WICKED WEDNESDAYS

Pass the ketchup, please!

Have you noticed how important food is? Not for the obvious reasons, like keeping us alive. But to add some realism into the books we read and write. Have you noticed how many times a sleuth will grab a snack, stop for take-out on the way home, have coffee with a police officer? It's what people do in real life therefore it's what characters do in books.

What's your favourite snack? I love almond butter, by the teaspoonful, right out of the jar. Funny that Lizzie Turner loves the same thing. She's my amateur sleuth in the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries. And even the name of the book club has

Cheese Straws in it. Which brings up the point that perhaps food plays a larger role in cosies than in police procedurals.

Not so. Ever noticed how Inspector Green loves his deli foods? Ask Barbara Fradkin why we know that fact about him. And how about Benny Cooperman? What's his usual lunch? Howard Engel has been telling us for years that it's an egg sandwich.

A shared meal allows an author to introduce facts through conversation. Right...they could do that over the phone or on a park bench. But the meal provides another layer or texture to the scene. We have comfort food, health food, fast food, junk food...a whole lot of eating going on along with the solving of crimes. We have sleuths who are caterers, food reviewers, cupcake bakers, coffee shop owners and all these books include recipes at the back. Mystery Readers Journal has had four issues devoted to culinary crime.

And then we have authors who produce their own cookbooks. Patricia Cornwell has one filled with recipes that her character, Kay Scarpetta uses. Crime Writers of Canada has put out two volumes of Dishes to Die For. Mystery writers also produce blogs about food. Try out these tasty samples:
http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com and http://www.fatalfoodies.blogspot.com.

How about that mystery you're reading ... I'll bet there's food mentioned in it. Maybe even a recipe or two. Enjoy!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

The Good Old Days of Crime Fighting!

When writing yesterday's blog, I got to thinking that crime fighting a couple of decades ago was a much tougher job than it is today. Think about it.

The sleuth didn't have a cell phone with which to call for back-up, phone the perp to see if they were actually home before attempting a little B&E, or a date to cancel that night's romantic dinner because the stake-out went into overtime.

Nor was the sleuth able to do a search on the Internet for background information on the suspect, use Google Streetscape to scope out said suspect's street in search of likely places to park un-noticed, or in the case of police, carry out a nice little scam on unsuspecting scammers.

Think of how much easier today's sleuth has it, when he/she can whip out an IPhone or Blackberry & with the appropriate apps, find a Greek Take-out close by to the stake-out, check what time a movie ends thus know what time the suspect might be leaving the theatre, or find the nearest hospital, if need-be.

And that GPS -- wow! Driving to that warehouse containing the missing storage bins is a breeze. Plus, don't get me started on the wonders of digital cameras.

I think the previous generation of sleuths deserves a lot of admiration and praise. They really had to work hard at getting the bad guys. That is, unless your sleuth was Agent 007. So, do all these techno tools result in a sleuth who is more lazy and perhaps just not quite as smart?

What do you think?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

With a little help from their friends...

Sleuth and sidekicks. You'll find them in cosies and PI plottings, in police procedurals and some thrillers. The cop has his partner or more often, an entire squad that returns with every new book in the series. Much like Barbara Fradkin's Inspector Green relies on his key officers to track down the perps. Same thing happens for Const. Molly Smith in Vicki Delany's police series set in B.C.

And of course, what would Insp. Morse have been without his Sgt. Lewis, Dalziel without Pascoe, Lynley without Havers? It's an extensive list and the names are instantly recognizable to most mystery readers.

In the cosy world, I've heard that Camilla McPhee's assistant, Alvin, has his own fan club! I'm betting little did Mary Jane Maffini know when she created McPhee's exasperating but endearing sidekick that he, too would be a star!

Joan Boswell's amateur sleuth Hollis Grant ends up with an unofficial 'sidekick', police detective Rhona Simpson. At least, Rhona would never like this label.

In my series, coming April 2012, Lizzie Turner solves crime with the assistance of her book club -- that's six sidekicks. Have you ever tried to get seven people to agree on something?

Sidekicks provide the sleuth with a sounding board as well as someone who can give much-needed advice. They can add some comic relief when a scene becomes explosive. They are the shoulder to cry on. The supplier of necessary facts and details. A foil with which to highlight aspects of the sleuth's personality. And above all, a friend.

How about Poirot & Hastings; Batman & Robin; Frost & Toolan; Holmes & Watson; Barnaby & Jones?

There have been so many memorable sleuth/sidekick combinations in literature, and on television over the years. Right now, one of my favourites is DI Sandra Pullman and her team of three detectives brought out of retirement to deal with cold cases in New Tricks -- that's on TVO and/or PBS, in case you've never seen it. Unfortunately, as happens in the television season, it's off the air at the moment. But it will be back.

So, who are your favourite sleuth/sidekick combos?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
Mystery Book Club series coming
from Berkley Prime Crime, April, 2012