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The Washington Post said:
When Walker and Company announced last month that it was closing down its mystery line, the news was a blow to crime-fiction fans who appreciate offbeat approaches to what can be a far too traditional genre. Over the past 43 years, Walker has brought us such authors as John Creasey, John le Carre, Marcia Muller and, most recently, Keith Snyder — one of a handful of contemporary mystery authors willing to experiment with structure and style. In fact, Snyder's book The Night Men stands as one of the best of 2001, despite its lack of formal award nominations. In it, Snyder took a true risk and penned a mystery novel without a murder, creating an homage to the form that featured a beautifully rendered book-within-a-book. By showing how his young characters are forever changed by their first experience with the hardboiled genre, Snyder vividly illustrated why crime fiction matters.
It's this kind of ambitious reaching that readers will miss when Walker phases out its full mystery line this fall. Books currently under contract will be gradually released over the next year and, after that, only an occasional new mystery title with crossover fictional content will be published under the Walker name. It's another blow for a shrinking genre: Walker's distinctive imprint on crime fiction will truly be missed.
—Katy Munger
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