I know this isn't music related, but I was saddened to learn that one of my very favorite historical and mystery fiction authors, Dorothy Dunnett, passed away on November 9 at the age of 78. Her literary agent, James Thin, maintains a web page about her and her novels here with an announcement of her death; her obituary in the NY Times is here.

Lady Dunnett wrote two wonderful series of historical novels, The Lymond Chronicals, 6 volumes set in Scotland and Europe of the 1500's, and The House of Niccolo, 8 volumes set in the world of merchant traders of the 1400's. The novels were literate, funny, romantic and serious, in the tradition of great swashbucklers. Her research into historical detail was impeccable, and you could learn everything from how the Scottish-English borders were governed (badly), the decline of the Knights of Malta and early Middle-Eastern entanglements, how and why the papal monopoly on alum shaped the Renaissance world, and what happened to the enlightened Islamic society of Timbuktu. The detail in them provides interesting background to Scottish Border ballads and the growth of Scotland over two centuries.

Her mystery novels were clever and confusing, a bit of James Bond crossed with Peter Whimsey, as the painter/detective/spy Johnson Johnson sails his yacht, Dolly in and out of sticky situations around the world. Each novel is told from the point of view a young woman involved in the case somehow - a soprano in Dolly and the Singing Bird, a caterer in , a dyslexic make-up artist in Dolly and the Bird of Paradise, etc.

The one novel of hers that I couldn't get through was King Hereafter, a historical recreation of who the "real" Macbeth might have been. She and her husband, Alistair Dunnett, collaborated on a wonderful coffee-table book on the Scottish Highlands, with beautiful photos by David Paterson.

I had the good fortune to hear Lady Dunnett at a reading of her last novel, Gemini, last year. She was gracious, witty and happy to talk with her fans, who turned out for the reading in droves. I will miss looking forward to reading the "next installment"; her agent said she died peacefully. Her research materials and writings have been donated to the National Library of Scotland.

Rest in peace, Dorothy Dunnett, and thank you for the wonder and entertainment you have given me over the last 20 years.