Remembering Angela Zeman

Linda Landrigan, Angela Zeman, and Barry Zeman, April 2018. Photo by Ché Ryback.

It is with great sadness that AHMM notes the passing this past week of Angela Zeman. To me, Angela was Mystery Royalty: glamorous and generous, she added sparkle to our annual parties. She was also a good friend to me.

Angela’s first published short story, “The Witch and the Fishmonger’s Wife,” appeared in AHMM in 1993; she would publish five stories with us featuring Mrs. Risk, and then an acclaimed novel, “The Witch and the Borscht Pearl,” in 2001. More recently, she inaugurated a series of historical mysteries in 2013 with “The First Tale of Roxanne,” set in ancient Rome. That story is distinguished by the sensitive characterization of a woman under duress – you almost don’t notice the deft plotting that moves it right along. After reading it, I knew I wanted more of Roxanne. “The Second Tale of Roxanne” appeared just a few months ago in our September / October 2019 issue, and we are now in the process of recording it for our podcast.

Our hearts go out to Angela’s family and friends.—Linda Landrigan