Taking the Mystery out of Mysteries
A Guide for Mystery Lovers
The mystery or crime story is one of the oldest and most loved forms of fiction. Although it is generally agreed that Edgar Allan Poe’s creation of Detective Auguste C. Dupin marks the beginning of crime fiction, the writer’s fascination with crime can be traced back to the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Wondering what mysteries are all about? This guide will introduce you to mystery fiction and describe five major subgenres.
Read everything by your favorite mystery author? We have included lists of Web sites and print sources you can use to find Read-Alikes. Since many mystery fans enjoy following the adventures of specific kinds of sleuths, we have highlighted five types of detectives. You will also find Web and print resources dealing with mystery fiction.
Want to try your hand at writing mysteries? There is advice both on the Web and in print form.
Finally, we’ll take a look at award winners: what critics and mystery authors consider the cream of the crop.
Still clueless? Please contact the Fiction Department for further information.
Caper or Comic Caper Mystery
These stories concentrate on the steps taken to commit the crime and the personalities of the criminal. Art thefts and bank robberies are common themes and the perps might range from bumbling boobs to super-intelligent deviants.
- Janet Evanovich Online
Evanovich’s Web site provides announcements and excerpts of new books, a printable list of titles, and a newsletter about the irrepressible, big-haired bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her eccentric cast of accomplices. The numbered Plum series begins with One for the Money.
Carl Hiaasen’s Official Web site
Hiaasen’s site contains his biography, new works, and a chronological list of titles with plot summaries. Double Whammy, Tourist Season, and Strip Tease are noted as comic crime capers.
Donald E. Westlake
Westlake’s site provides news events, a biography, list of works, and a chapter of his latest book. Good Behavior , God Save the Mark, What's So Funny?, or Why Me? are examples of his comedic capers.
Cozy
Best-known cozy author Agatha Christie introduced the basic elements of this subgenre with Miss Marple, and they haven’t changed much since. The murder usually takes place in a country house or small town and the detective is often an amateur or eccentric professional. These stories are often characterized as “nice, neat murders” since they generally avoid sex, strong violence, and profanity.
- M.C. Beaton
Beaton, also known as Marion Chesney, has written the long-running British Agatha Raisin and Scottish Hamish MacBeth series as dependable, traditional cozies.
Earlene Fowler
Benni Harper, a curator of a California folk-art museum, is the talented amateur in a series in which every title is the name of a quilt pattern.
Carolyn Hart
The lovely South Carolina coastal islands serve as a serene backdrop for the unexpected crimes investigated by Annie and Max Darling, owners of a mystery bookstore. Hart also uses Henrie O., a widowed, retired reporter, as another series detective.
Hard- Boiled or Noir
Begun in the “pulp” detective magazines in the 1920s, generally dealing with tough, lonely detectives, deceitful women, and the underworld crime scene
.Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Lawrence Block, George Higgins, Mario Puzo, and Michael Connelly are often cited as hard-boiled authors.
- TP.N (ThePulp.Net)
A guide to the world of pulp magazines including oldies such as The Shadow, The Avenger, and The Spider.
The Thrilling Detective Web Site
The site includes Web Comics, an alphabetical listing of Private Eyes & Other Tough Guys and Gals, and detectives featured in film and TV.
Locked Room or Puzzle
The premise of this traditional mystery form is that a murder is committed in a room where, upon investigation, it is discovered that there was no way of entering and exiting the area without leaving a trace. Did the murderer vanish into thin air? Poe’s Murders inthe Rue Morgue is considered the first in this subgenre, followed by John DicksonCarr, Agatha Christie, and Ellery Queen.
- MysteryList.Com
Describes various locked room scenarios.
Books Bytes
John Dickson Carr’s biography plus excellent bibliographic lists.
Locked-Room Mystery Recommendations
Top 15 recommendations plus a list of additional classics.
Police Procedural
The personal and professional interactions of a police squad working together are followed during the investigation of multiple crimes. The stuff upon which many TV dramas are based, such as NYPD Blue, CSI, and Criminal Minds.
