All Discussions Tagged 'mystery' - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T06:20:41Zhttp://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=mystery&feed=yes&xn_auth=noAny Jonathan Valin Fans Out There?tag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-02-07:537324:Topic:4022492015-02-07T01:51:26.234ZTrace Congerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/TraceConger
<p>I recently discovered Jonathan Valin, author of the Harry Stoner mystery series. I'm in the middle of SECOND CHANCE (1991) and loving it so far.</p>
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<p>From what I understand he wrote about 14 novels, but stopped around the mid 90s. Shame, because he's a strong writer. I'm from Cinci, which is where Valin sets his series, so it's great to read the local flavor.</p>
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<p>Wondered if anyone else has read him and if so, what do you think is his best work? I'm ready to line up my…</p>
<p>I recently discovered Jonathan Valin, author of the Harry Stoner mystery series. I'm in the middle of SECOND CHANCE (1991) and loving it so far.</p>
<p></p>
<p>From what I understand he wrote about 14 novels, but stopped around the mid 90s. Shame, because he's a strong writer. I'm from Cinci, which is where Valin sets his series, so it's great to read the local flavor.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Wondered if anyone else has read him and if so, what do you think is his best work? I'm ready to line up my next read. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Trace</p>
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<p></p> Could Use Your Votes, Gang.tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-02-04:537324:Topic:3866602014-02-04T04:04:31.124ZMC - Tinahttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/TinaC
<p>Feb. contest entries have been approved; we made the cut. Voting links going live near Feb's. end. More info as is made available. ;-)</p>
<p>Feb. contest entries have been approved; we made the cut. Voting links going live near Feb's. end. More info as is made available. ;-)</p> Checking out the real estate for a reading group.tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-12-10:537324:Topic:3833262013-12-10T03:12:45.178ZMC - Tinahttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/TinaC
<p>Testing. PI's see whatcha think. Pgh, if yes, we could continue 12 Clues here. Start a new thread? Whatcha think? MC</p>
<p>Testing. PI's see whatcha think. Pgh, if yes, we could continue 12 Clues here. Start a new thread? Whatcha think? MC</p> Why I Write Murder Mysteriestag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-02-26:537324:Topic:3682572013-02-26T15:23:28.755ZTim Georgehttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/TimGeorge
<p><strong>Recently I read a fascinating article</strong> in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/books/review/Collins-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&" target="_blank" title="Click to read the article">The New York Times</a> about what may well be the first true murder mystery novel ever written. Conventional wisdom holds that the honor belongs to Wilkie Collins, who published <em>The Moonstone</em> in 1868, but the author of the Times piece discovered a novel written six years…</p>
<p><strong>Recently I read a fascinating article</strong> in <a title="Click to read the article" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/books/review/Collins-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> about what may well be the first true murder mystery novel ever written. Conventional wisdom holds that the honor belongs to Wilkie Collins, who published <em>The Moonstone</em> in 1868, but the author of the Times piece discovered a novel written six years earlier called <em>The Notting Hill Mystery</em>, which he claims has all the ingredients of a modern murder mystery, and deserves the credit as Whodunit Number One.</p>
<p>The novel was published in serial fashion in a periodical, as was common in those days, and the author used a pseudonym. But apparently there’s good reason to believe <em>The Notting Hill Mystery</em> was written by Charles Warren Adams, one of the publishers of the periodical. Hopefully, Adams will one day receive the full credit for his invention of my favorite genre. It was a monumental achievement.</p>
<p>But intriguing though this is to a mystery aficionado like myself, the real meat of the article for me come almost as an aside near the end, where the Times piece says, “Adams was also notably religious, which points to an unexpected characteristic of the first detective novel: it’s profoundly moral. It asks not just how evil exists, but what is to be done about it. Detective novels, like sermons, can offer gratifyingly simple answers to those questions, or thoughtful and troubling ones.”</p>
<p>It seems to me we love a good murder mystery because in the end they’re the stories which touch most directly on death and justice. Death is the ultimate mystery of real life. What is it, exactly? Why must it exist? What should we do about it? Even the best of murder mysteries can’t answer those questions completely, but the best murder mysteries all explore the possibilities.</p>
