Several others were fun favorites I just didn’t even consider. I think hour-long cozies and dramas spring to mind first when I think of mystery shows. Thankfully, my hubs reminded me of the more fun and funny sides to mystery. Now I can correct the unjust omission of OMITB, Castle, and also Dead to Me. (I did remember that one before, but didn’t have time and space to squeeze it in.) Read on for a more nostalgic and comedic list of my favorites.

Only Murders in the Building

Location: Manhattan, New York City 

Original or Adaptation: Original 

Premise of Show: Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin star as Mabel Mora, Oliver Putnam, and Charles Haden Savage. The unlikely trio bond over their favorite true crime podcast All Is Not Ok In Oklahoma. When neighbor Tim Kono is found shot to death in their own building, the Arconia, their curiosity proves irresistible. They decide to solve the murder and record a podcast called Only Murders in the Building as they go along. As they bond and find clues, they also realize they are all keeping secrets. And some relate to the case. 

Verdict: I can’t believe this was one of the mystery shows I left off the first list. Seriously, I can’t. Only Murders is a delight on every level. The design, the actors, the dialogue, and the plots all merge into a smart, hilarious, addictive show. It can be confusing and plays a bit fast and loose with the “rules” of detective fiction. (I’m not sure it’s actually possible for audience members to figure out the solution before our intrepid trio do.) But it’s so well done you just don’t care. You are desperate to know the answers, you discuss it endlessly, and you keep watching.

Castle 

Location: Manhattan, New York City

Original or Adaptation: Original (Although books written by “Richard Castle” and inspired by the show now exist.)

Premise of show: Best-selling mystery writer Richard Castle is interviewed by the NYPD about a series of murders that copy ones in his books. While there, Detective Kate Beckett catches his eye and inspires a new series character, Nikki Heat. Through his friend the mayor, Castle gets permission to observe police officers as research. He shadows Det. Beckett and they discover they work well together.

Most of the episodes feel like a romantic caper with the inevitable sexual tension between Castle and Beckett and the lighthearted tone. However, there are several story arcs, including the mystery of Beckett’s mother’s murder, that add drama and depth. There is also a fun recurring Easter egg concerning Castle’s poker buddies, who are all real-life mystery writers – Stephen J. Cannell, Dennis Lehane, James Patterson, and Michael Connelly. 

Verdict: The plots, writing, and acting are great. The supporting cast gives strong performances and all capably handle both comedy and drama. My husband and I actually stayed up until 1 am catching up on it sometimes, even though we had a baby waking us up early the next morning. Once we caught up, Monday nights became all about red wine and Castle after the kiddo went to bed. I miss that. 

Mystery Woman

Location: California, United States

Original or Adaptation: Original

Premise: This is a series of TV movies rather than a TV series, but I watched them every single time they came on Hallmark back when we had cable, so they must go on my favorites list. Kellie Martin plays Samantha Kinsey, proprietor of the Mystery Woman bookstore. She inherited it from her uncle, who called it Mystery Man during his time running it.

Samantha, her old friend Philby (who definitely was never a spy and is played by the late Clarence Williams III of The Mod Squad), and her lawyer best friend Cassie, encounter many mysteries beyond the shelves and ably solve all. But not without some danger along the way. 

Verdict: Do I know these are implausible and cheesy? Yes. Do I care? No. Implausible and cheesy is a legitimate subtype of an amateur detective story. These mystery shows are delightful, re-watchable, and comforting. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I’d probably go with either Game Time or Mystery Weekend.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! 

Location: All over the US

Original or Adaptation: Original

Premise of Show: Scooby-Doo is a Great Dane who travels the country in a van called The Mystery Machine with his owner Shaggy and friends Fred, Daphne, and Velma. While there have been many iterations of Scooby since the show premiered in 1969, the basic formula stayed much the same. 

Scooby and the gang travel to a new place, someone tells them about something spooky nearby and the practical ones (Fred, Daphne, and Velma) vow to find a logical explanation and unmask the villain while Scooby and Shaggy shake with fear and eat huge sandwiches. They always solve the case and the criminal always grouses that he/she/they could have gotten away with it if it weren’t for those pesky kids! 

Verdict: This is one of the first mystery shows I ever loved. I still enjoy it. I remember watching it with my brother on my grandparents’ old TV, that was built into a console with sliding doors. From the goofy theme song to the triumph of the “pesky kids” we were always riveted. We weren’t alone. 

New Scooby movies continue to be made and several new incarnations of the show appeared after the original ended. (Including the Saturday morning prequel A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, which my brother and I also enjoyed.) There have been two live-action movies and pop culture references galore, one of the most famous being the dubbing of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her friends as the Scooby gang or Scoobies. Scooby just makes you smile. I wish I could rub his belly and give him a Scooby snack. (By the way, they make a version of those for people and they are so good.)

Dead to Me

Location: Laguna Beach, California, USA

Original or Adaptation: Original

Premise of Show: Jen Harding just lost her husband and is struggling to process her loss and raise her two sons as they grieve. She befriends Judy Hale at a group for people who have lost their partners. They become best friends very quickly. Jen even invites Judy to live in her guest house. But they both have secrets, which put their friendship and their lives in danger. 

Verdict: This is one of the mystery shows that hooked me and my husband immediately. We struggled to watch just one episode and our resolve crumbled most of the time. We even tried orange wine because of this show. (It’s pretty good.) Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini are a dynamite acting duo and the supporting cast is superb, including James Marsden, Diana Maria-Riva, Suzy Nakamura, Natalie Morales, and the late Ed Asner.

Search Party 

Location: New York City, parts of New England, a few episodes in Quebec 

Premise of Show: This is one of those mystery shows that resists encapsulation, but I’ll give it my best shot. It starts as an amateur detective dark comedy/thriller. Dory Sief sees a notice that college friend Chantal is missing. She tells her group of friends: boyfriend Drew and friends Portia and Elliott. They feign concern and then go back to their brunch discussion. Dory can’t stop thinking about it. She begins to investigate, running into and teaming up with a PI. Her friends try to tell her she’s out of control, but they get sucked in, too, leading to a big mess rather than resolution at the end of the first season. 

Verdict: Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) mesmerizes as Dory. Her character arc is huge, but she handles it masterfully, inhabiting every emotion and mental state completely. The rest of the cast were unknown to me before, but proved excellent. Meredith Hagner as Portia stands out. She is funny and clueless, at times even heartbreaking. 