- P.D. James
Brief annotations of all the books in the Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh series, biographical information, an interview, and Baroness James’s writing tips are included.
Michael Connelly
All of the books in Connelly's Harry Bosch series are included as well as biographical information for the author and many author interviews.-
- The official site: Ed McBain (aka, Evan Hunter)
Includes biography, remarks, and a chronologicallist of all his series, including all still-in-print 87th Precinct novels.
Other noted procedural writers: Lynda LaPlante (Jane Tennison), Per Wahlooand Maj Sjowall(series set in Stockholm), William Caunitz (One Police Plaza).
“I love Patricia Cornwell’s books. Can you find others for me just like them?” This is question that comes up frequently. Following are both Web and print resources that will help you find just what you’re looking for.
Web Resources for Mystery Read-Alikes - Fiction_L Booklists: Genre-Based Lists
A collection of booklists created by the staff of the Morton Grove Public Library including a good number and variety of mystery lists. -
Library Booklists
A compilation of read alikes for all ages and genres featuring lists from public libraries throughout the U.S.
- Stop, You're Killing Me!
Includes author readalikes as well as category readalikes.
Print Resources @ SLRC for Read-Alikes
The
Fiction Department staff produces and maintains a collection of high-interest booklists for our readers. Please ask for copies or check them out on our
Booklist Web page.
- Herald, Diana Tixier.Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests in Genre Fiction. Ennglewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2000. XPS374.P63H47 2000Q
Nygaard, Lis and Sheila Maier, comp. Sequels 3, 3rd ed . Vancouver Public Library, 2003. XZ5917.S44s46 2003Q,
An easy-to-use reference book that lists series by author in chronological order.
African-American Detectives
- Eleanor Taylor Bland
Marti Macalister in Waukegan, Illinois.
Hugh Holton
Larry Cole - Chicago Police Commander.
Walter R. Mosley
Easy Rawlins - 1950’s L.A. crime fighting businessman.
Valerie Wilson Wesley
Tamara Hayle - Newark, New Jersey private eye.
Animal and Human Detective Teams
- Laurien Berenson
Single mom Melanie Travis and fellow Connecticut dog fanciers.
Lillian Jackson Braun
Newspaperman Jim Qwilleran and Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum.
Susan Conant
Cambridge Massachusetts dog trainer and writer Holly Winter and Rowdy.
Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Joe Grey, the gray tailess tom, and Darcie.
Forensic Detectives
- Jeff Deaver
Lincoln Rhyme - Quadraplegic ex-head of the NYPD Police Department.
Sarah Lovett
Dr. Sylvia Strange - Forensic Psychologist working in New Mexico and Southern California.
Ridley Pearson
Lou Boldt, Seattle Police Detective and Police Psychologist Daphne Matthews
Kathy Reichs
Temperence "Tempe" Brennan - Forensic Anthropologist for the North Carolina Medical Examiner
Senior Detectives
- Peter E. Abresch
Widower James D. Dandy and traveling companion Dodee attend Elderhostels and bodies keep turning up.
Simon Brett
Mrs. Pargeter and her late husband’s low-life pals solve crimes in London.
Jeanne M. Dams
Dorothy Martin - retired American schoolteacher living in England.
Dorothy Gilman
Suburban grandmother Mrs. Pollifax works for the CIA.
Culinary Detectives
- Diana Mott Davidson
Goldy Bear - full time caterer and part time sleuth in Colorado. -
- Ellen Hart
- Jane Lawless lesbian restaurateur in Minneapolis.
-
- Jerrilyn Farmer
Hollywood event planner and chef Maddie Bean.
Joanne Fluke
Hannah Swenson - manager of the Cookie Jar in Lake Eden, Minnesota.
Tamar Myers
Magdalena Yoder - owner and manager of a Mennonite inn in Hernia, Pennsylvania.
Katherine Hall Page
Faith Fairchild - transplanted New Yorker, reverend’s wife and caterer in New England.
Web Resources for Mystery Readers
African-American Literature Book Club
Up-to-date Web site containing reviews, author profiles, and literary events.
