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WRITING THE MYSTERY
by G. Miki Hayden
Intrigue Press, November 2004
255 pages
$16.95
ISBN: 1890768634


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

If you're reading this review, chances are you have more than a passing affection for the mystery genre. Chances are you're obsessed. Your favorite authors may well include the likes of Mary Higgins Clark, Elmore Leonard, S.J. Rozan, and Laura Lippman, and you may have wondered more than once how these writers create the captivating novels they churn out year after year. WRITING THE MYSTERY will answer all of your questions. What's more, you get to listen in while Hayden interviews some of the giants of the genre.

There are dozens of mystery writing manuals on the market, and if you're struggling with writing your novel, many of them will serve you well as useful, well-crafted, how-to references. In this book, G Miki Hayden has not only written the best step-by-step writing guide around, she's also done something much more compelling. She's fashioned a guide for aspiring mystery writers that will interest fans and authors alike, providing a broad over-view of the genre.

This book offers insight into the mechanics of plotting, outlining, and revision as well as tips on how to find the right agent and publisher for your work. There are writing exercises and advice about adding romance to your novel (sparingly). Hayden offers clear, practical advice in a well-written and interesting format.

There are some differences between the second edition and the first. There are clarifications and updates, but the best parts are the author interviews. In addition to the authors interviewed in the first edition (Rick Riordan, Dale Furutani, Sujata Massey, and more), Hayden's added interviews with Mary Higgins Clark, Michael Connelly, Tony Hillerman, and more from Elmore Leonard. Even if you've read the first edition, it's worth it to take a peek at the insights these authors provide.

G Miki Hayden won the Macavity Award last year for the first edition of this book, which was also nominated for both the Agatha and the Anthony. She's a well-qualified authority on the mystery, having published a long-running column in the Mystery Writers of America newsletter in addition to many short stories and mysteries of her own. This spring, Miki won the Edgar for her short stories. You couldn't ask for a better escort into the arcane off-page world of mystery novelists.

Reviewed by Carroll Johnson, October 2004

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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