What Makes a Good Mystery? (Volume 3)

 

I love a good mystery! I think I’ve mentioned that before. And I’ve been sharing my thoughts on what makes a good mystery and suspense story. Have you been following along?

So far, we’ve chatted about how the story has to have intensity:

    Lucy Reynolds agreed, "It has to get my heart pounding and maybe looking over my shoulder at least once."

     Rachel T says, "I like when an author weaves pieces of the puzzle into a larger whole. I usually can't figure it out until the reveal."

    Carolyn Hutson adds, "The unexpected makes for a good suspense, but I also want some scenes that make me jump out of my skin and make me not want to stop reading."

Then, we talked about the twists in a story. Y’all had a lot to say about those. 

    Cindi Knowles commented, "I love a good mystery, suspense, or thriller that has lots of twists and turns, that keeps me guessing and turning pages because the story is that enthralling." 

    Alicia Haney puts it this way, "I love the twists and turns, also when the unexpected suddenly shows up!"

    Barb D. adds, "I enjoy the twists & turns, and just enough things about the various characters in a story, and then suspect everyone! I like endings that I didn't see coming!"

This week, I want to talk about something that actually is necessary for ANY fiction story.

Character Depth Some of you think it's important too! 

    Gail H. has an opinion about the antagonist. "The best to me is a culprit that seems unlikely and is not revealed until the very end. Those I would have never guessed."

    Winnie says, "I love engaging characters and a little romance."

    Carolyn suggests, "The way the characters respond to stress is important as well. I have to like the characters and really feel what they are feeling."

    And Amy adds, "It's best when I'm completely invested in the characters and story. 

Interest in characters is no surprise. If you think of your favorite books, likely the characters are what stick in your mind. I bet you can name these books!

• Darcy and Elizabeth 
• Scout  
• Jo and her sisters 
• Lucy and her siblings.

To me, the main characters need to be as real as my next-door neighbor with history, burdens, mistakes, dreams, and values. A really good character is a broken one because we are all broken, right? I know “Mary Poppins” is likely a favorite story, but characters that are practically perfect in every way can get tedious and annoying when it comes to mystery.

I prefer characters that have something in the past that affects their decisions and actions. In fact, if done well, the character will have a difficult time in their history that they have to relive at some point near the end of the story.

That’s not to say that the “brokenness” has to be tragic and heavy, though. Give me the girl that dresses to the nines and then walks into the post office with donut icing under her nose or the guy who dunks his chip into habanero sauce thinking he’s Texan enough to take it. I love laugh-out-loud characters who are willing to laugh at themselves, too. It makes them real and memorable.

So what about you? Tell me about your favorite characters or the character you’re reading about right now. What makes the character stand out? Share your thoughts about characters in the comments and you might be the winner of a $10 Amazon gift card and a super-sleuth magnifying glass. And you might just find yourself in an upcoming volume of What Makes a Good Mystery!

What Makes a Good Mystery? (Volume 2)

 

Last month, I asked the question, what makes a good mystery? I love a good mystery, and I’ve found a number of things in some of my favorites that end up giving me that ahhhhhhh at the end of a story.

Several of you shared your favorite elements in mysteries, and the one I have for today was mentioned over and over again in last month's comments. It is a must for a good mystery or suspense!

Plot Twists

I love it when I see a story headed one direction, and it suddenly doubles back or goes down some alley I didn’t even notice. Like a magician, an author of excellence will give us a slight of hand trick, capturing our attention in one way while working a little mischief in another.

Twists make mysteries great, but they have to be reasonable. 

Decades ago, there was a movie where a number of fictional detectives were gathered together for a special dinner party. They (and their authors) were accused of “criminal acts” such as introducing the antagonist for the first time at the very end of the story, allowing the hero to have information that isn’t given to the reader, and so on. It was a spoofy movie, but it makes a good point. Have you ever read a book that had something like these “literary misdeeds?” What other twisted "misdeeds" have you seen besides the two that were mentioned?

Twists are a necessity for a mystery or suspense, but they should have a few rules.

•          Be logical
•          Connect
•          Have roots

Being logical is self-explanatory – “Elementary, my dear Watson.” The twist might come from right field, but once it has been revealed, heads should nod. “Of course” or “Why didn’t I see that?” might come to mind.