Barnes & Noble Book Browser - Mystery & Crime
Includes bestsellers, new releases, genres, featured authors, locations, time periods, awards, and series.
Black Expressions.com - Mystery
Contains new titles, mystery and suspense, and sister sleuths.
Books and Authors
Excellent list of mystery genres, authors, and titles.
The Gumshoe Site
Includes newsletter, obits, and award winners.
Literature Resource Center
Comprehensive source of author and critical information.
MystNoir
"Features African-American amateur sleuths, private eyes, police detectives, authors and writer info for the aspiring mystery writer."
The Mystery Reader
"Very latest news and views of mystery novels." Includes author interviews, new authors, author updates, a Newsletter, and free bookmarks.
Mystery.com
"Online mysteries, mystery games, mystery books and resources. For everyone who enjoys a mystery…"
Overbooked
"Specializes in literary and genre fiction, includes author Web pages, annotated lists…"
Stop, You’re Killing Me!
Hundreds of authors profiled with chronological lists, a series character index, and newsletter.
Print Sources @ SLRC for Mystery Readers
The following print resources can be found in the Fiction Department of the State Library Resource Center.
Ashley, Mike. The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Modern Crime Fiction: The Authors, Their Works and Their Most Famous Creations. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2002. XPN3448.D4M33 2002
Extensive coverage of 500 authors primarily from the 1960s to the present, including significant films and TV series adapted from their works.
Brunsdale, Mitzi. Gumshoes: a Dictionary of Fictional Detetives. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006. XPN3377.5 .D4B78 2006Q
150 fictional detectives are represented in this who's who in whodunit literature.
Green, Joseph and Jim Finch. Sleuths, Sidekicks and Stooges. Aldershot, UK: Scolar Press; Brookfield, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 1997. XPN3448.D4A1 1997Q
A guide to nearly 8,000 fictional detectives and the sidekicks who help them out.
Heising, Willetta L. Detecting Men: A Reader’s Guide and Checklist for Mystery Series Written by Men . Dearborn, MI: Purple Moon Press, 1998. XPR830.D48 1998Q
A guide to about 600 male mystery writers, their series, and their sleuths.
Heising, Willetta L. Detecting Women: A Reader’s Guide and Checklist for Mystery Series Written by Women, 3rd ed.Dearborn, MI: Purple Moon Press, 2000. (located in the Humanities Department) PS648.D4H457 2000Q
Companion volume to above covering approximately 4,000 titles in 815 mystery series written by 690 women who were alive in 1998.
Herald, Diana Tixier. Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests in Genre Fiction. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
XPS374.P63HR672006Q
Under the heading of “Crime,” history, genres and types of mysteries are discussed including suggestions for further reading.
Herbert, Rosemary. The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing.New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. XPN3448.D4O94 1999.
Six hundred sixty-six signed articles dealing with the development of the mystery, including informative biographies of the writers and the criminals they write about.
Hubin, Allen J.Crime Fiction II: A Comprehensive Bibliography 1749-1990. 2 vols. New York: Garland Publishing, 1994. XPR83.D4H83 1994Q
Volume One is an author index with extensive bibliographic detail. Volume Two consists of titles, settings, series, and film indexes.
Murphy, Bruce F. The Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery.NewYork: St. Martin’s Minotaur, 1999. XPN3448.D4M87 1999
Written in encyclopedia format but incorporating the author’s opinions, interests, and evaluations.
Niebuhr, Gary Warren. Make Mine a Mystery: A Reader’s Guide to Mystery and Detective Fiction. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. XPN3448.D4N535 2003Q
This book, geared to Reader’s Advisory services in a public library, offers a history of mystery literature beginning in 1845 as well as 2,500 annotated titles by more than 200 authors.
Niebuhr, Gary Warren. A Reader’s Guide to the Private Eye Novel. New York: G.K. Hall & Co., 1993. XPN3448.D4N54N54 1993
Annotated entries for about 1,000 titles about private eyes, classic and contemporary.
