Exploring Genre - Crime Mystery

by Donna Fletcher Crow

The Mystery of Writing Mysteries—

Or Why Would an Author Kill Her Characters?

Saint Cuthbert made me do it.

I started out as a romance writer. I wrote wonderful, dreamy stories, historical or contemporary, set in lush locations that I loved researching and then living in in my mind. (Settings have always been one of the most important story elements to me.) I published several books and even won a few awards. Then one day I realized I couldn’t read another romance.

If you can’t read them, you can’t write them. So I concentrated on my lifetime love of English history and wrote a number of historical novels, including my Arthurian epic Glastonbury, The Novel of Christian England, still my best-known work.

Then I met Saint Cuthbert. Not in any mystical sense, but the way I meet most of my characters: researching another project. At Durham Cathedral I heard the story of this soldier-turned-monk who transformed the north of England by his holiness. I knew I wanted to tell his story. But what could I do with a character whose claim to fame was his sanctity?

My greatest challenge in writing had always been plotting. My family knew my struggles so well that when my writing flagged, my young daughter would say, “Mama, you don’t have enough conflict.” I seldom did. I had once mentioned my struggle to an editor who advised, “You need to read thrillers.” He promptly sent me a box of mystery novels he edited. I was hooked.

My love of history took me back to the Golden Age. I devoured Dorothy L. Sayers, Josephine Tey, Margery Allingham and, of course, Agatha Christie. I saw that mystery writing incorporated not only the rich backgrounds and alive characters that I loved, but also kept me involved with that all-important strong story question that must be developed early in the story and solved at the end.

That was it—what I needed for Saint Cuthbert was a story question strong enough to keep the pages turning. I needed to involve my reader with strong characters in interesting settings so they would care enough about what was happening to be willing to read about an ancient saint whose beliefs are still valid for our day and can transform our world as they did his own.

The Monastery Murders were born. I had understood the story question idea from the early days of my writing—I had some great teachers, especially Lee Roddy. But I had never applied the story question principle with blood before. Let’s face it—nothing keeps the pages turning like a dead body.

In this third permutation of my writing career I author three mystery series: The Lord Danvers Investigates, Victorian true-crime mysteries; The Elizabeth and Richard Literary Suspense series; and The Monastery Murders. In each of these I try to develop the rich backgrounds, vital characters and historical elements that have always driven my writing, but now I also concentrate on keeping the story question moving forward to what I hope will be a satisfyingly surprising conclusion.

Once I plant my story question—which may or may not be an explicit query followed by a question mark, but must raise a question in the reader’s mind—I then develop my chapters by focusing on small elements of the over-arching question. A clue or red herring leads my sleuths (in my books, all amateurs) to explorations, evaluations and then a new question to be explored in the next chapter. This is a mystery-writing application of the classic scene and sequel structure which I discovered many years ago in the classic Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain. I highly recommend it—there’s nothing better for understanding the bones of fiction writing.

This question and answer method, which I first applied to A Very Private Grave, Saint Cuthbert’s story,  has carried me through the writing of  fourteen more mystery novels. I’ve never been bored for a minute—and I hope my readers haven’t either.

Donna Fletcher Crow is passionate about English history and loves telling the stories of the men and women who have shaped the world we live in. She is the author of some 50 books--all available on her website along with pictures from her research trips--something else she is passionate about. Her newest release is A Lethal Spectre, Lord Danvers Investigates 

The greatest mystery

I’ve recently been challenged by a question posed in Goodreads. ‘What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?’

This got me reflecting on my life’s journey. Sure, like all of us, I have a life story. Some parts of it may be inspiring, touching, even amazing. There have been mysteries, problems to be solved, challenges to overcome.  No doubt some parts of my life, if not the whole story, are worth telling, and could even make a good book. But as I thought about this, it seemed to me that the greatest mystery in my life is my inner journey; why I make the decisions I do, why I act and interact with others in certain ways, why I repeat certain unhelpful patterns of behaviour.  At nearly 70 I’m surprised  at how often I still wonder why I did or said something, why I reacted in a certain way. Shouldn’t I know myself really well by now? Shouldn’t I be fully formed, stable, predictable? At least to myself? Shouldn’t the rough edges be smoothed out by now? Shouldn’t I have found the wisdom I need to decide and respond well?  Clearly not, because I’m still a mystery, to myself often and no doubt, to others at least sometimes.

