by Julie, pondering the mystery author brain in Somerville
Curiosity is necessary for a mystery writer. How does this work? What does that forensic evidence mean? How would an investigator figure out the type of shoe worn in mud?
The problem is, not only are we curious, we do deep dives into subjects. We watch true crime dramas and take notes. We listen to podcasts about investigations and question everything while doing frantic Google searches about the case. We watch Dateline like it’s our job. Because it sort of is.
No matter what genre we write, we need to know the mechanics of crime. But lately I’ve been wondering–does that make enjoying the genre more difficult?
When I hear about a coffee cup or piece of gum being tossed, I roll my eyes. OF COURSE that will come up later for DNA or for prints. Please, oh please, surprise me and let that be a MacGuffin, and not criminal or investigative oversight. (A MacGuffin is a plot device in a story or film that drives the plot and motivates characters, but is usually unimportant or irrelevant in itself.)
Since my job is to create puzzles and snares, it is difficult to surprise me. Instead I see the plot holes that the denouement leaves open. I expect the worst of people. I long for the “old” days when I’d be delighted by a plot, or a surprise. Now I either expect them, or dissect them, or both.
Do you find that you aren’t surprised any more? That the twist doen’t twist as much?
I do have some hope for my holiday TBR pile, but I won’t be surprised if I’m not surprised.
Mystery lovers, do you worry that you know too much?
The Wickeds 
I guess so, now that I think about it. I have a half-read book on my coffee table. It’s a historical mystery that has gotten some nice buzz, but so far I’m thinking, “Really? Isn’t that obvious?” I have less tolerance now for stories that aren’t well-told, and that includes the twists and surprises.
LikeLike
Historicals are also tough because I always have to remember that so much was different. Yet ignoring clues is still frustrating.
LikeLike
I don’t think I have to worry about knowing too much. I may not a lot of random trivia factoids but that rarely translates into anything useful beyond winning Trivia Night.
More of interest to me is whether or not a book tells me a good story and less than whether it surprises me or I figure out whodunnit before the reveal. I find that I rarely actively try to figure that out ahead of the story.
LikeLike
By the way, did you notice that the heading of the blog post has a spelling error in it?
LikeLike
No but will fix!
LikeLike
I saw it immediately, but then I taught English forever to high schoolers.
LikeLike
An excellent point. A well told story trumps all.
LikeLike
Also, there’s a spelling error in the heading of this blog post today.
LikeLike
To me, I love the details and knowing the author’s done the research to make the story accurate as can be – after all no one knows everything. While it does have me, with all I’ve learns from reading mysteries all these years, slightly dissecting the book I’m reading and trying to figure out whodunit, if it isn’t on of those that hit you in the face with it at the beginning of the story – and why would anyone do that? Some of my greatest reads are those that I’m completely fooled until the final reveal in the story. And then only if it makes complete sense to the story. While that isn’t a often as it once was, makes it all the more special when it happens. For as long as I’ve been reading mysteries, a few decades more than I’d like to admit to, I’ve not gotten indifferent to them or slowed down because I might be able to find the clue faster than the detective or amateur sleuth. And don’t see it happening in the future either. So I say keep doing the research and finding ways to stump us readers that love your books. ❤
2clowns at arkansas dot net
LikeLike
I love being fooled when the story has set it up from the beginning. Maybe I need to remember that a lot of books are character driven and less about the mystery?
LikeLike
I was talking to The Hubby about this recently. It’s really hard to surprise me these days. Even in a well-done story, I can see the mechanics. In a not-so-well-done story…let’s not go there.
I try to focus on the skill of the author, so even if I personally am not surprised, I can see what they did and how someone less, um, experienced would be taken in.
LikeLike
Mechanics is the perfect word for it. It takes a lot to suck me in and be swallowed up by the book. A sad side effect of being a writer.
LikeLike
Being a lifelong mystery reader I always try to figure out whodunit and why, and love a good surprise twist, especially when I totally see it after the reveal. That being said, I really read for the story and the characters, so if they are good, I don’t mind a missed clue here and there. After all, professional investigators miss them regularly. Now, if it’s not well written, that’s a different story. I’m not very tolerant there. I love the curiosity and research compulsion of mystery authors. Such dedication to craft is to be admired in my book!
LikeLike
You sound like the dream reader. And yes, the writing matters most of all.
LikeLike
I’m often along for the ride and don’t spend a lot of time trying to figure things out. I think there are still good twists out there. I do hate it when it’s so obvious who did it.
LikeLike
Agreed. And with some authors the ride is guaranteed fun, which matters.
LikeLike
I’m like Sherry, happy to go along for the ride. That’s if the story grabs me enough early on to keep going. My DNF pile keeps growing, which makes me a little sad.
LikeLike
Great title for the pile. But life is too short, and there are too many books.
LikeLike
I go back and forth on this. There are times when it is obvious early on. But I also know the characters don’t know they are in a story, so they need to figure it out for themselves. Because someone left their coat behind at a party, I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that they were dead if it happened to me in real life. But when reading a murder mystery? You might as well put up flashing neon signs.
I’m most forgiving if the author moves past that quickly. If the characters figure something out 10 pages later than me, I’m okay with it. Or if they distract me with plenty else going on, I’m okay as well. But if they belabor the point, then I start getting impatient.
However, this mostly applies to the set up for me. I’m still bad at guessing the killer. I usually talk myself into and out of all the suspects. And I usually fall for red herrings as well.
LikeLike
I treasure atmosphere and world building.