You’ve read so many mysteries that you tell your friends, “Hey, I could write one of these.” Just in case you find you need a little help, here are some useful tools.
Web Resources for Mystery Writers
Mystery Writers’ Resources
This section of The Mystery Writers’ Forum covers everything from forensics to security gadgets to publishers.
Open Directory – Arts: Writers Resources: Fiction: Mystery
Open Directory, a non-commercial subject directory, lists over 20 resources geared to mystery fiction practitioners.
The RWA Kiss of Death Chapter Web Site
"The place on the Web for murderously inclined romantics" is the part of the Romance Writers of America site devoted to the reading and writing of suspense and mystery fiction with strong romantic elements.
Writers Write
While this site offers excellent information for writers of all genres, aspiring mystery authors will be especially interested in Internet Research Resources for Mystery and Crime Writers.
Print Resources @ SLRC for Mystery Writers
These books, and many more on the subject of writing, can be found in the Humanities Department.
- Beinhart, Larry. How to Write a Mystery. New York: Ballantine Books, 1996. PN3377.5.D4.B397 1996
Edgar-winner Beinhart covers everything from plot development to dialogue to picking an agent. He uses lots of examples and excerpts from successful mysteries.
Frey, James N. How to Write a Damn Good Mystery: A Practical Step-By-Step Guide from Inspiration to Finished Manuscript. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2004. PN3377.5.D4.F74 2004
Rather than a list of tips, Frey stresses knowing the audience the aspiring writer wants to attract. He demonstrates how the process works by constructing a theoretical mystery, "Murder in Montana."
Hayden, G. Miki. Writing the Mystery: A Start-to-Finish Guide for Both Novice and Professional. Philadelphia: Intrigue Press, 2001. PN3377.5.D49 2001
Featuring interviews with well-known authors, this book contains information on all aspects of writing mystery fiction.
Kaminsky, Stuart. Behind the Mystery: Top Mystery Writers / Interviewed by Stuart Kaminsky. Cohasset, MA:Hot House Press, 2005.PS374.D4K36 2005
Fascinating series of interviews with leading crime writers.
- Roerden, Chris. Don't Murder Your Mystery. Rock Hill, S.C.: Bella Rosa Books, 2006. PN3377.5 .D4R63 2006
"Twenty-four fiction-writing techniques To Save Your Manuscript From Turning Up D.O.A." -
- Wheat, Carolyn. How to Write Killer Fiction: The Funhouse of Mystery and the Roller Coaster of Suspense. Palo Alto: Perseverance Press, 2003. PN3377.5.D4W46 2003
Winner of five different awards for her mystery fiction, Wheat points out the distinctions between mystery and suspense fiction. She gives humorous and helpful advice for writing in both genres. -
- Windrath, Helen, ed. They Wrote the Book: Thirteen Women Mystery Writers Tell All. Duluth: Spinster Ink, 2000. PN3448.D4T44 2000
This collection of essays provides insights into the writing process as experienced by thirteen successful mystery fiction authors including Val McDermid, Marcia Muller, and Barbara Paul. -
- Agatha Awards
Agatha Awards honor the traditional mystery--books
written in the spirit of Agatha Christie. -
- Anthony Awards
Given at each annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention with the winners selected by attendees. -
- The Edgars and Other MWA Awards
Edgar Allan Poe Award Winner plus database of all Edgar winners and nominees selected by the Mystery Writer’s of America. -
- Duncan Lawrie Dagger
Formerly the CWA Gold Dagger and now the largest award
for crime fiction in the world. -
- The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association: The One Hundred Favorite Mysteries of the Century
Chosen by members of the IMBA. -
- Lambda Literary Awards.
Dedicated to the recognition and promotion of gay and lesbian literature. -
- Macavity Awards
Selected each year by the members of Mystery Reader’s International. -
-
If you would like to know more about mystery fiction, e-mail us through our Ask-A-Librarian service, call us at (410) 396-5484, or mail your questions to:
Fiction Department
Enoch Pratt Free Library
State Library Resource Center
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