Last week I read Ian Acheson’s ACW blog – a great review of Christine Painter’s book, The Soul of a Pilgrim, which I encourage you to read, and which was a good reminder to me that we are never fully formed this side of heaven, that our life’s journey is a pilgrimage with God, ever changing, growing, becoming. Of course, deep down I’ve known this for a long time, but needed reminding. I was particularly taken by a line in the Blurb for the book. “Painter identifies 8 stages of the pilgrim’s way and shows how to follow these steps to make an intentional, transformative journey to the reader’s “wild edges.”  I loved that image and it took me on a short journey through some similar lines I’ve recently read.   

The Introduction to the Soul of a Pilgrim begins with a quote from Mark Nepo from his book, The Exquisite Risk: “To journey without being changed is to be a nomad. To change without journeying is to be a chameleon. To journey and to be transformed by the journey is to be a pilgrim.” What a great challenge and also a warning for me. I mustn’t cease to be a pilgrim!

This led me to another of Nepo’s books, Seven Thousand Ways to Listen.  Nepo, on learning that there were seven thousand living languages on earth (and these are only the ones we know of), suggested there must, therefore, be at least seven thousand ways to listen. “To enter into deep listening, I’ve had to learn how to keep emptying and opening, how to keep beginning. I’ve had to lean into all I don’t understand, accepting that I am changed by what I hear. Listening is a personal pilgrimage that takes time and a willingness to circle back. With each trouble that stalls us and each wonder that lifts us, we are asked to put down our conclusions and feel and think anew. Unpredictable as life itself is, the practice of listening is one of the mysterious, luminous and challenging art forms on earth.  … This is the work of reverence: to stay vital and alive by listening deeply.”

This listening, paying attention to what is happening deep within us, where God’s voice is quiet but most enlightening, is what Marjorie Thompson, in Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life, calls an act of worship. “Worship ushers us into the present of the living God and demands the attention, receptivity, and response of our whole being. It asks us to disengage from the nose-length focus of daily life and see below the surface to life’s source. We can then reengage the realities of the world from a deeper and clearer perspective.”

I’ve also been dipping into Curt Thompson’s, ‘Anatomy of the Soul,’ in which the author explores the ways in which we impede the blessings of God by struggling to believe that God loves us much as He claims in scripture, that He delights in us, treasures us, that He wants to live deeply with us, moment by moment. What a mystery is that? How can that be?  That Almighty God, creator of the universe, could love us so. Thompson invites us to sit with God until we can feel God’s feeling about us.  Not just believe it, but feel it.  Now, there’s a journey worth taking.

All of these writers encourage paying attention to our inner journey as much – perhaps more – than the outer journey, returning to what really matters throughout the day, naming what is meaningful, noting the changes, or possible changes that can come from our experiences, from ageing, from surviving loss, from words, written or spoken, which come from others, from scripture and from our deep moments with God.

I’ve been reminded in all of this that the deepest mystery in my life is the wonder of being chosen by God to be His child, to walk through my life with Him. I’ve remembered how often the first thing that comes to my mind when I stop and make space and time for God, is : “How can this be, that You have loved me, saved me, want to share my life, invite me to share life with you?”  It is also a mystery to me why I let this amazing truth and grace fade into the background and allow busyness, distractions (even good ones) to dim my excitement and gratitude for God’s love.

I’m thankful to the writers who prompt me to reflect on my inner life; both fiction and non-fiction writers. While I enjoy a good novel to escape into, a good plot and a moving story about someone else’s life,  I know I need to balance my reading with writings which will challenge my inner life and prompt me to delve deeply into the mystery of God’s love for me, which is the source and underpinning of all my living.   

Carol

Carol writes historical novels based on her family ancestry in Australia from the First Fleet. They include the Turning the Tide series; Mary’s Guardian, Charlotte’s Angel, Tangled Secrets and Truly Free. Two of her earlier novels, Suzannah’s Gold and Rebecca’s Dream, were re-released by EBP.  Next of Kin was released in 2015 by Rhiza Press and the sequel, Beyond the Fight, was released in 2016. You can see more about Carol and her novels on her website, her Amazon author page or FB author page.

www.carolpreston.com.au

www.amazon.com/author/carolpreston

www.facebook.com/writingtoreach

Book Recommendation ~ Ehvah After by Rose Dee

Book Description: 

Ehvah Rowe’s life is in freefall. Her teen queen status is long forgotten, and with a childhood of tragic loss, no family save a diabolical aunt, and no career prospects, her L.A. celebrity world holds no future. It will take a murder, an escape to the Australian tropics, and the friendship of an Aussie bodyguard, for her to discover healing, faith, and a way forward.