A twist should also connect to something. This leads to a pet peeve of mine, something like one of those misdeeds. A crucial clue just appears out of thin air. Total coincidence. It happens, but the twist should at least be connected to something that the characters know or do within the logical progression of the story.

Finally, I think a well-conceived twist will have its roots at the beginning of the story. Then when it does surface, a reader gets an extra aha! because it’s been there all along.

Have you enjoyed a good twisted mystery? One where you really didn’t see something coming and then wham? Tell me about it! Share your experience in the comments. One lucky commenter will win a $10 Amazon gift card and a super-sleuth, lighted magnifying glass.

What Makes a Good Mystery? (Volume 1)

I love a good mystery, but what is it that makes a mystery good? Is it the plot – the whodunnit with twists and turns? Is it the characters that fill in the gaps and the detective – amateur or not – whose shrewd observations reveal the truth? Maybe it’s the conflict between good and evil?

I have a growing list of the elements that I like to see in a mystery/suspense story—way too many to put down in just one article. I’ll share them with you a little at a time, though. Here’s the first one.

Intensity

While the story doesn’t have to be a full-fledged suspense for me to enjoy it, there has to be at least one scene full of foreboding where the creepy music enters my mind. A moment when the hero realizes what’s going on and puts a target on his or her back.

This is the moment that, in novelist vernacular, is called MEP – at least in my notations. The explanation of which is full of abstracts and higher-level cognition . . . okay, okay. It stands for Most Exciting Part. Really cultured and professional, huh! LOL! But if this piece of the story isn’t intense, then it’s a meh MEP for me. Entirely forgetful.

On the other hand, if the hero is suddenly and unexpectedly (well, at least the hero doesn’t expect it) thrust into danger, painted into a corner where I can see no escape, I’m up all night making sure that there is indeed escape, and justice is done!

As I read exceptional mysteries and suspense, I have some things that are a must for me to feel that ahhhhhhh at the end of the story. I bet you have some of those as well. 

Share your idea of the most important element of a great mystery/suspense in the comments, and you might just be the winner of a $10 Amazon gift card and a super-sleuth lighted magnifying glass.   

WHAT'S HOT IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE by Patricia Bradley

Wondering what's HOT in Inspirational Suspense this month?

Today, August 18, 2020, Rachel McMillan's The London Restoration releases!

From author Rachel McMillancomes a richly researched historical romance that takes place in post-World 

War II London and features a strong female lead.

Determined to save their marriage and the city they love, two people divided by World War II’s secrets rebuild their lives, their love, and their world.

London, Fall 1945. Architectural historian Diana Somerville’s experience as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park and her knowledge of London’s churches intersect in MI6’s pursuit of a Russian agent named Eternity. Diana wants nothing more than to begin again with her husband Brent after their separation during the war, but her signing of the Official Secrets Act keeps him at a distance.

Brent Somerville, professor of theology at King’s College, hopes aiding his wife with her church consultations will help him better understand why she disappeared when he needed her most. But he must find a way to reconcile his traumatic experiences as a stretcher bearer on the European front with her obvious lies about her wartime activities and whereabouts.

Featuring a timeless love story bolstered by flashbacks and the excavation of a priceless Roman artifact, The London Restoration is a richly atmospheric look at post-war London as two people changed by war rebuild amidst the city’s reconstruction.

You can purchase London Restoration at:

Amazon

B&N

Christian Books

 

WHAT'S HOT IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE by Patricia Bradley

by Patricia Bradley

Wondering what's HOT in Inspirational Suspense this month?

Minutes to Die by Susan Sleeman released August 4, 2020. 

It's the intel every agent fears--terrorists have been smuggled into the country, intent on unleashing the most deadly attack since 9/11. With the threat imminent, FBI Agent Kiley Dawson and ICE Agent Evan Bowers are charged with taking down this terrorist cell. The only problem is Kiley blames Evan for the death of her former partner, and she can barely be in a room with him. But with millions of lives on the line, she has no choice.

If it wasn't for a bad call Evan made, Kiley's former partner would still be alive, and Evan has to live with that guilt for the rest of his life. When he starts falling for her, the agent's death seems an impossible obstacle--but it's also the last thing he needs to think about. As the terrorist plot targets Kiley's family, the two are pushed to the breaking point in a race to save countless lives.

You can purchase Minutes to Die at:

Amazon

B&N

Christian Books

A Visit With Jessica Patch

by Patricia Bradley

Today we're sitting down and talking to Jessica Patch. (You can read her bio at the end) She's giving away a print copy of Recovered Secrets to one commenter. (US Address) And you can read my review of Recovered Secrets at my website.


