by Charles O'Brien '51, '52M.A., Poisoned Pen
After
retiring from teaching history at Western Illinois University,
O'Brien turned his attention to fiction. His first effort garnered
a nomination for an Agatha Award for best first mystery novel,
a coveted award for writers of traditional mysteries. Both Mute
Witness and Black Gold, whose settings move between
France and England, take place in the late 1700s, the years leading
to the French Revolution.
Reviewers have noted that the books, the first two of a planned
trilogy, offer a delightful combination of crime novel, history
lesson and social critique.
