Starting with the current issue, Crimespree asks your favorite authors a question. This issue, we posed the question: What was your favorite costume? Here are a few of the answers:
Megan Abbott:
Jack Kerouac’s first wife, Edie, who grew up in my hometown.
Ken Bruen:
The Scream mask, paired with Jason Starr leather jacket, a real show stopeer
Chelsea Cain:
Batgirl
Bill Fitzhugh:
I was never into the costume aspect of Halloween. I liked the candy and running around neighborhoods at night with friends. One of the few ‘costumes’ I remember ‘putting together’ was in college. I don’t have any sewing or make up skills so I went with something I could put together with what was in the closet. Found some green ‘army’ pants and a camouflage pants shirt and went to the party as infamous Indiana National Guard member Dan Quayle. Yes, there was the time my (soon to be wife) and I cross-dressed one year, but those pictures will not be forthcoming. Unless the price is high enough.
Chris Holm:
When I was a kid, my family was all about the elaborate, homemade costumes. My favorite was the shrunken-headed safari guy. I had a tiny fake head mounted atop a styrofoam frame, and I looked through a screen in the middle of his chest. Couldn’t see crap, but damn if the illusion wasn’t impressive.
Julie Hyzy:
Batman. I decided to be him in high school. I made my own cowl and cape and sewed the iconic symbol across the chest of a blue shirt. Had shorts, tights, and a utility belt, natch. My best friend was Robin and the two of us wound up meeting Adam West and Burt Ward, though we weren’t in costume at the time. Going in to that meeting, I had such a crush on Burt Ward, but I walked out with an even bigger crush on Adam West. FYI – I think I wore that costume for three years. And I believe my mom even borrowed it once.
Jess Lourey:
Batman ninja kitty. My son couldn’t make up his mind Halloween of 2006 (he was three), and so he picked EVERYthing.
Val McDermid:
A toss up between Speedy Gonzalez and Acker Bilk.
Clare O’Donohue:
I’m a traditionalist, so I like being a witch or zombie or something like that. I went as a dead cheerleader one year, and that was a hit. As a kid I used to go as a hobo quite a lot. We didn’t have money to buy costumes, so I would borrow my older brother’s jeans and a shirt, grab a stick and a handkerchief. It wasn’t exactly inventive, but it was enough to get me what I really wanted – candy.
Elaine Viets:
Don and I went with friends to the Key West Fantasy Fest, I dressed as a vampire — I have custom made fangs. Don hates costumes, so I poured fake blood on his T-shirt and he went as my lunch.
For  costumes from Dana Cameron, Brad Parks, SJ Rozan and more, check out issue 48 of Crimespree.