The autobiography of a PR man turned writer Donald Bain who, at this writing, died a few weeks ago at age 82. Bain wrote 115 books, many ghosted, like Veronica Lake's autobiography. He also wrote 40-plus Murder She Wrote novels, sharing his byline with fictional sleigh Jessica Fletche. Bain also wrote numerous mysteries based in Washington DC, under the name of Margaret Truman. The ex-president's daughter wrote the first, Murder at the White House. Bain's breakthrough was the novel-disguised-as-nonfiction, Coffee, Tea, or Me? about a pair of airline stewardess as they then called. Bain tells his life story, shares numerous anecdotes, talks a little about his writing process - I would've liked to read more on this, and produces a fun, readable book about a man with an interesting life. ( )

Donald Bain is probably best known to mystery readers as the writer of the wildly popular Murder, She Wrote series based on the CBS series starting Angela Lansbury.

It was fascinating to read that he has done so much, met so many different people and written so many other things, most of them as either a "ghost" or with a pseudonym. The diversity is amazing, he's written biographies (or autobiographies as a ghost), liner notes for a jazz album, a book on caviar, a bartenders guide, westerns and, of course, mysteries.

I enjoyed getting a peek into his life and hope he keeps on writing because the world needs writers who are so good and yet so humble.

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