We’re starting a new monthly discussion series focused on mysteries, and the series will begin with The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri.  Wildly popular in Europe, Camilleri’s books feature Salvo Montalbano, police inspector in the small Sicilian town of Vigata.  In this title, Montalbano has a potentially explosive case on his plate: a local politician has been found dead in his car, apparently the victim of a heart attack.  No melancholic brooder, Montalbano puts a comic face on the noir world, sorting through multiple layers of corruption Sicilian style, while still finding time to enjoy a good lunch.  The series will be facilitated by Judy Dearlove, who has called Durham home for over three decades.  A passionate reader, she has also taught literature at several local colleges, including Duke, Meredith, and Elon.  Currently, she is engaged in the mysterious process of writing a novel.

Kathleen McCabe will discuss and sign copies of the book she co-authored with Dovey Roundtree, Justice Older than the Law: The Life of Dovey Johnson Roundtree.  Charlotte-born Roundtree was the lawyer who helped integrate the Armed Forces and was among the group of lawyers who successfully wrote the brief that became the famous Brown v. Board of Education.  This is the amazing story of Roundtree’s life—of the fight she took to the streets and jailhouse, the churches, and ultimately, the hearts of individuals.

The 2010 Durham Historical Calendar is on the way!  The Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau has teamed up with Gary Kueber, author of the blog Endangered Durham, to produce a remarkable journey through Durham’s architectural history.  Get a signed copy of the calendar and join the discussion with Gary and DCVB staff as they talk about the calendar, why Gary’s work is so valuable to Durham’s future, and how the calendar demonstrates Durham’s unique sense of place.

Susan Dunlap will discuss and sign copies of her new book, Caring Cultures: How Congregations Respond to the Sick.  Set in Durham, Dunlap explores how three very different churches (Latino, African American, and Euro-American) provide pastoral care-giving to parishioners who are ill.  Dunlap is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology at Duke Divinity School.