Mystery Conventions as a Fan and Writer, by Carolyn Eichhorn

When I was in college and decided (to my faculty mentor’s horror) to try my hand at writing mystery fiction rather than merely waxing philosophical about it, a few doors opened that I hadn’t even realized were there. I’ve been a mystery fiction fan since my first Nancy Drew gateway book, through the Agatha Christie years, the Nero Wolfe phase, and the Sherlock Holmes deep dive that landed me in grad school. I had five variations of the Clue board game and regularly participated in murder mystery dinner parties, train rides, even mystery cruises. It wasn’t until I had drafted, to my mentor’s great relief, a passable mystery novel of my own as my thesis project that I hear about mystery conventions.

I had a manuscript and absolutely no clue what to do with it.

I spent a year or so down the “get an agent” rabbit hole, continuously tweaking my story rather than writing another one, and just feeling more and more disconnected from the “writer” identity I yearned for. I was also feeling disconnected from my day job in Central Florida’s theme park industry and I longed for change. That’s when I discovered Bouchercon, the annual World Mystery convention named for Anthony Boucher, a renowned mystery fiction critic. The location changes every year, along with guests of honor.

My first Bcon was in Chicago, a city I had never visited. I made the most of it, researching the “must dos” I could cram in between panels I highlighted on my schedule. I rode the El. I had Chicago pizza, took a boat tour of Chicago architecture, visited a famous rib restaurant where they give diners plastic bibs, and tried to see enough so I didn’t feel like a complete convention shut-in for the whole four days. And while these activities were definitely fun, the real experiences came from the convention.

The schedule is daunting with panel choices from morning to evening, events and interviews at night, signings, awards, and so on. Panels are often scheduled five or six to a time slot, so mapping out the ones of greatest personal interest is a necessity. Signings often happen in between or overlap the next set of panels. Comfortable shoes are a must.

Back in the early 2000s, each attendee was provided a book bag upon check-in that came with their credentials, some swag provided by publishers, editors, and other vendors, and a bunch of free books. These days, you still get all the things, but now you can choose a specified number of books from a room with heaping tables of mystery and thriller titles from debut and well-established authors. Then pick a spot and go through the bag. Map out a plan.

Here’s what I remember from that first Bouchercon experience:

I attended a panel about poisons which was rowdy and a little loud. It happens that a catholic convention was happening simultaneously, so the room next to us was full of nuns who were no doubt praying for us.

I bid on a lunch date with a group of attending authors and won it and got to talk about my manuscript with published writers which was amazing. There is always a silent and/or traditional auction that raises money for a local nonprofit. Writers donate book baskets, character names in a future book, editorial services, and all sorts of things.

I chatted with Laura Lippman about moving to Baltimore and she was very kind.

I realized that the mystery writing community is just that – many of these authors are genuine friends with each other. They joke on panels, hang at the bar, and post highlights on socials.

There are tables around the convention for writers to leave bookmarks, swag, and for attendees to leave unwanted books. I found many stories I really enjoyed at those tables.

There is also a book room that has books from the panelists as well as vintage and other books. Not much merch though. More about that in a minute.

Since this first Bcon in Chicago, I’ve been others in San Francisco (Lee Child gave a cocktail party with s few “Jack Reachers” milling about), Raleigh (rediscovered country ham), New Orleans (food heaven, amazing history/ghost tours, oldest bar), Baltimore (in a panel about collaborating writers, I came up with the idea for my latest novel), Cleveland (Rock and Roll HOF), and Nashville where I was on a panel for the first time. It was also in Nashville where I started collecting links to all the cool mystery and writer merch from makers on Etsy, box stores, and even Amazon and listing them all together at www.groundsforsuspicion.com so fans could get their mystery geek on.

There are other similar conventions like Thrillerfest or Left Coast Crime, and for cozies – Malice Domestic, a convention for Agatha Christie style mystery authors and fans. I went to one many years ago and this year I return to moderate a panel, introduce Murder in the Mix at the debut breakfast, and feel like I am part of the community I recognized so long ago. If you see me at a signing, say hello! There’s room in this community for all of us.

Murder in the Mix (A Gina Morrison Mystery)
Cozy Mystery, 1st in Series
Settings – Baltimore, Savannah, NYC
Publisher  : ‎ Grounds for Suspicion
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 21, 2025

When Gina Morrison agrees to pen the memoir of celebrity chef Marisol St James, she expects high-pressure deadlines, diva behavior, and decadent dishes-not murder. But when Marisol is found dead in her restaurant’s kitchen, Gina’s literary aspirations take a back seat to her survival. Between a cutthroat industry, simmering secrets, and the demands of Marisol’s unfinished manuscript, Gina becomes entangled in a web of lies, rivalries, and danger. Worse still, Marisol’s killer may be keeping tabs on Gina to ensure she doesn’t write too much.