CRIME ON MY MIND

TGIF

TGIF! You'd better believe it. And what better way to celebrate the impending weekend than a party! I know this is frivolous, but lighten up and join in the fun.

You may have guessed it...I don't really have another topic to pull out of my "great idea" bag. And also, a month today I'll by partying at my son's wedding!!! Which means,I'll be taking a blog-oliday...but more on that later.

Today, let's just put deadlines aside (far too easy to do sometimes), forget the weather (although it is bordering on spring) and all get together in blogdom to celebrate mysteries.

My question to you, and I hope you'll all chime in this time, is who will you bring to this party? The only caveat is that it must be a mystery writer...whether that person is still writing, breathing or anything in between matters not. And, okay...another request. We need one item of food or liquid libation.

I'm bringing William Deverell! Why? Because I love his series and he bought me a scotch at a conference once upon a time. So of course, I'm bringing a bottle of scotch.

Your turn. Who'll be at your side?

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

LADIES' KILLING THURSDAYS

The Search

Just after Christmas I signed on to an online ancestry search engine. I thought I’d take a casual look and see where my relatives originated.

Casual look? I should have known better. Given my somewhat obsessive personality I could have anticipated the result but I didn’t.

Now, two and a half months later I’ve tracked down a motley crew of more than 1500 souls lurking in the blackness of history and all from following the antecedents of two grandparents. I have carpal tunnel from incessantly clicking the mouse and a sore back from hunching over the computer. And, given that two-thirds of the gang seem to have been part of The Great Migration, the 40,000 Pilgrims who settled New England between 1600 and 1640, I’ve joined the New England Historical and Genealogical Society.

I’ve read several books about the Puritan settlements available for free from Amazon as they are now in the public domain having been written before 1900. I noted how ‘political correctness’ has now triumphed and we no longer refer to our ‘dusky friends’, or ‘tawny-skinned warriors’ although the writers presented what seems to be a fair pictures of the relations between the tribes and the early settlers.

What has all of this proved? That an historian, which I was in an earlier incarnation, never loses the desire to follow a lead, to see where a trail will go. After all, this is also the basis of mystery writing. We have a murder and we have to ask all the relevant questions and follow leads to find the killer. In the process we find out the dark secrets of an individual’s life and sort relevant from irrelevant information. That’s what makes mystery writing fun.

And how will my quest end? Will I lose interest and return to a partially completed twenty-first century mystery not involving my family? I’m hoping I can do both but until I find out how to access the files from Northern Ireland (a non-Pilgrim group), until I see where my husband’s family came from I suspect I’ll still spend too many hours fixated on the lines extending back into time.

What surprising things have I learned from this exercise? That any religious instruction suggesting that we meet those who went before us in heaven has to be a myth? Can you imagine facing that horde with their thousands of brothers and sisters? Impossible to even contemplate. As my mother said before she died, “I expect this is all there is, but I’m prepared to be pleasantly surprised.” I don’t think it would be a pleasant surprise but maybe someday I’ll find out I was wrong.

What do you think?




A member of the Ladies Killing Circle, Joan Boswell co-edited four of their short story anthologies: Fit to Die, Bone Dance, Boomers Go Bad and Going Out With a Bang. Her three mysteries, Cut Off His Tale, Cut to the Quick and, Cut and Run were published in 2005, 2007 and 2007. The latest in the series, Cut to the Bone, will be published by Dundurn in November. In 2000 she won the $10,000 Toronto Star’s short story contest. Joan lives in Toronto with three flat-coated retrievers.

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

Wading through the e-TBR!

I have to admit, my Kobo sits on the shelf most days. And sits. And I pick up yet another paper book to read whenever I get the time to do so.

I've bought a few books for the Kobo, quite a variety actually. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain was the first; and then Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson, The Villa Triste by Lucretia Grindle, Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan to name a few. I doubt I'll get to them at any time other than when I'm traveling.

But that hasn't stopped me from also ordering any number of mysteries that are offered free from Amazon.com and listed daily on such digests as Omnimystery. Some are by authors I know; others attract me because of the plots. At some point, I hope to read them, also.

There are just so many e-books available these days and I don't enjoy wading through the on-line sellers' website trying to find what's new and more importantly, something I want to read. I'd much rather go to my favourite independent bookstore and walk along the shelves, pulling out the occasional book to have a look through. It's a ritual for me. Like enjoying my morning espresso.

Of course, I'll order my book, A Killer Read, as an e-book, just to have it. Just as I bought Little Treasures by The Ladies' Killing Circle, even though I've read the short stories many times over. And they'll travel with me and my Kobo.

