Criminal Brief posts the news that Elaine Flinn passed away last Saturday from pneumonia, complications relating to a long battle with cancer. I,too, had heard at Bouchercon that Elaine was diagnosed with lung cancer that quickly metastasized, and that the prognosis wasn't good, but I'm still stunned that she's gone - it feels like a candle that burned bright and blazing and now it's snuffed out before we had a chance to take in all the hues and colors.
Flinn was the author of four novels featuring antiques dealer Molly Doyle, most recently DEADLY VINTAGE (2007). She was one of Murderati's founding bloggers and then went out on her own with a monthly-updated website, EVIL E, that was part Q&A, part chatty column on the mystery world and a space for friends like Paul Guyot, David Montgomery, Alison Brennan and others to hang out and contribute. Just two weeks ago she posted her final message, which seems the appropriate way to close this post:
No sense in beating around the shrub (I refuse to use the commonly accepted word here) - this edition of EVIL E - is, alas - due to health reasons - the final one. My thanks to my fantastic crew, and my daughter, Kelly, for seeing the last three columns through. My thanks to you for stopping by, (in far greater numbers than I’d ever hoped for according to the stats). Your many generous comments, and personal e-mails made it a hell of a lot of fun. I’ll miss you all, but time now is too precious to not spend with family and those special few who know who they are… So, instead of saying ‘goodbye’ - I’ll say Aloha instead…
Leave it to Elaine to upstage Tony Hillerman. Good on ya, you beautiful old gal.
The conference hotel bars will never be quite as fun, and the writing community is less one ORIGINAL in every way.
Posted by: Guyot | October 27, 2008 at 04:31 PM
Elaine will be sorely missed. Such a sad day. Please come by Murderati tomorrow to help us say goodbye. Ciao, bella.
Posted by: JT Ellison | October 27, 2008 at 04:53 PM
Oh, no! I just read her final post on Evil E and was very puzzled. Elaine was always kind to me and had much encouragement over the years when we exchanged the occasional "how are you doing?" I was thinking of sending her another one of those. How very sad! A bad day.
Posted by: I.J.Parker | October 27, 2008 at 05:06 PM
I'm lucky. I first met Elaine when I was in eighth grade in Carmel, and I owe her so much for her generous wisdom, over the years.
Very very sad news.
Love to Joe and Kelly and Sharon and Patrick.
Posted by: Cornelia Read | October 27, 2008 at 05:20 PM
Elaine was a great dame, in the grand tradition. I'll miss hanging out with her at conferences.
Best wishes to her family....
Posted by: Rae | October 27, 2008 at 06:15 PM
Damn, I'm gonna miss her. What a fiery, wonderful woman.
Posted by: pari noskin taichert | October 27, 2008 at 10:02 PM
That's very sad news about Elaine Flinn, whom I had the pleasure of knowing from her days in Northern California. Condolences to her family and to her many friends and fans.
Posted by: Margaret Lucke | October 27, 2008 at 11:05 PM
I am devastated, devastated, devastated.
Elaine was one of the best -
I can't say anymore at this time as my thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.
We first met in person in 2006, she was the very first person who greeted me at Thrillerfest Phoenix after a long and difficult journey from London.
Her smile alone was enough to light up the bar.
Ali
Posted by: Ali | October 28, 2008 at 05:22 AM
My God, it's turning into a terrible year for crime writers. Elaine and Tony within days of each other, Dennis Murphy just a few short months ago, also struck out of nowhere by a cancer that killed him within no time. Your post on David Foster Wallace got me thinking about Dennis yesterday--how badly he wanted to live and write and be with his family--and it makes his premature death all the sadder. At least Elaine and Tony lived full lives, as should we all.
L'chaim -- to life.
Posted by: Howard Shrier | October 28, 2008 at 04:21 PM
I'm still trying to recover from the shock. She was one of the funniest, kindest, supportive, and most generous authors I had ever met. We worked on various projects at ITW. In many ways, she took me under her wing and showed me the ropes. Her loss has left a hole in my heart. She will be sorely missed and never forgotten.
Posted by: James Rollins | October 29, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Elaine was just plain nice. How sad to lose her.
Posted by: G.M. Malliet | October 29, 2008 at 12:41 PM
I feel like I've been dumped into the water of an ice floe. Elaine was one of the first to welcome me into the thriller business when I started five years ago, and remained one of the warmest, funniest, kindest people I know. To lose her this way is tragic, and I weep for our loss. Elaine, give God hell when you see him. He owes us for taking you much too quickly.
Posted by: Shane Gericke | October 29, 2008 at 04:25 PM
I, too, was shocked to hear of Elaine's death. I didn't make it to Bouchercon this year and didn't know she was ill. Always one to jump in and help, laughing and having fun even when dealing with the tough stuff, she was such a pleasure. What a wonderful woman in every way. She will be deeply missed by us all. I still can't believe it . . . .
Posted by: M. Diane Vogt | October 29, 2008 at 06:10 PM
I'm just now finding out about this. Elaine was a member of Mystery Most Cozy (a yahoo group specializing in group reads of newly published cozy writers)and we had her first cozy as a group read when it came out. She hadn't been active on there for a bit, but I didn't realize she was that ill. It had been a while since I'd had email contact as well. I'm so glad her website has been kept up to keep her memory alive. She was a talented and spunky woman.
Posted by: Jenny Hanahan, Mystery Most Cozy | November 24, 2009 at 11:21 AM