What do you do when you’re not writing? Any interesting hobbies? 

Like most writers, I’m reading in my genre and out. But I have a passion to teach the Word, so I spend my free time teaching bible studies. 

Last year, I took a God-led break from writing to teach the Bible chronologically, and then in December 2019, I launched a discipleship/mentorship program for women.  A.C.T. Abide, Connect, Train in godliness. 

Eighteen women from the chronological bible study were prayed over and invited to be a mentor in 2020 to 3-5 women, reading chronologically and slowly pulling out the story through major characters in the Bible and looking at the Word, Women in the Word, and Worldview. It’s enhanced so many lives that are sadly Bible illiterate! 

We can tell the story of Cinderella or Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Three Bears, but when it comes to telling God’s story, we don’t really know much of it other than Jesus coming, dying, raising from the dead and giving us eternal life. It was a year spent well, and I wouldn’t trade it!

That sounds like an amazing year, Jessica! What was your favorite book as a teen or child? 

As a child, I adored The Little House on the Prairie series. I remember checking them out from the library and reading them on the bus during the ride home which was about thirty to forty minutes! As a teen, I devoured the Sweet Valley High series. It’s probably why I love a lot of drama in stories I read (and write)! :-)

What genre did you start out writing? Have you changed course? Why or why not? 

The first book I wrote was a contemporary romance but it did have an element of mystery since a cold case came to light. After that I wrote 6 contemporary romances and then switched back to romantic suspense. I still write in both genres but I’m traditionally published with the romantic suspense. My CR novels are indie published.

I love your romantic suspense books. Any other genres you’d like to try?

I have a cozy mystery series in my brain and actually have 5 covers with titles sitting in my hard drive awaiting the day I have time to write them! I enjoy cozies because you can add a good measure of humor and I enjoy adding laughs to my stories regardless of the genre. I also love reading Young Adult paranormal, but I doubt I’ll ever try my hand.

I've thought about writing cozies, but like you haven't had the time! What is the most important thing you’d like readers to take away from your books? 

Writing to a Christian audience, for me, is a form of discipleship—equipping the body. The struggles that my characters go through aren’t any different from the ones we face in reality, though we don’t usually have crazed killers coming after us to teach us the lesson (or maybe you do!). 

At the end of the day, yes, be entertained and escape awhile but mostly I want readers to come away feeling hopeful about their circumstances and situation. Fictional characters but real hope. And what God can do for those fictional characters, He can do for you, but you have to do your part too! 

So I say all that to say: Hope. I want readers to experience hope.

I've seen that in your books. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors? 

I think it’s easy to become obsessed with getting published and being so focused on the dream God gives that we forget the Dream-Giver is our exceedingly great reward (Genesis 15). We must do the work. Write every day. But remember before the work, comes time with the One who assigns us the work. Don’t let your intimate relationship with Jesus suffer. 

Writing is ministry, and it’s an offering to Him for sure, but it doesn’t take the place of being IN the Word, worshipping, and prayer. We need that FIRST and FOREMOST before we can tell the story He places in our hearts. I think you’ll find the more time you spend with Him, the clearer the story He wants you to write will become!

I loved the book you've feature today, Jessica.



A blank memory. A new life.

But her borrowed time just ran out

Two years after Grace Thackery washed up on a small-town Mississippi riverbank, she has the first clue about the life she doesn’t remember: someone wants her dead. And while search-and-rescue director Hollis Montgomery’s determined to protect her, the secrets of her past are darker than they expected. Can the bond between Grace and Hollis survive her true identity…and an assassin?
 You can purchase Recovered Secrets at:
Amazon for only $3.99 for the Kindle version.


Bio and links

Jessica R. Patch is known for her dry wit and signature twists whether she's penned a contemporary romance or romantic suspense. When she's not hunched over her laptop (or in physical therapy because she's been hunched over her laptop), you can find her cozy on the couch in her mid-south home watching way too much Netflix with her family, going on "adventures" in the name of book research, and collecting recipes to amazing dishes she'll probably never cook. Sign up for her newsletter "Patched In" at www.jessicarpatch.com. Jessica is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management.


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Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for Recovered Secrets. Jessica took a year off from writing to teach Bible studies. Do you think it hurts an author to take a year off from writing?