Meet Our Staff

Below are bios for each member of the MBTB staff, including a list of some of their favorite authors. Click on a staff member's name to be taken to a page with their staff picks and reviews!

Daniel Bland at Murder By The Book since 2010

Daniel currently attends high school at St. John's School. His activities include alphabetizing books, playing baseball, reading, and winning.

Some of Daniel's favorite authors: Michael Crichton, Jim Butcher, Patrick Lee, Matthew Reilly, Derek Landy, Alex Berenson, and Jonathan Mayberry.

Jeffrey Fastow at Murder By The Book since 2011

Jeffrey currently attends St. John's High School as a sophomore. In addition to being an avid reader of Jo Nesbo, Ian Rankin, Stieg Larsson, Jonathon Mayberry, Agatha Christie, Ken Follet, and Michael Koryta, he enjoys the prose of Charles Dickens, Ayn Rand, and Kurt Vonnegut.

His other activities include intense swimming, playing guitar, and quiz bowl on his high school team. He is also willing to work as a private eye...

Dean James at Murder By The Book since 1984

Our former store manager, Dean now works full-time at the Texas Medical Center Library (in addition to a Ph.D. in History from Rice, he has a Master's in Library Science) and part-time (every Saturday) at Murder By The Book. He's also an award-winning author of both mystery non-fiction -- including By a Woman's Hand and Killer Books (both co-written with Jean Swanson) -- and mystery fiction, including the Wanda Nell Culpepper novels (written as Jimmie Ruth Evans), the Bridge Club mysteries (written as Honor Hartman), and the New York Times Bestselling Cat in the Stacks mysteries (written as Miranda James).

Some of Dean's favorite authors: Margery Allingham, Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels, Anne Perry, Charlaine Harris, Carolyn Haines, and Carolyn Hart.

Sarah Jones at Murder By The Book since 2008

Sarah has long been a customer at the store and started working here as a teenager. Now away at UT, she continues to work during her vacations in Houston and to read as much as her school schedule allows.

Sarah reads a wide variety of mysteries, but her favorites tend to be historical and/or fantasy mysteries.

Brenda Jordan at Murder By The Book since 2009

Brenda's "Claim to Fame" is she is McKenna's mother. Some of Brenda's favorite authors: Martin Walker, Alan Bradley, Kate Morton, Jacqueline Winspear, Louise Penny, Daniel Silva, Charles Todd, Anne Zouroudi, and Ariana Franklin

McKenna Jordan, Store Owner at Murder By The Book since 2003

McKenna has her Bachelor's Degree in English and a Master's in Violin Performance from University of Houston. She's owned Murder By The Book since January 2009.

Some of McKenna's favorite authors; Megan Abbott, Cara Black, Ken Bruen, Kerry Greenwood, Charlaine Harris, Carolyn Haines, Peter Lovesey, Daniel Silva, Jacqueline Winspear.

Matt Keogh at Murder By The Book since 2011

Matt was born in Wyoming, raised in Colorado and migrated to the great state of Texas, which he now calls Home. He spent many years as a business owner in the Dark Financial World, however, he became weary of his life slowly being sucked out of him, and decided it best to change directions.

Matt is a foodie at heart (even though he dislikes the term) and is also an aspiring Chili-Head. When Matt isn't reading, he also enjoys gaming, fishing, golfing, and spending time with his family.

Some of Matt's favorite authors: C.J. Box, Jim Butcher, Brett Battles, John Ringo, Glen Cook, and F. Paul Wilson.

Anne Kimbol, Store Manager at Murder By The Book since 2008

Anne has been with Murder By The Book since 2008, starting as a part-time employee before becoming full-time in 2009. She has always been a mystery fan and enjoys the wide range of styles within the genre.

Her favorite authors include Dennis Lehane, Robert Crais, C.J. Box, William Kent Krueger, Anna Dean, Jim Butcher, Tom Sniegoski, and Charlie Huston.

John Kwiatkowski, Publicity Manager at Murder By The Book since 2010

In previous career incarnations, John has sold model and toy trains, and been a barista. Prior to joining the Murder By The Book team he managed one of the local chain bookstores. When his nose isn't in a book he loves going to concerts, seeing musicals, going to Las Vegas, and spending afternoons in Hermann Park.

John's favorite authors include: Arturo Perez-Reverte, Tasha Alexander, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Daphne Du Maurier, Wilkie Collins, Jacqueline Sussan, Victoria Laurie, and Louise Penny.

Sam Mayer at Murder By The Book since 2008

Sam has been working at Murder By The Book off and on since 2008. His favorite authors are: Jasper Fforde, Joyce Porter, Ann Purser, Hazel Holt, Marne Davis Kellogg, and Daniel Woodrell. He's around when he's not at school in Vermont.

Nolan Peacock at Murder By The Book since 2012

Nolan is thirteen years old and currently attends St. John's School as a 7th grader. He enjoys reading immensely and also runs cross country and track for his school. His favorite activities include hip-hop dance, swimming, reading, and balancing his love of literature with his social life.

Nolan's favorite authors include: Clive Cussler, Jonathan Mayberry, Matthew Reilly, Alex Berenson, Lee Child, Stephen Hunter, Urban Waite, and Stephen King. When he isn't reading action and mystery books, he enjoys dabbling in the works of J.D. Salinger and David Sedaris.

Sally Woods at Murder By The Book since 2011

Sally has been in the bookselling biz for almost 20 years. She comes to MBTB via various Houston indie bookstores. She did have a life prior to bookstores, but that seems long ago. She is also somewhat new to the mystery genre and is learning about new authors all the time.

Some her favorite authors include: Stephen King, John Sandford, Dean Koontz, Sue Grafton, Kevin Brockmeier, Dan Chaon, Gillian Flynn, Joyce Carol Oates (especially the short stories), Margaret Atwood, and newly discovered Peter James.