Crime Detective Mystery Thriller Group discussion

I'll start with Ace Atkins. Mississippi thriller writer extraordinaire

Sipping bourbon around a campfire at hunt camp in the crisp late fall air.. most likely Wild Turkey.

Or drinking beers at the North MS Sheri'ff's Association Catfish fry.

At a nice dinner out in New Orleans the night before Auburn beats Bama at the Sugar Bowl, most certainly a Sazerac.

Obviously I want to go drinking with Ace Atkins. Never fear there are other authors too, that I will write about..

If we're talking authors in general, I'd have to pick Hunter S Thompson. We both share a fondness for bourbon (like Atkins, Wild Turkey was his usual drink of choice,) and a drink with HST was never just a drink...It was an full-blown experience, like a Native American vision quest, but with way more booze and illegal substances.

If we're just talking crime writers, that's harder. A lot of them, to my understanding, weren't/aren't the kind of people who would be fun to be around, don't get me wrong; Chandler is an all-time great, but do I really want to get shit-faced with someone so notoriously grumpy? Now, if we dial it back a bit and we're just having a drink or two over dinner, I doubt he'd let met pick his mind - I'd just end up annoying him. Certain other writers would end up annoying me.
The biggest exception to this is, of course, Dashiell Hammett. Hammet was sociable and I think the conversation would be excellent. On top of that, he had a sort of joie de vivre that makes him seem really fun to be around (to a point.) I once read that he remarked that he "lived like [he] was going to die next Wednesday."

I would like to have a drink with Patricia Cornwell and just chat for a few about her books and her cooking. I think that would be so cool.

Definitely Randy Wayne White...Talk. Little baseball, Fort Meyers and fishing 🎣

I'd 100% want to crush beers with Raymond Chandler and dig into how he views the world. If his writing is indicative of anything, he's got to be funny as Hell.

Val McDermid & Catriona McPherson - both ladies are hysterical.........it would be an evening filled with great food, excellent beverages & tremendously entertaining stories 🤗

Mark wrote: "Definitely Randy Wayne White...Talk. Little baseball, Fort Meyers and fishing 🎣"

Who knows, you might run into him down at Doc Ford's on Sanibel. I hear he sometimes goes there to write.

Paula wrote: "I would like to have a drink with Patricia Cornwell and just chat for a few about her books and her cooking. I think that would be so cool."
I never met Cornwell, but her sister-in -law was a wine drinking buddy. Our kids were classmates in a class of 11. She would tell wonderful stories of travels with Cornwell. She loved being around family.

Maureen wrote: "Paula wrote: "I would like to have a drink with Patricia Cornwell and just chat for a few about her books and her cooking. I think that would be so cool."
I never met Cornwell, but her sister-in -..."

I can tell she loves family from her books.