I picked How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America, edited by Lee Child, on a whim at a local Indi bookstore. Then my book club decided to do a year of mystery books, and this was a valuable resource for different genres and exposure to new authors. Hello, Craig Johnson of Longmire fame. It has essays from many big names in the mystery game, like Lee Child, Charlaine Harris, Deborah Crombie, Jeffery Deaver, etc. I read it straight through because maybe there's something about children's mystery literature I may need to know one day. Surprise, it's more than Encyclopedia Brown. I can't think of a topic it didn't cover--character development, building community, and legal considerations are a few. A debate I enjoyed was the Pantsers versus the Outliners. Some authors write by the seat of their pants and go where the story takes them; others OUTLINE everything. Jeffery Deaver's essay "Always Outline!" is followed by Lee Child's "Never Outline!" Both are insightful and humorous. If you are a reader, and I suspect you are, or a writer, this is a worthwhile book. I read it over several months, an essay at a time. It is a solid resource and also entertaining.
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This is my second read of Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke. My mystery book club is reading it for Black History Month. Here is the link to my previous review, and not to brag, but I was pretty eloquent: mostly-mysteries.html
I didn't think I would need to reread it because the story was memorable, but so much happens, and there are unexpected connections and family ties that I needed to. There are several murders, and I like that Locke tied them all up at the end. It is annoying when I get to the end of a mystery book, and the killer isn't revealed clearly. 😡
I benefitted from the reread, seeing things I hadn't noticed before. It wrestled with the dichotomy of home and belonging. Home, for Darren Matthews, is East Texas, a place that doesn't value or welcome him, a black man and a Ranger. This creates a continuing churn that gives the novel tension. I find Bluebird, Bluebird to be well-crafted with genuine, gritty characters. If you haven't read it, give it a try.
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