<p>And when we start exploring death, something in us cries out that it isn’t right. We all long for justice, don’t we? That’s the other thing a good murder mystery delivers: a little imitation justice. The bad guy gets his in the end, or else someone has the guts to stand and rage against the second greatest mystery of all, which is why injustice exists in the first place.</p>
<p>I love that about murder mysteries. It’s why I’ve read, oh, about a thousand of them. And it’s why I’m writing “The Malcolm Cutter Memoirs.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.malcolmcutter.com/MurderMysteryBlog/why-i-write-murder-mysteries/">http://www.malcolmcutter.com/MurderMysteryBlog/why-i-write-murder-mysteries/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://Ez.com/JanuaryJusticeTour">http://Ez.com/JanuaryJusticeTour</a></p> For all the mystery lovers out theretag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-11-29:537324:Topic:3614162012-11-29T15:15:22.272ZPatricia Gligorhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/pgligor
<p>Today is the fourth day of the Mystery We Write blog tour. To view a slideshow of the participating authors and the books they'll be giving away, go to:</p>
<p><a href="http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/</a></p>
<p>If you leave a comment, you'll automatically be entered to win one of more of the featured novels.</p>
<p>Today is the fourth day of the Mystery We Write blog tour. To view a slideshow of the participating authors and the books they'll be giving away, go to:</p>
<p><a href="http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/</a></p>
<p>If you leave a comment, you'll automatically be entered to win one of more of the featured novels.</p> Stand Alone vs. Series Novelstag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-10-07:537324:Topic:3177222011-10-07T16:56:25.470ZPatricia Gligorhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/pgligor
When I conceived the idea for my first mystery/suspense novel, <i>Mixed Messages</i>, my goal was to write a stand alone novel. I planned to introduce and develop my characters, tell their story and, by the end of the book, tie up any loose ends, leaving the reader satisfied. My plan is still basically the same but my goal has changed.<br></br>
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As I got further and further into writing my novel, I realized that, for various reasons, I didn't want to say "goodbye" to my characters; they had…
When I conceived the idea for my first mystery/suspense novel, <i>Mixed Messages</i>, my goal was to write a stand alone novel. I planned to introduce and develop my characters, tell their story and, by the end of the book, tie up any loose ends, leaving the reader satisfied. My plan is still basically the same but my goal has changed.<br/>
<br/>
As I got further and further into writing my novel, I realized that, for various reasons, I didn't want to say "goodbye" to my characters; they had more to say and do. So, I decided to write a sequel, <i>Unfinished Business</i>. I'm now in the early stages of plotting the third novel in the series. My characters refuse to let me go.<br/>
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While I've read and enjoyed many stand alone novels, I've found that they often leave me wanting more; I want to know where the story and the characters go from there. I love reading mystery series because I like getting to know the characters and following them from book to book. For example, I eagerly await <i>V is for Vengeance</i> by Sue Grafton. I will be sad when I finish reading the last in the A-Z series because Kinsey Millhone has become almost like a friend to me, as have some of Sue's other characters. Also, I've recently read <i>Scared Stiff</i> by Annelise Ryan and I'm eager to read the other books in her series. Her main character, Mattie Winston, is absolutely hilarious; I laughed out loud as I read. And, there are so many others.<br/>
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I realize that stating that my characters won't let me go may sound silly to anyone who doesn't write fiction but I'm convinced that other writers get it. The proof of that, I think, is in the publication of so many series. While authors like Sue Grafton sign on from the start to write a series, I believe that many others find themselves in the same position that I did. The first novel is finished but the characters are begging for a second book to be written. And a third. . . .<br/> Independent Bookstores: Mystery and General-Interesttag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-01-27:537324:Topic:2648062011-01-27T22:07:05.027ZL. A. Starkshttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Starksbooks
<p>For the benefit of CrimeSpace readers, on my website I've posted links to over two hundred independent bricks-and-mortar bookstores in the US and elsewhere:</p>