The subsequent seasons, particularly three, four, and the fifth and final one, seem like completely different show genres. This mystery show starts as a thrilling mystery comedy and eventually morphs into a thrilling apocalyptic comedy. That may sound like an impossible leap, but the show makes it a completely natural progression for these characters in this world.

Brooklyn 9-9

Location: Brooklyn, New York City

Original or Adaptation: Original

Premise of Show: Now for something a little different. Brooklyn 9-9 was a half hour comedy on Fox and later on NBC. Many might not first think of it as a mystery show, but as an excellent sitcom starring Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Terry Crews, Chelsea Peretti, Joe Lo Truglio, Melissa Fumero, and Stephanie Beatriz. However, it’s set in the (fictional) 99th precinct of the NYPD in Brooklyn. 

Each episode shows them solving crimes while negotiating friendships and romantic relationships both in and out of the precinct. Being detectives, the job becomes time-consuming and absorbing at times, overshadowing and even jeopardizing their romantic relationships. 

Verdict: It is hilarious. The officers and criminals often act like goofballs, but there are moments of danger. These funny cops take their cases seriously and are good at the job they love. There are some recurring criminals like the Pontiac Bandit (I can’t tell you who plays him, because spoilers, but he is one of my favorites and so funny.), but most mysteries are wrapped up in one episode. The characters and the job itself are what you take with you from this show. 

I don’t usually do this, but I have two honorable mentions — After Party and Queens of Mystery. I didn’t have space to include them, and they aren’t enough for another column, but they are great. 

After Party involves a murder of a famous alumnus at a party he throws after his high school reunion. Queens of Mystery is about a detective who returns to the small town she was raised in by her three aunts after her mother died. Her aunts all write mystery novels and can’t help poking their noses into her cases. Of course, there is a mysterious backstory concerning her mother’s death.

If you love mystery shows like I do, it’s pure paradise on TV these days, so go forth and enjoy! Let me know what you watch!

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Cozy to Cold-Blooded: Mystery Shows 2 appeared first on DIY MFA.

My Auto-Buy Authors

Rhys Bowen

When I started reading mysteries more often in the early 2010s, I turned to Bowen’s Molly Murphy mystery series. I was hooked and blew through the first dozen or so that were published at the time. I devoured her Royal Spyness series in a similar fashion a few years later. 

Whether it’s another entry in one of those series or a standalone, I always pre-order Bowen’s books. I can count on a thoroughly researched, witty, immersive story. Bowen’s depictions of other time periods and the characters she creates to inhabit them pull you in and keep you entranced. 

Favorite: Her Royal Spyness (Royal Spyness 1)

Latest: Wild Irish Rose (Molly Murphy Mysteries 18, co-written with Bowen’s daughter Clare Broyles)

Laura Lippman 

You can’t beat Lippman for the depth and complexity of the characters and their emotions. She also concocts gripping, dense plots. Her main characters are female, intelligent, and often hiding a secret past or leading a double life. They are resilient and strong and make the best out of their situations. 

Favorite: Sunburn

Latest: Dreamgirl

Megan Abbott 

When you enter a Megan Abbott book, the Modern Gothic atmosphere wraps around you. Abbott understands the dark side of being a woman and you identify with her characters even as you feel glad you aren’t them. 

She’s written everything from noir to dark drama about high school girls to books about adult women navigating a world that pits them against each other. She is quite simply one of the finest authors working today. Her books are dark, poetic, and deeply satisfying to those who relate to the darker side of identifying as female in this world. 

Favorite: Give Me Your Hand 

Latest: The Turnout

Gillian Flynn 

Flynn hasn’t published in a while, so she maybe technically doesn’t belong on an auto-buy authors list. But you better believe I would smash that pre-order button if she released something new. 

Her stories are horrifying, yet you melt into them and actually enjoy being there. They are so dark with amazing prose and thrilling plots. 

This woman single-handedly started the “Girl” trend in mystery and thriller novel titles. Gone Girl became the mark everyone aimed to surpass or at least circle. So many thriller writers tried to come up with a twist as good in the decade since. Many came close or even succeeded. But she was the first. She yanked the rug out from under us and spun the story in a different direction and we gleefully hung on for the ride. 

Favorite: Sharp Objects

Latest: Flynn hasn’t published a book since Gone Girl in 2012. She’s been busy with screen adaptations of her books and writing for TV and film. She is also writing a new book, but there is no release date yet. 

Lisa Jewell 

Jewell began her career writing romantic comedies and you can see that influence in her justifiably popular thrillers of recent years. She crafts intricate plots filled to the brim with emotion. She writes about families mostly from the female point of view. You become immersed in the worlds she creates, whether it’s a family dealing with the mother’s worsening hoarding issues or a family being infiltrated by a cult after their money. 

Her books are satisfying, intense, poignant, heartbreaking, and, at times, scary. They are a bit slow-burn to really be thrillers. They are just damn good books and there is a big back catalog to jump in and enjoy. 

Favorite: The Family Upstairs

Latest: The Night She Disappeared

Gilly MacMillan 

MacMillan is one of the rare authors who perfectly balances raw emotion with the pacing and tension so integral to the psychological thriller. Her stories usually revolve around the theme of facing uncomfortable truths in families, communities, and inside ourselves. You finish one of her books with that tingling sense of being changed by a new aspect of the human experience and its effect on the human psyche revealed. 

Favorite: The Nanny

Latest: The Long Weekend

Sophie Hannah 

When I read mysteries and thrillers, I sometimes try to figure out the ending. Quite a few times, my ending has been a lot more complicated than the real one. Hannah outdoes me in the intricate, too-muchness of my brain. I read one of her books for the first time and truly felt I had found a kindred spirit.

Her plots are meticulous, detail-oriented, wildly inventive, and dark. She comes up with crimes I never would have thought of. And literary references sometimes play a pivotal part in the plot. Swoon. 

Favorite: It’s a tie between Little Face and The Wrong Mother. 

Note: Hannah is British and some of her books have different titles in the US and the UK. It has made tracking them all down and reading them pretty confusing. I ended up making a list in my iPhone of ALL the titles from each country and matching them. Helped a lot.

Latest: The Killings at Kingfisher Hill (Hannah was chosen by Agatha Christie’s estate to write more Poirot novels. This is number 4.)

Ruth Ware 

Ware’s books are just so good. SO good. She seems able to handle any subgenre or setting while creating gripping, thoroughly interesting, dark, and complex women to navigate them. 