David Blake knows how to be a soldier. His army training equipped him to fight and protect. But when it comes to helping a fear-filled celebrity navigate the same post-traumatic stress symptoms he has suffered, David discovers the challenge in forsaking his own strength for God’s plan.

Rose Dee weaves a story of mystery, drama and romance, in her trademark tropical North Queensland Australian style. 

Narelle's Thoughts: 

I really enjoyed reading Ehvah After and it's now my favourite Rose Dee book. The story opens with Ehvah living in her L.A. mansion with her aunt and uncle. She's an orphan of famous parents who lives off her trust fund and feels jaded with her shallow party lifestyle. Ehvah is frustrated by her bad press in the tabloids, her so-called friends who use her, and her inability to resurrect her Hollywood career. When she witnesses the late night murder of her uncle in her home, she flees to Australia with her aunt who is shooting a film in far north Queensland.

Ehvah has a complex relationship with her aunt that's revealed during the story. The murder investigation is underway when Ehvah arrives in Australia. David, an Aussie ex-military soldier, is assigned the day shift as Ehvah's bodyguard, and an unlikely romance unfolds. I like bodyguard romances, and I love how David and Ehvah's unique and painful past experiences become the common ground in their developing relationship that draws them closer. Her life is in danger, and David takes on the role of her protector and hero.

The murder of Ehvah's uncle provides a compelling mystery sub-plot that intertwines with the main romantic plot to add an exciting suspense element to the story. The serious issue of post traumatic stress is realistically addressed and handled with sensitivity. Rose's books tend to be edgy, although Ehvah After is less edgy than her Resolution series. Ehvah's lifestyle and experiences shape her thoughts and actions in the story, and she doesn't start out holding Christian morals and values. We see her character growth and faith journey during the story.

The story has a strong faith element, and the gospel message is an integral part of the story. The exotic tropical North Queensland setting is gorgeous, and the minor characters add to the Aussie flavour in the story. I highly recommend Ehvah After to readers who are looking for a fun and exciting Aussie contemporary Christian romance with drama and mystery story elements.

I received a complimentary copy from the author. 

Learn more about ACW author Rose Dee and her books by visiting her website.

Book Review A Single Breath

A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke

Blurb

When Eva’s husband Jackson tragically drowns, she longs to meet his estranged family. The journey takes her to Jackson’s brother’s doorstep on a remote Tasmanian island. As strange details about her husband’s past begin to emerge, memories of the man she married start slipping through her fingers like sand, as everything she ever knew and loved about him is thrown into question. Now she’s no longer sure whether it was Jackson she fell in love with - or someone else entirely … The truth is, it was all a lie …

My Review

I was intrigued by this story which drew me into the mystery right from the beginning and kept me wondering to the final conclusion, which is shocking at yet totally believable.  The novel is a great reflection on what happens when a person begins to tell lies, how the first leads on to more and more until life is a tangled mess - in this case one there is no escape from. The challenge in regard to truth telling, it’s costs and the devastation which follows when the truth is skirted around or avoided, is prominent throughout the story, as its complexity grows.

The main characters, Eva, and her brother-in-law, Saul, are well rounded and likeable. It was easy to get deeply involved emotionally with this story because the points of view of both these characters are handled very well. The romantic aspects of the relationships are tender and sensitive. The story will definitely appeal both to those who love romance and to those who like mystery. The pace of the story is good. I didn’t feel there were any parts which dragged and side stories about Jackson’s father, Dirk, and Eva’s best friend, Callie, only add to the  intensity of the main story. To say anything about other characters would give too much away in regard to the plot, which I thought was incredibly well developed.

Most of the story unfolds on a small island off Tasmania and Lucy Clarke describes the environment beautifully and brings it alive to the reader. It’s clear she researches her setting well and also has a good understanding of the diving which Eva and Saul do off the island beach. The ocean, its moods, beauty and terror are woven into the story in graphic and tantalising images. Readers should be warned there is a small amount of bad language in the dialogue, but I was able to accept this as realistically evoked, given the dramatic nature of what was being dealt with by characters.

