Hellmann, Libby Fischer

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Hellmann, Libby Fischer

PERSONAL:

Children: one son, one daughter. Education: University of Pennsylvania, B.A.; New York University, M.F.A.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Chicago, IL. Agent—Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency, 30 Bond St., New York, NY 10022. E-mail—libbyfh@comcast.net.

CAREER:

Author, video producer, freelance writer, and communications trainer. Worked for eight years in television news as an assistant film editor, producer, and news editor for public television and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC); Burson-Marsteller (public relations firm), staff member, 1977-85; freelance writer, video producer, and trainer 1985—.

MEMBER:

Mystery Writers of America Midwest chapter (vice president), Sisters in Crime (vice president 2004-05; president 2005-06).

AWARDS, HONORS:

Nomination, Anthony Award for Best First Novel, World Mystery Convention, and Readers' Choice Award for Best First Novel, Love Is Murder Mystery Conference, both for An Eye for Murder; Best Traditional Mystery, Readers Choice Awards, for A Picture of Guilt and A Shot to Die For.

WRITINGS:

"ELLIE FOREMAN" MYSTERY SERIES

An Eye for Murder, Poisoned Pen Press (Scottsdale, AZ), 2002.

A Picture of Guilt, Poisoned Pen Press (Scottsdale, AZ), 2003.

An Image of Death, Poisoned Pen Press (Scottsdale, AZ), 2004.

A Shot to Die For, Berkley Prime Crime (New York, NY), 2005.

"GEORGIA DAVIS" MYSTERY SERIES

Easy Innocence, Bleak House Books (Neenah, WI), 2008.

SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

(Editor) Chicago Blues, Bleak House Books (Neenah, WI), 2007.

Contributor of mystery short stories to anthologies and periodicals; author of The Day Miriam Hirsch Disappeared, 2006, and Josef's Angel, 2006, both published by Amazon Shorts. Contributor of articles on writing and short fiction to various publications, including Mystery Readers Journal, Mystery Scene, and Drood Review.

SIDELIGHTS:

Author Libby Fischer Hellmann credits her mother with getting her hooked on mysteries. Hellmann had been reading "thrillers," but was beginning to feel they were all sounding the same. Her mother, a lifelong mystery fan, literally threw a book at her—Jeremiah Healy's The Staked Goat—and Hellmann soon became a devotee as well. She has gone on to write her own mystery series about a single mother and amateur sleuth named Ellie Foreman. Hellmann made Foreman a video producer, mining her own background in television news editing and video production to add depth to the character. In an interview with Robert Dahlin for Publishers Weekly, Hellmann said: "I made Ellie a video producer because I have some knowledge about how it's done, and it also serves as a vehicle to get her involved with different people and different issues."

Hellmann's first novel, An Eye for Murder, introduces Foreman, her father, and her daughter, as well as other recurring characters. The book is set in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. In A Picture of Guilt, Foreman makes an imprudent decision that results in her nearly losing her business. Dick Adler, reviewing the novel for the Chicago Tribune, commented that "the world of everyday work is often glossed over or ignored in mysteries and thrillers, which is why Libby Fischer Hellman's second book about Chicago-based video producer Ellie Foreman deserves extra attention." He went on to call the novel a "smart and exciting story."

An Image of Death continues Foreman's adventures as an amateur detective when she receives an anonymous video that chronicles the gruesome death of a young woman. Rex Klett, in a review for Library Journal, remarked on the book's "chilling subject matter, [and] intriguing psychological suspense," while a contributor to Publishers Weekly stated that "with her somewhat disreputable past, Foreman comes across as a complex and flawed character."

In another of the "Ellie Foreman" series, A Shot to Die For, Ellie is traveling from Chicago, where she was producing a video about a newly renovated resort, back to her home in Geneva, Wisconsin, when she witnesses a sniper attack at an area rest stop. The victim, Daria Flynn, was actually speaking with Ellie when she was struck, so the police spend a long time questioning Ellie regarding the event. In addition, Daria's mother and sister track Ellie down, also in the interest of talking with her about Daria's death. Disturbed by her proximity to the dead woman, Ellie too sets out to get to the bottom of the murder. Sue O'Brien, writing for Booklist, remarked that "Ellie's motivation for becoming involved in the investigation is notably weak," but praised the author's use of detail and strong visual imagery.

Easy Innocence is the first volume in Hellmann's "Georgia Davis" mystery series. The book introduces Davis, a former cop who, after getting suspended from the force, has gone to work as a private investigator. When Cam Jordan is accused of murdering young Sara Long at the local forest preserve, Georgia is hired to help prove the mentally ill man to be innocent of the crime. Unfortunately, most of the evidence points directly toward Cam; his fingerprints appear on the murder weapon, and his shirt is covered in the teenage girl's blood. Still, both Georgia and the attorney brought on board to defend Cam suspect he has been set up to take the fall for someone else. Further investigation reveals that Sara Long was participating in a hazing at the time of her death. Georgia also uncovers another disturbing fact: the local North Shore suburb, home to a number of wealthy and prominent families, also seems to be boasting a prostitution ring with teenagers at the very heart of it. She must determine whether there is any connection between the ring and Sara Long's murder. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly commented that Hellmann's effort "is a predictable mystery with little suspense." However, in a review for Booklist, Sue O'Brien dubbed Georgia Davis "a principled, compassionate character, determined to do the right thing, even if it doesn't follow conventional assumptions."

Chicago Blues, for which Hellmann served as editor, collects twenty-one stories from a number of Chicago-based authors, in an assortment of crime, blues, and noir that serves to act as a brief introduction to the city. Notable contributors include Sara Paretsky, Kris Nelscott, and Stuart M. Kaminsky, and as a whole, the stories reflect a certain dark outlook toward the Windy City. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly asserted that "this impressive volume has soul, grit and plenty of high notes." A contributor to Kirkus Reviews commented that "the authors, all with close ties to the city, agree that Chicago is bold, reeking and real—a gift to mystery writers."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, August 1, 2005, Sue O'Brien, review of A Shot to Die For, p. 1999; March 1, 2008, Sue O'Brien, review of Easy Innocence, p. 52.

Chicago Tribune, August 3, 2003, Dick Adler, "Murder Locales Mundane and Exotic."

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2007, review of Chicago Blues.

Library Journal, February 1, 2004, Rex Klett, review of An Image of Death, p. 128.

Publishers Weekly, June 2, 2003, review of A Picture of Guilt, p. 37; January 12, 2004, review of An Image of Death, p. 41; June 11, 2004, Robert Dahlin, interview with Hellmann; August 13, 2007, review of Chicago Blues, p. 47; February 4, 2008, review of Easy Innocence, p. 41.