Whether it’s a glass house in a dark wood, a cruise ship, an old, creepy house, a ski chalet, or a hybrid new/old smart house, Ware beckons you into normal, even happy situations (bachelorette parties, cruises, reunions) and injects a jarring note that warns you to stay away. But you can’t resist seeing what’s hiding underneath the surface. 

Favorite: The Death of Mrs. Westaway

Latest: One by One

Tell us in the comments: Do you have any auto-buy authors?

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Cozy to Cold-Blooded: My Auto-Buy Authors appeared first on DIY MFA.

It turned out I had a much longer list of auto-buys than I thought. I ended up dividing it into series and authors. You get part 1 of my auto-buy series today. You will get part 2 in a couple of weeks and the authors another time and will probably be surprised at the different types of books.

Here are some of my auto-buy series:

The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series by Vicki Delany 

Premise: Transplanted Londoner Gemma Doyle (no relation to Sir Arthur) partially owns and runs the Sherlock Bookshop and Emporium at 222 Baker St. in West London, Massachusetts. Her globe-trotting Uncle Arthur is her co-owner in that business as well as the one next door Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room, run by Gemma’s best friend Jayne, who has a stake in the Tea Room along with Gemma and Arthur.  But like Cabot Cove, West London has more than its fair share of murders and Gemma is there to help the police, sometimes under protest. 

No. in Series: 7

Why It’s an Auto-Buy Series: Sherlock Easter eggs and references abound. The store cat named Moriarty is probably my favorite one. The main character, Gemma, is intelligent, fun, and struggles with relationships somewhat due to neurodiversity. I sympathize with that and always appreciate seeing neurodiversity in books. Plus, this falls firmly in the cozy category, despite having a bit of bite to it, and returning to the world of a well-loved cozy is comforting. 

Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas

Premise: In this intriguing and complex series, Charlotte Holmes takes unusual steps to avoid being married off. She doesn’t quite reckon with the consequences, but luckily finds her Watson, a Mrs. Watson in her case. Together, they set up Charlotte’s “brother,” Sherlock Holmes, as a detective. But he is ill and unable to receive visitors, so Charlotte acts as “intermediary.” 

No. in the series: 6

Why It’s an Auto-Buy Series: Thomas is an award-winning romance writer and you can see why when a romance develops for Charlotte. Also, the series is an ingenious reimagining of the Sherlock stories, but very much its own creation. The world is rich with beautiful descriptions and imagery, the dialogue witty, and the mysteries twisty. Each book has its own mystery while continuing the overarching saga of the truly chilling Moriarty, whose fiendish plot gradually infiltrates Charlotte’s life and threatens those she loves. 

Maggie Hope series by Susan Elia MacNeal 

Premise: British-born, American-raised Maggie finds herself in London at the beginning of World War II. Her grandmother has died and she moves into her old Victorian house while settling the estate. She discovers that she likes life in London and finds roommates to live with her in the house. She also finds a job at No. 10 as a typist through her friend David. Maggie, however, studied mathematics at MIT and soon discovers a coded message in a newspaper. After that, her life is never the same. 

No. in the series: 10

Why It’s an Auto-Buy Series: Where do I begin? The meticulous without being overpowering historical detail? The intelligent, kick-ass main character? The well-plotted mysteries with WWII as the backdrop? Exciting, tension-filled denouements? You also get to learn about the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a team of undercover saboteurs Churchill sent to “set Europe ablaze!” 

Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear

Premise: After serving as a nurse in WWI, Maisie Dobbs turns to private investigation to support herself. Maisie has had both great luck and great pain in her life. She lost her mother and had to go out to service when she was a young teen. But her employer Lady Rowan Compton discovered her secretly reading books in the library at night and saw her potential, becoming her patron and friend. She hired Maisie’s tutor, Maurice Blanche, and paid for her college education. 

No. in the series: 17, plus one companion book

Why It’s an Auto-Buy Series: Maisie is brilliant, kind, and empathetic, but unflinching about duty and responsibility. She has suffered and moves forward so bravely and determinedly. These books also really bring home the reality of the inter-war years in Britain. For instance, the treatment of the soldiers who came back with PTSD (known then as shell shock) and visible injuries was atrocious, with people anxious to hide away these living reminders of the war’s devastation. The two wars tend to overshadow this time and I never paid much attention to it before, but it is fascinating, heartrending, inspiring, and important. That, combined with Maisie’s epic journey, leaves me riveted every time. 

Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn

Premise: Veronica Speedwell is anything but the stereotypical Victorian lady. A spinster by choice and happy that way, she regularly takes lovers to satisfy what she considers to be natural needs. She is a scientist, a lepidopterist who travels the world studying butterflies. But her world is rocked when her aunt (who raised her) dies and a stranger attempts to kidnap her after the funeral. 

While on the run, Veronica takes refuge in a warehouse, the home of Stoker, a taxidermy artist and erstwhile gentleman. Sparks fly, but the forces pursuing Veronica haven’t given up. If they have any say in it, Veronica won’t live to see if she and Stoker will ever be anything but contentious allies. 

No. in the series: 6 (The next is due 2/15/22.)

Why It’s an Auto-Buy Series: Veronica is a fascinating character with verve and courage to spare. The chemistry between her and Stoker sizzles, but doesn’t dominate the narrative. It adds to it in my opinion. As the series progresses, each book has its individual mystery with an overarching storyline about Veronica’s past and her identity. Reading these books is fun and absorbing. The pages fly by. 

Lady Hardcastle series by T.E. Kinsey 

Premise: Lady Emily Hardcastle and her companion and housekeeper Florence “Flo” Armstrong have decamped from London for a quiet life in the country. In fact, that’s the title of the first book. They retired from a mysterious career, the details of which come out over the run of the series. But Flo knows martial arts and Lady Hardcastle readily begins to investigate when a body is discovered in the woods near their new home. There is definitely more to these two ladies than meets the eye. 

No. in the series: 7, plus one novella (The next is due 6/7/22.) 

Why It’s an Auto-Buy Series: The relationship between Lady Hardcastle and Flo is an absolute joy. They tease and joke and seem much more like friends or even sisters than employer and employee. Their back and forth banter and seamless teamwork in dangerous situations is balanced by an obvious affection and deep bond between the two. 

The setting also has that charm peculiar to fictional English villages at the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. Like any good mystery series, that charm overlays a network of relationships and resentments sometimes going back generations. 

Perveen Mistry series by Sujata Massey

Premise: Perveen is based on the first woman lawyer in India. She works for her father’s law firm in Bombay and at first seems to be a spinster. But as her story unfolds through flashbacks, we discover her painful past and the risks it still poses to her happiness and independence. We also see her frustration at society’s reluctance to accept a female lawyer and her delight when she finds a niche helping women in purdah, who don’t leave their home or see strange men. The excitement and the mysteries start rolling from there. 

