Dark Materials: Mystery and Noir Writers Confess at Barnes & Noble

When it comes to things that go bump in the night, or things that bump each other off in the night, Otto Penzler is the man. The proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop purveys classic and contemporary crime novels, chillers, and thrillers, but in recent years has also become a kind of anthology Master of Ceremonies, rounding up choice selections in such genres as pulp and vampire fiction. Most recently, he has curated two volumes in Houghton Mifflin’s “Best American” series—“The Best American Mystery Stories 2010” (with Lee Child) and “The Best American Noir of the Century” (with James Ellroy).