Bill Crider - One of the best

I think it's fair to say that there isn't anyone in the mystery community as well loved and respected as Bill Crider. 


Yesterday he reached out to keep us all updated on his health.


December 5 - "Dear Facebook friends, tomorrow I enter home hospice care. It's only a matter of time before I won't be posting again, and as some of you have noticed, I haven't been posting much. I love you all and have valued your virtual friendship for a long time. I'm sorry to be leaving, but that's the way things go, sometimes."


And this at his blog - "Things could change, but I suspect this will be my final post on the blog. I met with some doctors at M. D. Anderson today, and they suggested that I enter hospice care. A few weeks, a few months is about all I have left. The blog has been a tremendous source of pleasure to me over the years, and I've made a lot of friends here. My only regret is that I have several unreviewed books, including Lawrence Block' fine new anthology, Alive in Shape and Color, and Max Allan Collins' latest collaboration with Mickey Spillane, The Last Stand, which is a collection of two novellas, "A Bullet for Satisfaction," an early Spillane manuscript with an interesting history, and "The Last Stand," the last thing that Spillane completed. It saddens me to think of all the great books by many writers that I'll never read. But I've had a great life, and my readers have been a big part of it. Much love to you all." 


His news was met with hearts breaking and tears shed by people who knew him well, and people who may not  have known him well, but were touched  by him in some way over the years.


People are posting stories about him.


Pictures.


Sharing remembrances.


We all love Bill Crider.


I immediately went to my Meanderings and Muses archives to pull out pieces Bill wrote for me over the years.


I share them with you here.


http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2010/08/how-one-thing-leads-to-another-by-bill.html

http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2011/07/wild-hog-murders-by-bill-crider.html

http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2012/08/bill-crider-and-sheriff-dan-rhodes-two.html



He has always been one of the most generous of souls.  You would be hard-pressed to find a single word Bill Crider wrote in praise of himself, but you'll find plenty of words in which he's praising and supporting and helping others.  Including me and Meanderings and Muses.

http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2010/01/me-and-ellery-queen.html



When Bill first shared the news of his cancer, I wrote this.
http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2016/07/dear-dr-crider.html

Bill Crider - if you're reading this; I love you to the moon and back, dear man.