Dean James /Jimmie Ruth Evans

I have a special fondness for books by Dean James. I began my career as a reviewer in 2002 with Posted to Death, the first of his Simon Kirby-Jones mysteries. It wasn’t a book that I would have selected myself (stories about vampires usually give me nightmares) but it was such a quintessential cozy, I really enjoyed it and gave it a good review. Since then, I have reviewed another mystery he wrote under the pen name Jimmie Ruth Evans – and enjoyed it, too. I have two of his non-fiction books in my mystery reference library and refer to them often. When I began researching Dean James, I learned he holds Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in history, a Ph.D. in medieval history and a second Master of Arts in library science. Wow! It's amazing that he found time to write, too.  

 

 

Books:

Simon Kirby-Jones Mystery Series

As Jimmie Ruth Evans

  • (2007) Best Served Cold (January)

  • (2006) Murder over Easy See Review

  • (2005) Flamingo Fatale See Review

Non-fiction with Jean Swanson

  • (2003) The Dick Francis Companion
  • (1998) Killer Books: A Reader's Guide to Exploring the Popular World of Mystery and Suspense
  • (1996) By a Woman's Hand: A Guide to Mystery Fiction by Women

Other

  • (2004) Death Dines In (anthology), (Editor, with Claudia Bishop)
  • (2004) Death by Dissertation
  • (2001) Closer than the Bones
  • (2000) Cruel as the Grave
  • (1998) Deadly Women, (Editor, with Jan Grape and Ellen Nehr)

Author Profile:

 

A native Mississippian long transplanted to Texas, Dean earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.  In 1986 he was awarded the Ph.D. in medieval history from Rice University.  He subsequently earned a master's degree in library science from the University of North Texas.  For ten years he worked in various positions in technical services at the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library, including serving as the Director of Cataloging. Between 1996 and late 2005, Dean was manager of Murder by the Book, Houston's nationally known mystery specialty bookstore. He recently returned to the library world.

 

Profile and photo of author (with Archie) courtesy of Dean James.

Website: www.jimmieruthevans.com