<p><a href="http://lastarksbooks.com/buy2.html" target="_blank">http://lastarksbooks.com/buy2.html</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>All have survived the rugged book sales environment of the last several years. About half now offer Google E-books. All mystery specialty stores of which I'm aware are included.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If there are…</p>
<p>For the benefit of CrimeSpace readers, on my website I've posted links to over two hundred independent bricks-and-mortar bookstores in the US and elsewhere:</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://lastarksbooks.com/buy2.html">http://lastarksbooks.com/buy2.html</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>All have survived the rugged book sales environment of the last several years. About half now offer Google E-books. All mystery specialty stores of which I'm aware are included.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If there are others you think should be added, particularly in Canada, Australia, England, and New Zealand, let me know.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Best,</p>
<p>L. A. Starks</p>
<p><a href="http://lastarksbooks.com">http://lastarksbooks.com</a></p> WOW! Did anyone else catch opening epsode of "Life on Mars"tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-09-08:537324:Topic:2493592010-09-08T11:18:25.695ZHallie Ephronhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/HallieEphron
Last night we watched the opening episode of a series, originally from the BBC, on public television "Life on Mars." John Simm is brilliant, truly brilliant playing a detective who gets hit by a car and (is he in a coma or is it for real) ends up in 1973... I was breathless by the end. Whooping and hollering at how perfect the ending was. It was one of the most stunning TV dramas I have ever seen. I gather it won lots of awards and American producers tried to remake it here but it…
Last night we watched the opening episode of a series, originally from the BBC, on public television "Life on Mars." John Simm is brilliant, truly brilliant playing a detective who gets hit by a car and (is he in a coma or is it for real) ends up in 1973... I was breathless by the end. Whooping and hollering at how perfect the ending was. It was one of the most stunning TV dramas I have ever seen. I gather it won lots of awards and American producers tried to remake it here but it failed.<br/>As I said, Wow! <br/> Mysteries are best in the first or third omniscient voice?tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-07-19:537324:Topic:2424062010-07-19T20:47:22.358ZBenoit AKoahttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BenoitAKoa
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">In my reading group, there has developed a school of thought that claims that the best ever mysteries are in the first voice, private PI type thingy. Personally, I go with PD James, Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Their Third voice omniscient has produce far more intriguing plots than any other. I also think the best Thrillers and suspense novels are in the…</font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Calibri">In my reading group, there has developed a school of thought that claims that the best ever mysteries are in the first voice, private PI type thingy. Personally, I go with PD James, Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Their Third voice omniscient has produce far more intriguing plots than any other. I also think the best Thrillers and suspense novels are in the third voice, Silence of the Lambs, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Frankenstein, and the like. This may be a matter or preference, but I am sensing there is something to it. What do you think?</font></p> Made It Momentstag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-04-15:537324:Topic:2326772010-04-15T15:35:39.426ZJenny Milchmanhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JennyMilchman
Hi everybody,<br></br><br></br>I hope this is the right place for this. I'm new, so if not please let me know, and my apologies!<br></br><br></br>On my blog, suspenseyourdisbelief.com, I have a forum called Made It Moments. Authors answer the question, How did you know you made it? post a cover shot of their book and a photo. The top-selling MIM author sold 7 copies of his book after appearing!<br></br><br></br>Please feel free to contact me if you'd be interested in writing a Moment, and in the meantime, check out…
Hi everybody,<br/><br/>I hope this is the right place for this. I'm new, so if not please let me know, and my apologies!<br/><br/>On my blog, suspenseyourdisbelief.com, I have a forum called Made It Moments. Authors answer the question, How did you know you made it? post a cover shot of their book and a photo. The top-selling MIM author sold 7 copies of his book after appearing!<br/><br/>Please feel free to contact me if you'd be interested in writing a Moment, and in the meantime, check out this one from Malice Domestic winner Gerrie Finger<br/><br/><a href="http://www.jennymilchman.com/blog/?p=658">http://www.jennymilchman.com/blog/?p=658</a><br/><br/>My best,<br/>Jenny<br/>