Sybil's Malice Domestic Recap 2026

 by Sybil Johnson

My apologies for missing my last posting date. After Malice, the husband and I did a driving trip through parts of Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. It was fun and great to get away from all the construction around our house. But that’s not what I’ll be talking about here. Today I’m focusing on my Malice Domestic experience.

This was my 10th/11th something like that Malice. It’s my favorite mystery convention because it feels like coming home. It spotlights the types of mysteries I love the best (traditional/cozy) and I get to see authors and readers I’ve met over the years. I feel welcomed. I don’t always feel that from other conferences or at least not as much.

We always fly in late Wednesday evening so I get a day or so to adjust to the three hour time change. Thursday we went to the National Zoo and said hello to the pandas. Didn’t see the new baby elephant, but did see the meerkats. Love those meerkats. The zoo has an elephant webcam so I can check out the baby there: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/elephants

 

I headed to the elevator on Friday, the first day, and found Marla Cooper wearing the same pink color. So, of course, we had to take a photo together. 

 

Marla Cooper and me

I started off Malice by sitting in on the Malice Go-Round. Last year, I was one of the participating authors. This year I got to sit and listen to all those authors. Both are exhausting, btw, in completely different ways. I’m always interested in how other authors choose to present their books. Debbie Viguie gave out flashdrives with chapters from her mysteries. Not the entire story, just the first 50 or so pages of each. If you wanted to read more, she put how to get the book at the end. An interesting approach, one I’ve never seen before.

One of the new things I picked up this year were author trading cards. I didn’t hear about this until right before I left for Malice, so didn’t get a chance to create one of my own. Here are the fronts of the cards. The backs had “stats” or info on their books or whatever they wanted to include. A cute and clever idea.

 

I love catching up with people I haven’t seen in a while. Like Annette Dashofy, Ellen Byron, Gigi Pandian and Tina Kashian. Ellen lives only 30 miles or so from me, but we had to fly across the country to see each other! I saw lots and lots of other people as well.

 

Toastmaster Ellen Byron and me

Gigi Pandian and me

Guest of Honor Annette Dashofy and me

I went to panels and interviews, talked with the woman who sells jewelry every year (she’s a friend of a friend) and bought some cat jewelry, talked with people in the Hospitality Suite. You never know what you’re going to learn. I met a young woman who was attending the full weekend for the first time. She was very enthusiastic, which was nice to see. She also told me about the Great Lives Lecture series put on by the University of Mary Washington. She attends them in person, but they are available online: https://www.umw.edu/greatlives/

I did not make the new authors breakfast. I have attended twice (once when I was a new author and once the year after). It’s just too early in the morning for this west coaster. Maybe next time.

The Agatha Award banquet was great fun, as always. I was at DR Ransdell’s table. She was going to be on the panel I was moderating the next morning so I thought that would be a great table to be at. We all had a good time. 

 

Sunday morning at 9 a.m. I moderated a panel called MUSEUM MACGUFFINS: Art & Artifacts in Mysteries. A great topic and great panelists. They were DR Ransdell, Lynda Allen, and Jeff Tanner. Lane Stone was slated to be on the panel, but had to cancel at the last minute. It was great fun. We even had a good turnout given it was early on Sunday morning. 

 

Me, Lynda Allen, DR Ransdell, Jeff Tanner

All in all, I had a good time. Next year, Malice will be earlier, April 9-11, 2027. Just days after Left Coast Crime in Santa Fe, which is April 1-4. Not sure which one I’ll be going to, if either. I’ll decide that later.

The thing I value the most from this conference is the relationships I’ve built up over the years with people who attend. We genuinely enjoy seeing each other again. Plus it’s fun to see the new books coming out.