I’m not reading true crime, I’m not a forensics apprentice, I’m immersing myself in a cozy.
I want to smell the lemon oil on the antique store’s china cabinet full of geodes. I want to “see” the bookstore’s Halloween window display. I want to hear knitting needles click as women of a certain age discuss how to help the young widow. I want to feel the salty mist blowing past me as I hobble across the sand.
I’m not expecting CSI at the farmer’s market, or FBI interviewing techniques at the salon, but I do love learning tidbits about bookbinding or candle making or support animals.
I expect reasonable timelines: managing a small business is a 60 hour a week commitment, where are you finding the time to drive all over the county to interview people about the crime?
Recently I abandoned several books because the characters were so abrasive or annoying that it distracted me from the mystery and world building. I don’t watch the news anymore because I found myself yelling at the TV, I don’t want the bitter town mayor or the sheriff’s ex or the MC’s high school rival to raise my blood pressure. Someone has been the victim of at least one crime, that’s enough graphic ugliness.
One more pet peeve. I often have my Kindle read to me as I cook, clean, dress, sew. Nothing bounces me out of a story faster than being read an entire recipe every three chapters.
Bottom line for me, I am hoping for immersion in a place, a community, an experience. I don’t try to solve the mystery, but I do expect the reveal to make sense at the end. And I demurely wriggle in my seat when I get it right. Thank you for everything you do to bring color and texture to my world. And the occasional “I never saw that coming…”
LikeLike
I treasure atmosphere and world building.
I’m not reading true crime, I’m not a forensics apprentice, I’m immersing myself in a cozy.
I want to smell the lemon oil on the antique store’s china cabinet full of geodes. I want to “see” the bookstore’s Halloween window display. I want to hear knitting needles click as women of a certain age discuss how to help the young widow. I want to feel the salty mist blowing past me as I hobble across the sand.
I’m not expecting CSI at the farmer’s market, or FBI interviewing techniques at the salon, but I do love learning tidbits about bookbinding or candle making or support animals or fascinating careers.
I expect reasonable timelines: managing a small business is a 60 hour a week commitment, where are you finding the time to drive all over the county to interview people about the crime?
Recently I abandoned several books because the characters were so abrasive or annoying that it distracted me from the mystery and world building. I don’t watch the news anymore because I found myself yelling at the TV, I don’t want the bitter town mayor or the sheriff’s ex or the MC’s high school rival to raise my blood pressure. Someone has been the victim of at least one crime, that’s enough graphic ugliness.
One more pet peeve. I often have my Kindle read to me as I cook, clean, dress, sew. Nothing bounces me out of a story faster than being read an entire recipe every three chapters.
Nashville’s PBS station has an ongoing program of author interviews called A Word on Words. It’s fascinating to hear authors talk about the research they did and experts they consulted so their sheriff or historian or librarian rings true.
Bottom line for me, I am hoping for immersion in a place, a community, an experience. I don’t try to solve the mystery, but I do expect the reveal to make sense at the end. And I demurely wriggle in my seat when I get it right. Thank you for everything you do to bring color and texture to my world. And the occasional “I never saw that coming…”
LikeLike
I find that I read differently now than I did before I became a full-time writer. It is a real pain point to be so infrequently surprised !
LikeLike
My favorite authors are always those who can still surprise me, and yet make their plot twists and solution look completely inevitable and obvious when you look back at them. Given the number of mysteries I’ve read, there aren’t too many who can still do that.
Hank Phillippi Ryan is one who comes immediately to mind. I always have her books (which are more thrillers than mysteries, but still) completely figured out half-way through and than find out I was completely wrong at the end. And then as I look back, it’s clear her solution is a much better fit with the facts than was mine. She always manages to do that, and my guesses are always wrong. I love that about her writing!
I find that I have much less patience with mediocre plotting and writing than I did when I was younger, and I’m far more likely to abandon a disappointment half-way through than I would have earlier in my life. I guess it’s now that I value my time more than my money these days.
And do I need to say, I’ve never abandoned ANY of the Wicked’s books without finishing them?
LikeLike
Revelation from reading this…I don’t read mysteries to figure out “who dunnit” any more. This stopped so long ago, I can’t remember when. What I enjoy are the characters, the conversations, the flow of the story. I’m not looking for clues. I just enjoy the unfolding of the story. Thank you all for writing such wonderful words!
LikeLike
No, I do not worry that I know too much, even though I do know too much. I usually figure it out, but once in a while, I miss it all together. Many times, they throw a red herring, and you know that it probably won’t be the murderer. I just finished one where they kept pointing to this one guy starting about a bit over halfway through the book and making this other person look like the good guy even though he seems involved. So, you decide the good guy is actually the one, but NO, it turns out that the red herring wasn’t a red herring, but the murderer. That doesn’t happen often. I love trying to figure it out though. Now this is not a book, but I challenged myself to work a jigsaw puzzle without a photo of it and no cover–a mystery puzzle. I did it. The shapes and patterns were the clues that helped me just like characters in a book do if you are paying attention. You all just keep writing and I will keep reading. I have only nor finished two books in my 76 years, The World According to Garp and The Word by Michenor. They not only went in the DNF but giveaway pile. Though I need to think that one through as too many books and too little time left to read. I will say, all of the cozies that I have read, I have enjoyed except for one or two. I finished them but won’t buy that author again. I love cozies so much that I hate it when the series is not continued. I have learned to steer clear of many USA Today lists as many of them are too weird to read.
LikeLike