No. in the series: 3

Why It’s an Auto-Buy Series: I haven’t gotten to the third book yet, but it is next on my TBR. If it’s anything like the first two installments, it will be exciting and packed with fascinating details of 1920s India. The setting and characters in these books are so richly drawn and they navigate well-plotted narratives. I also loved exploring the social, political, and religious environment of the period. It was a whole aspect of the 1920s and the world that I never knew about before and I can’t get enough. 

Myrtle Hardcastle series by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Premise: Myrtle Hardcastle is a young girl living with her father and her governess, Miss Judson, in Victorian England. She loves science and is fascinated by crime. Starting with the first book, she gets plenty of opportunities to investigate the world around her. 

No. in the series: 3

Why It’s an Auto-Buy Series: Myrtle is one of my very favorite characters. She despises the rules for Young Ladies of Quality (her capitals!) and is desperate to dig into every crime that occurs around her. These books are witty, funny, and have elements of a cozy feel with the comfort evoked by Myrtle’s lovely home and relationships with her father and governess. 

Miss Judson is an intriguing character, being a woman of color from French Guiana, living in England with an upper crust white family during the Victorian era. She is well educated and proper, but holds her own with Myrtle’s father and relishes investigating with Myrtle, despite her initial protestations. She is wistful for her home at times, but loves Myrtle (and perhaps Myrtle’s father) fiercely.

These mysteries are adult caliber, despite being written to be appropriate for children. They strongly remind me of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce (another favorite series that is sadly now defunct). The plots, Myrtle’s arch narration, the dialogue, and the characters are all top notch. 

Tell us in the comments: Do you have any auto-buy series?

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Cozy to Cold-Blooded: My Auto-Buy Series, Part 1 appeared first on DIY MFA.

Elly is the author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton mystery series and the stand-alone novels The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders. She is a recipient of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. She lives in Brighton, England.

Today we’ll be discussing The Postscript Murders, which was released earlier this year. The Night Hawks from her Ruth Galloway series is also out now, and The Midnight Hour (from her Brighton mystery series) is on sale November 2nd.

In this episode Elly and I discuss:

• Why so many people have been turning to mysteries during the pandemic.
• How to get readers to take a leap of faith and what you must do in return.
• Making sure that the right clue appears at the right time in a mystery novel.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is the author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton mystery series and the stand-alone novels The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders. She is a recipient of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. She lives in Brighton, England.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Postscript Murders

Murder leaps off the page when crime novelists begin to turn up dead in this intricate new novel by internationally best-selling author Elly Griffiths, a literary mystery perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Agatha Christie.

The Night Hawks

There’s nothing Ruth Galloway hates more than amateur archaeologists, but when a group of them stumble upon Bronze Age artifacts alongside a dead body, she finds herself thrust into their midst—and into the crosshairs of a string of murders circling ever closer.

The Midnight Hour

The Brighton police force is on the hunt for another killer, but this time they have some competition—a newly formed all-women’s private eye firm, led by none other than the police chief’s wife.

If you decide to check out these books, we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links: The Postscript Murders, The Night Hawks, The Midnight Hour, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 369

(Right-click to download.)

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 369: Writing Mystery as Series and Stand-Alone Books – Interview with Elly Griffiths appeared first on DIY MFA.

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie, the bestselling author ever with sales of over 2 billion books, disappeared for eleven days in 1926. On December 3, she kissed her daughter Rosalind good night, then left her in the care of her nanny. The next morning Christie’s car was found abandoned near a lake: empty with headlights blazing. 

Shortly before these events, she learned of her husband Archie’s affair and his wish to divorce. After a nationwide search and media frenzy, (including fellow mystery authors Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorothy Sayers), she surfaced in a spa in Harrogate claiming no memory of where she had been and why. She never spoke about this subsequently and did not include the incident in either of her autobiographies. The two most popular theories are amnesia from a car crash and a fugue state brought on by stress. Although several authors concocted reconstructions of her missing days and motivation, the truth is still unknown.

Ann Rule

Ann Rule, the true crime writer credited with reinventing the genre, is best known for The Stranger Beside Me, the story of her friendship with a co-volunteer at a suicide hotline. His name was Ted Bundy. 

At the time, Rule, a former cop turned crime reporter, adored Bundy. But she was investigating the murders of young women in the area and found out one witness heard the killer referred to as “Ted.” He also fit the physical description. 

Although reluctant, Rule phoned in a tip. Despite the discovery that Bundy drove the same type of car as the killer, nothing came of Rule’s tip. 

Rule once asked him if he knew about the missing women, but he didn’t give a definite answer. She remained his friend, despite being unconvinced of his innocence. She didn’t free herself from his spell until a decade after his 1989 execution, when she wrote about his ability to fool her despite all her experience as a cop and a reporter. 

Lois Duncan

Lois Duncan was a pioneer of YA suspense, publishing over 50 books, including I Know What You Did Last Summer, which spawned the film franchise. She lost her daughter Kaitlyn (Kait) Arquette in July 1989. Driving near downtown Albuquerque late one night, Kait was shot twice in the head by someone in a passing car.

The case remains unsolved. The investigation first centered around Kait’s boyfriend Dung (pronounced YOON) Nguyen, who was involved in insurance fraud scams. Despite hints he knew something, he did not seem to be involved. He was questioned by Albuquerque PD about the gangs that ran the insurance fraud scheme, then left town. 

Duncan grew frustrated when the police seemed unwilling to follow up on the gang connection. They arrested two other men, but the charges didn’t stick. So, Duncan began investigating, even when it was risky to do so. 

Duncan, who died in 2016, believed there was deliberate obstruction by the Albuquerque PD. She stopped writing YA suspense, unable to bear creating stories with young women in danger anymore. But she did pen Who Killed My Daughter? (1992) and a follow-up One to the Wolves (2013) about the case. 

Ross Macdonald and Margaret Millar

Ross Macdonald and Margaret Millar were married crime novelists. Millar experienced success (once beating Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley for the best novel Edgar Award) first with Macdonald going on to become a crime writer many consider to be the finest.

But they were not successful parents. Their daughter Linda endured a strange life where expressions of love were withheld. Her parents also used her as fodder for their novels. 

