Yesterday morning, I came across a gem of a post on good ole Publib. “Off the Beat” told of the Madison (WI) P.L.’s list of recommended reads by the local police officers, and heavy-hitting history rules the precincts—e.g., Eloise Engel and Lauri Paananen’s The Winter War: The Russo Finnish Conflict, 1939-40 and Doris Kearns Goodwin’s No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the Home Front in World War II. That same poster mentioned that mysteries happen to be very popular with prison patrons. (A Google search I did located an August 2005 story in the China Daily newspaper about the favorite reads of Guantanamo detainees. According to the unidentified prison librarian, Harry Potter was tops, and right on his heels was Agatha Christie.)

In all seriousness, I’d like to see prison patrons’ top picks in the genre because I am fascinated by the genre’s appeal across populations (according to our 2006 Book Buying Survey, “[I]n genre, mystery still reigns supreme”—and demand keeps on keeping on). Just from reading LJ’s Mystery column, I do know that mysteries often involve convicts, so perhaps prison patrons are curious how they’re being portrayed in fiction: Do they come across as three-dimensional? Are they ever heroes? Or maybe it’s simpler than that, and they just want to be transported and entertained.

I’ve never been a big mystery reader, although I love the idea of a character dissecting a crime in between brushes with mortality. Long story short, I’m ready for some leads, and prison librarians and/or their probably discerning customers seem like the go-to audience.