Guide to Writing the Mystery Novel: Lots of Examples, Plus Dead Bodies

There is no doubt that mysteries are one of the most popular kinds of novels, but there is also little doubt writing a good mystery is one of the most difficult tasks in writing. Barbara Gregorich has over two hundred published books to her credit and has been a teacher of writing. Although of her many books, only six are mysteries, she has been a life-long reader of mysteries. This book covers every aspect of novel writing in twenty-five chapters with a specific eye on mysteries, but for a beginning writer, this can be a good general guide to the art of the novel. It has chapters on everything from Naming Your Characters to Point of View to Rising Action, Pace, and Pacing to Timelines to Solution and Denouement and much, much more. It is written in a comfortable, easy-to-follow style and is chock full of examples from Gregorich’s own mysteries as well as some from other writers. Her knowledge of the writing process shines through on every page and the information will be invaluable for beginning writers in any genre, but especially for those attempting difficult task of mystery writing.