As a teenager, Linda was involved in a serious car accident. She drove drunk and hit three boys who were walking home in the dark. One died. The second boy was injured, but survived. The third was hardly touched and ran for help. She left the scene, but was found after crashing into another car shortly after. 

She received eight years’ probation, lost her drivers’ license, was ordered to psychiatric care, and ordered to abstain from alcohol. The outcry over this sentence caused the Millar family to leave Santa Barbara for Northern California. 

One night, Linda didn’t return to her dorm before lock-in. This happened before, so the house mother didn’t raise the alarm until morning. 

Her father made public pleas for her return and personally followed up on tips. After missing a week and a half, Linda called her mother from a bar. She had violated probation, but after explaining the events (which included being held captive in a cabin in the woods and confused wandering) was given a suspended sentence and allowed to move to L.A., where she worked as a hospital aide and continued counseling. She married and had a son soon after, but suffered from trauma and needed sleep medication for the rest of her life. She died of a drug overdose when she was 31. 

Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was involved in several real crimes. The first involved the murder of a wealthy woman named Marion Gilchrist and Oscar Slater’s conviction for the crime. Doyle worked to prove Slater’s innocence. He failed, but a police officer’s wife later provided proof of evidence suppression. Doyle’s fame proved useful in reopening the case. Slater was released, but Gilchrist’s murder remained unsolved. 

Doyle also fought for the release of an Indian man named George Edalji who was accused of animal cruelty. Despite weak evidence (The animals were attacked at night and Edalji had bad vision; another attack occurred after Edalji’s arrest.), Edalji was convicted, resulting in the loss of his law license and three years of hard labor. Doyle suspected racism. 

Doyle repeatedly spoke out about the case, despite death threats, making it a national story. The case was reopened and Edalji set free. The British government found this so embarrassing that the Court of Criminal Appeal was created in 1907. 

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe, one of the greatest horror writers and the father of modern detective fiction, vowed to solve the murder of a young woman named Mary Rogers. She worked in a New York City cigar shop frequented by famous writers. Her body turned up in the river and the media became obsessed with the case. Poe wrote the short story The Mystery of Marie Roget based on this case, claiming it contained the solution. But the story is vague and not based on any known evidence. A court case later claimed that Poe was paid to write the story by the real murderer as a coverup. But nothing was ever proven and the case never solved. 

I am indebted to several great articles for much of the above information. Any of them are excellent choices for further reading. Here are a few for extra reading:

Mystery Writers Who Got Mixed Up in Real-Life Crimes

Strangest Real-Life Mysteries in Literature

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Cozy to Cold-Blooded: Crime Authors Caught Up in Real Crimes appeared first on DIY MFA.

About Kellye Garrett

Kellye Garrett’s Hollywood Homicide, about a semi-famous, mega-broke black actress, won the Anthony, Agatha, Lefty, and IPPY for best first novel. It’s also one of BookBub’s 

“Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time.” The second, Hollywood Ending, was featured on the TODAY show’s Best Summer Reads of 2019 and was nominated for both Anthony and Lefty awards. She serves on Sisters in Crime’s national board and is a co-founder of Crime Writers of Color. Her next project is an #ownvoices domestic suspense novel about a woman looking into the overdose death of a one-time reality star found within blocks of her house—her own estranged younger sister. Learn more at KellyeGarrett.com.

The Interview

Sara Farmer: I was very excited to see that you wrote for Cold Case, one of my favorite crime shows. Were any of the characters or events in the “Detective by Day” books inspired by your time as a TV writer?

Kellye Garrett: The characters and events were more inspired by my time working in Hollywood in general more than working as a TV writer. On the flipside, I definitely transferred skills I learned both getting my MFA in screenwriting from the University of Southern California’s film school and working in TV to my books, though. 

One example I learned in film school is that your second act needs to answer a question, so I tweaked that for the three-act structure in my books where each act has a question that’s answered by the end of the act, but leads to a new question in the next act.

Another is that television has what’s called an Act Out, where the last scene before a commercial break (remember those?) is a climax to ensure you sit through the commercials and keep watching. I try to end each chapter on a climactic moment, so hopefully the reader is like, “Let me just read one more chapter.”

Sara: The humor in the books is impressive and a huge part of what makes them so fun to read. Writing humor is tough. Dayna has big, goofy, I Love Lucy-type moments, but there is also a steady hum of humor through most of the scenes and dialogue. How do you come up with the recurring jokes and humorous themes for your characters (like Sienna’s shopping and Emme’s devotion to tech) and the big slapstick scenes? (I like how Dayna says “Blurg” when she’s frustrated. I do that, too.)

Kellye: That’s probably because of my screenwriting background as well. I did a lot of character work before I started writing the series and it was important for it to serve the story as well. In a lot of TV procedurals, each character has a specialty, like the person good at tech. So, I thought about how could I make my tech person unique and fit the lighter tone of the book. I came up with a character who “lives online,” because every time she leaves the house she gets mistaken for her super-famous sister. 

Plus, Dayna isn’t Tom Cruise. This isn’t Mission Impossible. She’s not going to be an amazing investigator out the gate. So, I wanted to lean into that idea of having fun with her rookie mistakes. 

Even the “blurg” was from the character and tone. Lighter-weight mysteries don’t have a lot of on-page violence, sex, or cursing. So, I leaned into that as well where Dayna specifically doesn’t curse. I got the phrase “Blurg” from 30 Rock!)

Sara: Dayna’s relationship with her investigating partner Aubrey S. Adams-Parker is a delight. I love the way they bond and begin to help each other. He exhibits what I consider to be hallmarks of Asperger’s syndrome: very literal, trouble with social norms (like not barging into cars uninvited), and the consistent formality of his speech. Does he have Aspergers? (My son and I have it, so I’m pretty alert to any signs of it in a character.)

Kellye: You’re not the first person to ask me this question. I wish I could say that yes, I set out to create a character with Aspergers, but I didn’t. That’s not to say he doesn’t have Aspergers, just that my intent wasn’t to write a character who has it. He organically grew from needing a “cop” like character in the story, but not wanting to go the traditional tough guy route. It started because Dayna uses humor as a crutch, so I wanted to create a foil for that. So that was the base, then I added layers until we had Aubrey S. Adams-Parker. (The S is only there, because each main character’s full name is an acronym. He’s ASAP.) 

Sara:  You, Gigi Pandian, and Walter Mosley founded the group Crime Writers of Color. Could you tell us a little bit about the group and the work it does? How did you three end up creating this group together?

