From staff reports

CASTRO VALLEY — Just like a haunted house, the Castro Valley Library can induce spooky, spine-tingling shivers.

But that's only once a year. And, this year, it's next Tuesday. That's when the Friends of the Castro Valley Library will host its annual Mystery Night, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Four Bay Area mystery writers — including Castro Valley's Camille Minichino — will discuss their current projects, the craft of writing and how to get books or articles published.

The event is open to the public.

Minichino, who has a Ph.D. in physics and works at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, authors books in the "Periodic Table" murder series. Under the name Margaret Grace she also incorporates dollhouse miniature collectibles — her lifelong hobby — into a "miniatures mystery" series.

Minichino will moderate a panel that includes Penny Warner of Danville, Peter Gessner of San Francisco and Peggy Lucke of Hercules.

Warner has written more than 50 fiction and nonfiction books for adults and children. Her mystery titles or topics include the "Nancy Drew Handbook," and the Connor Westphal and Middle Grade mysteries.

Warner and her husband, Tom, also write interactive mysteries as fundraisers for libraries throughout the country.

Gessner, a university lecturer turned private detective, will discuss his first novel, "The Big Hello and the Long Goodbye." The premise

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is what appears to be a Palestinian man's honor-killing of his sister.

Lucke's books include "House of Whispers," "Writing Mysteries" and "A Relative Stranger."

For information, call the library at 510-670-6280.