Lucy Clarke lives in the south of England and travels widely to research for her writing. This is the first of her novels that I have read, but I have already downloaded her other novel, The Sea Sisters. Both are available through Amazon.

 Carol Preston  

Carol writes historical novels based on her family ancestry in Australia from the First Fleet. They include the Turning the Tide series; Mary’s Guardian, Charlotte’s Angel, Tangled Secrets and Truly Free. Her earlier novels Suzannah’s Gold and Rebecca’s Dream have been re-released by EBP. Her new novel, Next of Kin, is soon to be released by Rhiza Press. You can see more about Carol and her novels on her website  

www.carolpreston.com.au

www.amazon.com/author/carolpreston

www.facebook.com/writingtoreach

Searching for Treasure

Photo courtesy of Stoonn/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the joys and frustrations I find in writing fiction is when I start out to write I’m frequently unsure of what will come out on the page. That’s not entirely true all of the time as I try to finish each day leaving some crumbs for the next. An author whose name I now forget but I think quite a famous one wrote that was part of his daily writing routine: “leave some crumbs for tomorrow.”

Perhaps that’s because I’m a pantser, you plotters may have a far different experience but I expect there will still be days when a character completely surprises you with what they do, say or think.

But I know that for most of us turning up each day (or whatever your routine is) is often the key battle of the day. If the crumbs I left behind the night before are meager it makes that struggle of putting the first words down on the page even harder.

However, the more I write, the more I find joy in the process. Heck, if there’s no joy in it, then why do it? Right? And much of that joy comes from both the anticipation of and then excitement of discovering something special as the words flow (or bleed out as it can often be) on the page. Like we’ve stumbled across hidden treasure.

Only today one of my villains revealed to me something that caught me off guard. It was a delicious moment as all of a sudden it unlocked a mystery that had stumped me for a while. Very quickly I was able to visualize Book 3 that had me jumping with joy.

Aren’t those days extra special when a gold nugget miraculously appears out of the many (or sometimes few) words you’ve written that day?

The mystery of Jesus

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”(Colossians 1:27 NIV)

I read that verse the other day and the aspect of Jesus mystery struck me. The more we dig, the more He reveals of Himself. The treasure that He is and that we are united in Him.

And in revealing more of Himself, Jesus reveals more of us.

Just like our stories unfold as we sit down each day with our manuscripts, Jesus unfolds more of Himself each day.

I reckon that’s pretty good reason to turn up each day to my quiet space with Jesus and to my manuscript.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Northern Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard, is now available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

Book Review: The Celtic Stone by Nick Hawkes

By Carol Preston

From the Blurb

Chris Norman's dreams of being a commercial pilot are shattered when he crashes his light plane in central Australia and is badly wounded. His life hangs in the balance, a balance that is swayed by the intervention of an Aboriginal man. He leaves Chris with a mysterious and incongruous legacy, a Celtic cross made of stone. Partly blinded and in deep grief at no longer being able to fly, Chris finds his way to the inhospitable islands off the West Coast of Scotland where he seeks to unravel the secrets of the Celtic Stone.

Review

The blurb of this book held so many promises of interest for me. Who wouldn't be intrigued by a mystery around a Celtic cross? Having recently visited Scottish Islands and been fascinated by the Celtic culture and history I was immediately drawn to this story which was to unfold on the Isle of Skye. I certainly wasn't disappointed. The historical research behind this book is impressive. It's woven into the story in such a way that as a reader I was so intrigued with the plot that I didn't realise how much I'd learned about the cultural mores and the complex laws and development of the crofting communities of Scotland, until I finished the story and reflected back on how much information I'd taken in.

Other aspects of this novel are equally engaging. There's the wonderful character of Morag, a blind Hebridean woman who has been shunned by many in her local community, and Ruan, the seven year old boy who has lost his family. Both of these are complex characters, needing love and care, but also fiercely independent. They bring the challenge of giving and receiving love, of dealing with rejection and alienation, of mutual respect and understanding in relationships, which make this story very moving and compelling.

I appreciated Nick's perspective in this story, which has a strong and likeable male character, who is dealing with grief, discovering his identity and struggling with relationship. I think this is presented in a sensitive and realistic manner, which shows a depth of understanding about human beings and relationships. The female character of Morag is equally deep and well developed, and a character with whom I could identify as a female reader. It's really balanced and believable, which makes the love story engaging and touching.