Kellye: I got my agent through an online mentoring program called Pitch Wars, where more established authors and publishing pros help an unagented writer revise their manuscript. And one of my fellow mentees formed a Mentee group on Facebook. Around that time, I also joined the Guppies chapter of Sisters in Crime, which Sisters in Crime started for unpublished members. Both those groups helped me understand the importance of community. I was really surprised that there wasn’t already a group like Crime Writers of Color. 

Gigi was one of the first published authors to reach out when I got my initial book deal. She answered questions and offered to blurb my book. We discussed possibly starting a group for marginalized crime writers and started informally discussing it with other crime writers of color.

Then Naomi Hirahara very randomly told me that Walter Mosley also wanted to start a group. I remember thinking, “Great, but in what world would I ever cross paths with Walter Mosley?” But the universe was on my side because a couple weeks later, I got invited to do a panel with him. I remember thinking, “If I get to talk to him, I’m going to tell him I want to start a group.” To his credit, he asked for my contact info and reached out. He’s actually the one who came up with the name.

Once we started the group, all three of us reached out to other crime writers of color we knew, so we had about 30 people in the group from the beginning and it grew from there. Today we have over 200-plus members in all stages of their careers.

Sara: How long did it take you to write your first novel? Do you have drawer novels?

Kellye: I wanted to write a book since I was five, so thirty years? Lol. If you want to get literal, I had the idea around 2010-11 and started actually writing in 2011 NaNoWriMo. (I got about 30,000 words.) I finished a draft in 2012, but kept revising. I got into Pitch Wars in 2014. We didn’t sell the book until early 2016 and it came out in 2017. So obviously I was an overnight success. :-p 

The only drawer novel I have is the third book of the series, because I was about 75% finished when I abruptly found out my publisher was closing their mystery imprint.

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Interview with Kellye Garrett appeared first on DIY MFA.

About Sherry Thomas

USA Today bestseller Sherry Thomas is one of the most acclaimed historical romance authors writing today and a two-time RITA award winner.

The Interview

Sara Farmer: I love how Mrs. Treadles deals with the men in her office. It’s a scene that some might see as imposing modern sensibilities on the past. But I’ve learned lately that the Victorian era was much more fluid in terms of the role of women than has traditionally been thought. As the author of a series filled with strong Victorian women, can you speak to that? Has it been challenging to preserve the authenticity of the women in the series? 

Sherry Thomas: Long ago, to research a historical romance set in the Northwest Frontier of the British Raj (today’s Pakistan, near where Osama Bin Laden hid out for many years), I read a travelogue written by a Victorian female big game hunter. To this day, I don’t think I’ve come across a more resolute or more opinionated person. This woman knew exactly what she wanted and did exactly what she wanted. And the best thing?  Nowhere in her narrative did she ever give the impression that she was the only one of her kind, that she wasn’t “like the other women.” To the contrary, I had the feeling she knew plenty of women like her.

Now this woman was also a product of her time: casual prejudice rolled off her commentary. So while she might hold many beliefs we find abhorrent today, she didn’t have any doubts about her ability or her right to conduct her life as she wished. 

I think today’s audience, especially today’s American audience, sometimes forget how deeply Victorian women of a certain class believed in their own superiority. They were definitely strong-willed, lol, bolstered by all that class privilege. They’d directed servants and other lesser beings their entire lives; they might have paid lip service to the more traditionally “feminine” virtues, but there was very little meekness in them. 

This is what Mrs. Watson reminded Mrs. Treadles about, in the scene before Mrs. Treadles’s confrontation with the managers and directors of the company: the power she already had, by being the lawful owner of the enterprise. That she had the right to fire the men who ran the company.

So I’ve never found it remotely inauthentic to write strong women set in the Victorian times—hello, Irene Adler. What I do feel a twinge about, now and then, is how free my characters are from the other prejudices of their racist, colonial, homophobic, snobbish, and judgmental era. But then again, I am not writing for Victorians, but 21^st century readers and so I’ve decided that they are exceptions, women of true wisdom and clarity of view who understand what’s really important and which rules and prejudices exist only to reinforce existing social hierarchies.  

Sara: The cast of characters in the “Lady Sherlock” series is made up of societal “others,” even though some, like Lord Ingram, have learned to play the part. When I took a Writers’ League class with you a year ago, you mentioned that English is your second language. Did that experience inform the creation of your characters? Do you feel that your different perspective on the English language brings something special to your writing? Is there any aspect that consistently gives you trouble?

Sherry: It wasn’t until recently that I came to see how almost all my main and significant secondary characters in all my books have been others or outsiders in one sense or another. My immigrant experience must have wielded a large influence in that regard, but in fact, even before I left China, the experience of being different was already ingrained in my life. My parents were divorced when divorces were very rare. I grew up in the North of China, but my grandparents were originally from the South; my classmates were shocked that I didn’t know what yeast was since my diet was rice-based, whereas everyone else made their own steamed bread at home. 

I don’t feel that I have a different perspective on the English language than anyone else. I do consistently have trouble with things such as the subjunctive tense. If you hear me speak, I’m not always on the ball when it comes to subject-verb agreement. But overall, for nearly three decades now, English has been the language in which I think. I can judge its effect on my Chinese more readily than I can gauge the other way around.  

Sara: Are you similar to Charlotte? If not, is there a character you identify with?

Sherry: I love cake. I love cake and pastry and other desserts a lot. My powers of observation would impress no one, but like Charlotte I do have a cool disposition. I don’t excite easily and I don’t get anxious.

Sara: What inspired you to write a Sherlock story? How did you come up with this unique spin to set yourself apart in a market saturated with Sherlock? 

Sherry: It must have been around 2005 or 2006 when I read Laurie R. King’s The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, in which a retired Sherlock Holmes takes on a young female apprentice whose brain works the exact same way his does. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books so enraptured me that for the first time in my life I thought to myself, I’d like to do something like this, to write my own take of a Sherlock Holmes story. 

But I’d never written a mystery, so I put that aspiration on the backburner. Fast forward to BBC Sherlock. The first season wowed me and the desire to write my own Sherlock Holmes story came roaring back. I figured if BBC Sherlock already moved Sherlock to the 21^st century and Elementary on CBS already made Watson a woman, then the only thing left to do was to make Sherlock a woman. I googled, found out that it hadn’t been done yet, and thought, well, why not me? 

It helped that by the time I proposed this series to my publishing house in 2014, I’d already written a mystery. To be sure it was also a fantasy, book 2 of my YA fantasy trilogy, but its central story question was very much one of “What happened?”  So, I was ready to tackle a real mystery.  

