John Mortimer Dead at 85

I saw late last night that John Mortimer, one of the first British writers that I read on a regular basis, has died in a London hospital from a long illness. I will always think of those great Rumpole of the Bailey books when I think of John, of course, but I have thoroughly enjoyed most all of his fiction for a long time.

I was lucky enough to stumble upon a 1992 book signing of his in a London bookstore one day and still have that pristine, signed copy of Dunster on my bookshelves.

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who had the phrase "she who must be feared" flit through his mind immediately upon hearing of John's death. His Rumpole books always made me smile - and the news that he might have been working on another Rumpole book at the time of his death is a bit sad because Rumpole fans will never know the pleasure of reading that one.

We'll miss you, Mr. Mortimer. Thank you for so many hours of reading pleasure.


Link to 17 minute John Mortimer interview conducted by Don Swaim in 1987