchercon, the final MDM gathering took
place, a breakfast organized by Fedyn honoring Napier. He downplayed his own role,
graciously repeating, in essence, what he had written in the last issue: “I’ve gotten
back tenfold what I’ve put into MDM.”
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