Did you know that Hydra Seetre was the pen name of Tyra D. Sheere? Did you know that she also wrote children's books under the name Esther Rayde? Did you know that all her names were anagrams? As her mystery book editor I have the sad task of informing you that Tyra (which is the name all of us called her) died on May 6, on the island of Borneo, after slipping and hitting her head on a rock.
That's called burying the lead. And it was something for which I always took her to task, so it seems appropriate to do it now in writing her obituary.
What you also need to know is that moments before her death she was sketching. That was her favorite activity—that and yacking away on any topic under the sun. (That's a digression, since you loved her work, you'll understand that.)
Tyra's will contained very specific wishes for the handling of her remains. You're going to hear it from someone so you might as well hear it from me. It is true that immediately following her death her body was processed (just imagine that part) and her bones were burnt and ground into pigment. A small paint company (that wishes to remain anonymous, but was a favorite with Tyra) made a gouache paint from those remains, appropriately called, "Shadow Girl." At her memorial service on May 18 I saw the paintings her friends made using it. I have to say it really is a lovely paint. The granulating properties of the paint added texture and atmosphere to the works. I can't think of a more appropriate way for her to be memorialized.
We can pause, reflect, and look back over her productive life and see the stories she gave us, the characters she created, and we can let go of our sadness. There are 13 Peregrine Jones Mysteries. She would have appreciated that final number. She would also be glad that Peregrine Jones makes a cameo appearance in her final mystery, "The House Captain Murders," which was finished just before she departed on her trip. It will be released at the end of this year. Soon we will have film versions of Grim Jones to enjoy. Tyra was crazy-delirious about that.
If you are fan of Tyra's work, you can help keep her memory alive by involving yourself in nature conservation. Know also that she lived every day grateful that you enjoyed reading her books almost as much as she enjoyed writing them.
Patricia Lincoln
editor, Suspicious Ink Press
