Last Week's Crime Bake

Believe it or not, the photo below was taken at about 8 a.m. on Saturday morning -- after the meeting.

I am five faces from the right; the President (Sharon) is seven faces from the right (dark hair, dark blouse).

Below is a panel moderated by Hank Phillip Ryan in the middle in the fabulous blue jacket. On the far left is Hallie Ephron, next is Elizabeth George, then Hank.  To the right of Hank is Kathy (who writes two mysteries at a time) and Paula (an agent) (I can't remember their last names).

Saturday night's banquet was fun.  I had a great time conversing with people on my left and right. We had to leave because the music was so loud that we thought we were going deaf. That was o.k. because we continued in the bar! The food was nothing to write home about (ground beef with mashed potatoes piped on top) and the strawberry parfait was way too sweet for me to eat. But it was fun.

Guy Fawkes was the table decoration and inside the mask was a London tote bag. The winner of a quiz at the table got the prize of the decoration but we were all too busy talking and eating and didn't play. (I didn't really need a ceramic Guy Fawkes nor a tote bag.)

The Sisters in Crime New England had a Blinko game at their table. (I had never heard of it before.)  Below is a picture of what I won:

It's a good cuppa with jam and biscuits and the tea cup! There was a little cautionary note that the tea cups were tag sale finds.  Other people won a gin and tonic using a nip of gin and a tiny bottle of tonic. I thought one woman was going to collapse because she was so excited -- she LOVES a g & t!

All in all, I had a great time. I loved the panel on psychopathic protagonists and I loved hearing a lot of police procedures.  Now I know it's best to have the suspect lying face down before you cuff and frisk him. I guess the big trick is getting him to lay down!