Why Mysteries?

I have always been a huge fan of the mystery genre, even as a little girl.  I probably read every Nancy Drew book my hometown of South River, New Jersey had in its library.  Eventually, I graduated to my all-time favorite Agatha Christie and you can't be a mystery buff without sampling the great adventures of Sherlocke Holmes.  For some reason, I have always been attracted to British mysteries in print and on television.  Apparently there is a name for that.  One of my former teaching co-workers told me, but the name escapes me now.  She took the British obsession a bit farther.  She came home from the UK with an English husband.  I've just found a great many wonderful books to read which originated from across the pond.

My favorite one being Anne Perry.  She is a perfect example of how writing can transport you to different places and times.  Her books are set in Victorian England and her descriptions make you feel as if you are right there in the middle of the action with her characters.  I also love the history of that period which she touches on as well.  The Arts and Entertainment Network did a movie of one of Perry's early novels, THE CATER STREET HANGMAN.  The movie was fantastic and the ending was a total surprise which I love.  I hate it when you figure it out before the opening credits are done.  After seeing the movie, I got the book and even though I knew who the killer was, the ending still blew me away.  Incredible writing.  I have been a fan of her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series ever since and have devoured every single one of those stories.  I recently finished her latest installment.

I enjoy reading books from all walks of life, but mysteries remain my favorite by far.  I think it is the puzzle part.  I enjoy embarking on a journey and picking up the clues along the way to find the conclusion.  The better ones keep you on edge until the end and unfortunately sometimes you get disappointed and figure it out early on, but sometimes picking out a book is like buying fruit.  Sometimes you get the sweet one and sometimes you get disappointed.

When I decided to write my first novel, I knew there was only one genre-mystery.  I also prefer the more plot driven stories.  As much as I love Patricia Cornwell, I would often skip through a lot of the autopsy stuff to get to the story part.  So that was one thing I wanted to do with my writing.  Keep the story moving so the reader stays engaged.  I don't know if I accomplished that, but I hope so.  The few non-related to me readers I have spoken to, have told me they have enjoyed my two novels, but then who is going to go up to an author and tell them that the book was awful?



Next up:  Stand alone stories verses series