Sara: The plots have become increasingly twisty and are tied to series arcs that span multiple books. How do you construct these intricate plots? How do you keep track of it all? 

Sherry: Lol, I keep track by listening to all the previous books on audio before finalizing the next book. The close-linking of the stories happen, because I’m typically at a loss when I start a new book, so I look at what I’d done in the previous books to figure out where the big overall story should go.

And I’m not a natural plotter so my plots are often reverse-engineered. I don’t know exactly what should happen—I tend to have a better sense of where something does need to happen. So, I leave room for discoveries and secrets, etc., as I write my way forward, very much as if I’m a reader encountering this story for the first time, then when I finally figure the story out, I go back and patch everything together. 

Writing a story is not like chiseling in marble, one mistake and your statue would forever be without an arm. It is much more like making pottery from clay: You can crunch the whole thing down and restart and you can adjust as you go. 

Sara: How long did it take you to write your first novel? Do you have drawer novels?

Sherry: It took me about a year and a half to write my first novel. Years later, I would need another 10 months to tear the whole thing down and rewrite it from the ground up.

During my time as a historical romance writer, I’d already pulled out just about every drawer novel I had and rewritten them for publication. One remains. Not too long ago, I took a look at it and it was so bad I couldn’t even make it past the first page. So that one will forever stay where it belongs, in the dusty corners of my hard drive.

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Interview with Sherry Thomas appeared first on DIY MFA.

The following seven books feature a mixture of fiction and mystery writers. Sometimes they are the primary sleuth and sometimes not. I’ve rated each one between one and five deerstalkers, in honor of Sherlock’s iconic hat. After all, wasn’t he one of the first “real” detectives to star in mystery stories? (In his case, the accounts Watson wrote of their exploits.) Five means “Pretty much solved the murder singlehandedly.” One means “Where have you been since the corpse turned up?”

1. Being a Jane Austen Mystery series by Stephanie Barron 

In Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor, Jane visits a newlywed friend. The groom dies of an illness. It turns out he was murdered. But who murdered him? Jane is a compassionate, intelligent sleuth. This reads like a cozy, but Jane is not insensible to the emotional fallout of murder. Barron also nails the tone of a Jane Austen novel. I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn’t actually written by Austen. 

 First in series: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor

No. in series: 13

Actual sleuthing done by author: 5 out of 5 deer stalkers 

 2. Louisa May Alcott Mysteries by Anna Maclean

Maclean’s Alcott finds time to solve murders while also running her own school, helping her mother, assisting runaway slaves, and honing her writing skills. In the first book, Alcott is writing lurid thrillers, but a tomboy named Jo pops into her head. Jo has to wait, though, because one of Alcott’s oldest friends drowns. As with Austen, it turns out to be murder and Alcott must unmask the culprit, even if it puts her own life at risk. Alcott’s feisty personality and sense of integrity make her a satisfying sleuth. 

First in series: Louisa and the Missing Heiress

No. in series: 3 

Actual sleuthing done by author: 5 out of 5 deerstalkers 

3. Brontë Sisters Mysteries by Bella Ellis 

 In The Vanished Bride, all three sisters are back at home after working away as governesses. A woman at a neighboring estate goes missing. A school friend of the Brontës works in the home and discovers the bedroom empty and covered in blood. Charlotte decides they must investigate. Emily takes ghoulish delight in this. Anne goes along to please her sisters, but is soon determined to see justice done. Due to the messiness of the crime, this one is not really a cozy, although the rest of it has some of that feel. I loved Emily’s delight in the more Gothic aspects of the investigation and the bickering between her and Charlotte. 

First in series: The Vanished Bride

No. in series: 1 (second installment in Feb. 2021)

Actual sleuthing done by author(s): 5 out of 5 deerstalkers 

4. Agatha Christie Mysteries by Andrew Wilson 

Wilson’s first Christie mystery utilizes her 11-day disappearance in 1926, which remains a mystery. Christie said she lost her memory and it was not restored until her husband, Archie, found her in the northern England spa hotel where she had been the whole time. She never spoke of it again. Many have speculated about what took place during those lost days. Wilson’s explanation is outlandish (and he does not intend for it to be taken as truthful), but it works both within his narrative and the established events in Christie’s life. This is more of a thriller and Christie does not function sleuths do. I believe she does in the other entries in the series. 

First in series: A Talent for Murder

No. in series: 4

Actual sleuthing done by author: 3 out of 5 deerstalkers (I gave her an extra for resourcefulness and bravery. And because she’s Agatha Christie.)

5. Josephine Tey Mysteries by Nicola Upson 

In An Expert in Murder, mystery writer Josephine Tey travels to London to attend her hit play Richard of Bordeaux and see friends, some of whom are among the cast. But murder arrives with her and one by one, people involved with the play become either suspects or victims. This is a complex mystery with many characters. It’s worth the effort to keep track of the threads and people. But I was disappointed that Tey did not do much sleuthing until the end. I did like her police detective friend Archie Penrose who did most of it. I hope the other books will give her more of a chance to investigate. 

First in series: An Expert in Murder

No. in series: 9

Actual sleuthing done by author: 2 out of 5 deerstalkers 

6. Detective Daniel Hawthorne Mysteries by Anthony Horowitz 

Anthony Horowitz pulls off a unique feat here. He inserts himself into one of his own mysteries. Along with a taciturn detective named Hawthorne, Horowitz works to solve an unusual case – a woman who went to a funeral home to plan her own funeral then was murdered mere hours later. 

Horowitz is the most reluctant of all the sleuths. He is supposed to shadow Hawthorne and then write a book detailing the investigation. But he is drawn in first by the circumstances, then by empathy with the victim. The fictional Horowitz seems identical to the real one. Same TV and film credits, same novels. It’s a risky device, but it works. Hawthorne and Horowitz are a great odd couple and cameos by Hollywood luminaries are an extra delight. 

First in series: The Word Is Murder

No. in series: 2

Actual sleuthing done by author: 5 out of 5 deerstalkers 

7. The Mitford Murders Mysteries by Jessica Fellowes

Jessica Fellowes, author of several companion books to Downton Abbey, pens this series about the famous Mitford sisters – Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Decca (Jessica), and Debo (Deborah). Each book in the series features one of the sisters, beginning with Nancy, the eldest sister. Nancy went on to write books of her own, but in Fellowes’ book we meet her at 16 and eager to grow up. She and nursery maid Louisa Cannon join forces with police officer Guy Sullivan to solve the murder of Florence Nightingale Shore. Shore was a real person, a nurse in both the Boer and Great Wars and relative of Florence Nightingale. Shore was found murdered on a train. In real life, the murder remained unsolved, but Louisa, Guy, and Nancy discover an intriguing solution in this engrossing book. Nancy is one of the more proactive sleuths in her capture of the culprits, but Louisa and Guy are the main detectives. 