The conflict which Chris has with ruthless and dangerous figures in the political and crofting world of the islands provides a mystery and power struggle rooted in generations of unfolding traditions and schemes. This also makes this story a real page turner. I believe male and female readers alike, will find this novel exciting, engaging and satisfying.

Carol Preston

Carol is an author of historical novels set in rural Australia and based on her family ancestry in Australia. You can see more about Carol and her novels on her website: www.carolpreston.com.au
or her Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/carolpreston  or on Facebook www.facebook.com/writingtoreach

Genre: Mystery, Suspense and Thrillers

By Iola Goulton

Ronald Tobias distinguishes between plots of the body and plots of the mind, and action plots are plots of the body. They are focused on providing suspense, surprise and fulfilling expectation, and the main character doesn’t necessarily change and grow as an individual (think James Bond or Jack Reacher).

Mystery

The essence of a mystery novel is that there is a mystery to be solved, usually a murder. The reader is introduced to a small group of characters in the beginning of the novel, one of whom becomes the detective, one (or more) the victim, and one the murderer. Writing a good mystery requires a significant level of skill: the reader shouldn’t be able to easily identify the murderer, but there should be a logic to the plot so the reader says, ‘of course!’ when the culprit is revealed at the end (as they always are).

Cozy mysteries are popular, and generally feature a bloodless off-stage murder, little sex, violence or profanity, and a female amateur investigator (with Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple being a classic example). Other sub-genres include hard-boiled (featuring the classic male detective), and police procedural (which might investigate several related crimes, and where the reader may know who the criminal is, in which case part of the suspense comes from wanting the police to catch the criminal before another crime is committed).

Fans of classic detective fiction will want to read Rules of Murder by debut author Julianna Deering. Other authors writing Christian mysteries include Mindy Starns Clark (cozy), Stephen James and J Mark Bertrand (police procedural).

Thriller

If a thriller does not thrill, if it doesn’t give readers an adrenaline rush, it’s not a thriller. (Steven James)

A thriller is usually some kind of chase to find a criminal (such as a kidnapper or murderer), often before they commit another crime. These are the books that keep you awake at night—because you have to finish them before you can sleep, just in case the unthinkable happens and a major character is killed (it does happen. Not often, but it does happen). Prominent Christian thriller authors include Alton Gansky, Steven James, Creston Mapes, Robert Whitmore and Liz Wiehl.

Medical Thriller

Medical thrillers are usually centred in or around a hospital, and involve some kind of threat or crisis, whether medical or physical. Christian authors writing in this sub-genre include Hannah Alexander, Candace Calvert, Jordyn Redwood, and Richard Mabry.

Legal Thriller

The protagonist is usually a crusading lawyer out to prove a client innocent, or investigating a corrupt organisation or system. The legal system is a vital component, and the ring of authenticity is important to the reader—there is no room for factual errors in a legal thriller. Christian authors writing in this genre include James Scott Bell, Pamela Binnings Ewen, and Randy Singer.

Crime

Crime novels, in contrast, are usually from the point of view of the criminal. As such, there is little in the way of Christian crime fiction (although a thriller or romantic suspense novel may well include the criminal as a viewpoint character).

Horror

The objective of horror is to scare the reader. Personally, I don’t see the thrill in that, and it seems I’m not alone, because it’s not a common genre in Christian fiction. Authors in this area include James Rubart, Mike Duran and Ted Dekker.

Speculative

In Christian fiction, speculative or visionary fiction includes some aspect of the supernatural, and this may or may not be biblically accurate (which can cause problems). While the plot is a thriller, it also requires a degree of worldbuilding, which will be discussed in the next post.

Based on these examples, you’d be forgiven for assuming that almost all thriller authors are men (one of the female names listed above, Hannah Alexander, is actually the pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team). I think that's true. Women make up more than 80% of the membership of writing organisations such as ACFW, and probably a similar proportion of fiction readers. Authors targeting the female reader are more likely to combine an action plot with a romance plot (romantic suspense), and are more likely to be women. Personally, I find many male authors emphasise action at the expense of the character relationships.

Do you write action or adventure? How do you describe what you write? What do you feel are the essential ingredients in an action novel?

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction, and you can find out more about my services at my website, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. I love reading, and read and review around 150 Christian books each year on my blog.