First in series: The Mitford Murders

No. in series: 3 (fourth due in Jan. 2021)

Actual sleuthing done by author: 4 out of 5 deerstalkers 

There are many more series featuring real author sleuths. I plan to read some featuring Charles Dickens, Dashiell Hammett, Henry David Thoreau, and Edgar Allan Poe. Are there any that I missed? Let me know in the comments!

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Cozy to Cold-blooded: Famous Authors as Sleuths appeared first on DIY MFA.

1) Molly Murphy

“I was free of Ballykillin, free of all that cooking and cleaning for four ungrateful males, free to be who I pleased … if I could only get far enough away to start over. One thing was sure – I didn’t intend to die yet.”

Molly Murphy first appeared in Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen, published in 2001. The series now numbers eighteen books and follows Molly as she emigrates to America while running from the law. Despite fulfilling the stereotype of the fiery Irish redhead, Molly is a complex, engaging character, strong in the face of hardship and unafraid to go after what she wants. From running her own detective agency to her friendship with Sid and Gus (the female couple across the street), to her new husband moving into her house after the wedding, Molly makes her own rules, even in early 1900’s New York City.  

(Side note – I love these books so much that I made sure my family visited Patchin Place, Molly’s neighborhood in the Village, when we were in New York City in 2015. e.e. cummings lived there and it is a charming street well worth checking out.)

2) Veronica Speedwell

“Mrs. Clutterthorpe, I can hardly think of any fate worse than becoming the mother of six. Unless perhaps it were plague, and even then I am persuaded a few disfiguring buboes and possible death would be preferable to motherhood.”

I think even mothers would agree with that sentiment at times. Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell relishes making her own way in the world, despite the hardships and judgment from the Mrs. Clutterthorpes of the world. She is fiercely protective of her independence with no desire to marry or have children. And as obvious from the chosen quote, she doesn’t give a damn what people think and enjoys shocking them on purpose. 

Veronica is a lepidopterist, who travels the world studying butterflies and enjoying the company of men when the mood strikes her. She has even been published in scientific journals, no small feat for a woman in Victorian England. From the very first page, her snarky, intelligent narration and unorthodox attitudes enchanted me. And there are delicious family secrets, which are one of my favorite things to find in a book. I could not read the series fast enough.

3) Maggie Hope

“And it doesn’t change that they hired that cross-eyed lug Conrad Simpson—a mouth breather who probably still has to sound words out and count on his fingers—all because his daddy has a fancy title and he has a … a … a penis!”

Oh, Maggie. Tell us how you really feel. Susan Elia MacNeal’s Maggie Hope captured my heart from that very first rant and is still my favorite female sleuth. It probably helps that she is also a spy with delicious family secrets. (Yay!) Maggie has no time for the hypocrisy and sexism of the 1940s and isn’t afraid to say so. In the above quote from the first book Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, she rants about being turned down for a private secretary position with the Prime Minister, despite her degree from Wellesley in mathematics. Maggie knows her worth, but finally grudgingly agrees to be a secretary at No. 10 in order to “do her bit.” She ends up doing far more for her country than she ever bargained for and we are lucky enough to experience the thrills and heartache with her along the way.

4) Perveen Mistry

“‘Have you a brain, or is it sawdust?’ The offensive slur flew out before she could stop herself. ‘I’ve quit!’”

In The Widows of Malabar Hill, Sujata Massey’s heroine Perveen Mistry is the first female solicitor in Bombay. But it is 1921, so she still faces sexism and restrictive traditions at every turn. Perveen is not afraid to speak up for herself, but she (mostly) does it with respect. And she doesn’t believe in wholesale destruction of traditions – just that women themselves should decide if they will participate. Besides an engaging heroine and solid mystery, this book includes fascinating details about Indian life and households. From Bombay to Calcutta and the Muslim to Zoroastrian religions, the many layers and facets of Indian life between the wars are exposed.

5) Flavia de Luce

“If you’re insinuating that my personal hygiene is not up to the same high standard as yours you can go suck my galoshes.”

Only eleven-years-old when we first meet her, Alan Bradley’s Flavia is a science prodigy, devoted to studying chemistry (especially poisons) in the lab inherited from her late Uncle Tarquin and fascinated with death. When a corpse turns up in the garden at Buckshaw, the crumbling family estate, Flavia is ecstatic. A complex mystery told in Flavia’s knowing (and unknowingly naïve) voice, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is only the first of ten scientific/ literary mysteries set in the English village of Bishop’s Lacey in the 1950s. 

Flavia’s complicated family past and relationships are also explored.  (More family secrets! I want to hug myself with delight as Flavia would.) The characters and setting are especially beautifully drawn, particularly with regard to Flavia’s sisters Ophelia (Feely) and Daphne (Daffy) and the household help Mrs. Mullet and Dogger. Full of heart and wit, Flavia and her fellow inhabitants of Buckshaw and the village of Bishop’s Lacey are characters you take into your heart and love with all of your might.

Who are some of your favorite female sleuths? It was so hard for me to pick only five!

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post #5onFri: Five Female Sleuths to Track Down Now appeared first on DIY MFA.

Listen to our conversation below or by downloading it on iTunes. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it!

In this episode Elizabeth and I discuss:

• Why it’s important to know where your story needs to start.
• Writing deeply flawed yet deeply sympathetic characters.
• Writing complex female characters and their different attitude toward feminism and female-ness.
• How point-of-view helps strengthen the reader’s understanding of and sympathy for characters.

Plus, Elizabeth’s #1 tip for writers.

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Resources:

Elizabeth George is the author of highly acclaimed novels of psychological suspense. She won the Anthony and Agatha Best First Novel awards in America and received the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere in France. In 1990 she was awarded the prestigious German prize for international mystery fiction, the MIMI.

Her novels have now been adapted for television by the BBC. An Edgar and Macavity Nominee as well as a New York Times and international bestselling author, Elizabeth George lives on Whidbey Island in the state of Washington. Her latest novel, A Banquet of Consequences, is out now.

To learn more about Elizabeth George and her fantastic books, you can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or visit her website.

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available. Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please share!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.

The post Episode 68: Writing Psychological Suspense with Elizabeth George appeared first on DIY MFA.