But at home...give me a paper book any day!

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

TUESDAY BRINGS TROUBLE

The perfect clue!

Have you ever planted the perfect clue?

I doubt that I have or if so, I can't remember it. In fact, I don't often remember clues after a book I've read goes back on the shelves. Maybe that's a good thing. They shouldn't stand out. In fact, we're told to weave them into the thread of the story so that the reader can't detect them. At the end, when he or she goes back through the story looking for he or she missed, that will be an 'aha' moment. The clue was there, buried in plain sight.

I do have a perfect clue story but it's not one of mine. It was written by Susan Dunlap in 1990 and featured Kiernan O'Shaughnessy, a private eye in La Jolla, CA. This was the third series for Dunlap, all of which had strong female protagonists. I enjoyed reading all of her books but this series stood out. Maybe it was because Kiernan was a determined, truth-seeking character (well, they all were), so maybe it was because she had an ex-jock as her houseman and cook. He would sometimes help her with her cases at times but he was also her lover. Wow!

Anyway, I digress. I think it was the first book in the series, Pious Deception and I don't remember all the details of the plot but that clue stands out after all these years. It had to do with a blue window in the ceiling of a church (I think it was sort of a new age structure in the desert). From the outside that window wasn't blue. From the inside it was. The fact that someone had described it as blue led Kiernan to capturing the killer.

Sorry I'm vague on details. My point is, when it's done well it can be memorable and isn't that what we all want our books to be?

Have you read or written the perfect clue? If so, please tell us about it.

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

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

One liners!

Here's a little exercise, in keeping with my quest a few weeks ago. I was searching for a 15-word description of my new book, one which I could use at Malice Domestic at the end of April.

I think it's a valid task to try every now and then, particularly if you lose focus while writing. It helps to hone in on the most vital ingredients of that work. I'm going to challenge myself more regularly to find the one liners in my writing -- describing a character, a setting, the plot for starters.

That came to mind yesterday while reading the TV schedule for the upcoming week, something I like to do while enjoying an espresso Sunday mornings. I plan my TV week, such as it is. I have a few shows I enjoy watching and we seem to be getting close to season's end with some of them. Most often, the description doesn't clue me in to this, which is too bad because I can't always rely on my memory.

New Tricks, one of my favourites, is described as: "The team re-investigates the murder of an unidentified man." Okay, the 'unidentified man' is the clue here because what they do each week is re-investigate murders. While this week on Castle, "Martha and Castle are held hostage". Very specific.

Then I looked at Midsomer Murders. Tonight's description states, "A body is discovered in the cemetery". Aside from all the flip comments that brings to mind, I'm thinking...huh, sounds familiar. In fact, I think many shows have used that line.

Okay, how about Body of Proof on Tuesday -- "A lottery winner is found dead"? Now, I know I've seen that one...but which show was it on? Could this be the dreaded repeat?

This is the best one, for Republic of Doyle -- "Jake must investigate". Uh, I think that's what the entire series is about, isn't it? The same can be said for The Closer this week -- "The LAPD and the FBI investigate a case". As if that's not happened before!

I shouldn't pick on these examples. Actually, now that I think of it, I used to write the one-liners for our local newspaper as part of a summer reporting job in high school. I hope I was more creative...but somehow, I doubt it. That gives me something to aspire to these days -- short, catchy descriptions.

Like for this blog -- News, reviews and schmooze by and about Canadian mystery writers. I think that works!

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

CRIME ON MY MIND

Loss of a dedicated reader.

Yesterday, I heard about the death of a long-time former customer at Prime Crime Books, Malcolm Campbell. He was the kind of person every writer should know.

He would, on a regular basis, phone and reserve an upcoming release (usually hardcover) that he had read about. And when the pile of ordered books accumulated to about four or five, he'd scoot in and buy them. But not until he'd perused the shelves and added several more titles to that pile. He always used to say he shouldn't be looking for more. But he was hooked!

And he'd usually say he was in a hurry but then stick around and talk mysteries. He knew his authors and liked to talk about their books. But more than that, he was a real people person. He liked to schmooze.

He always asked for a signed copy of the local authors, too. You may not have known him but he certainly knew about you!

The person who let me know about his death is also an avid reader, although that's on the weak side for a description. Elaine Naiman always showed up at any launch that Prime Crime was holding...and she continues to do that, supporting the local authors with a passion. She attends the conferences and knows her mysteries inside out.

I haven't seen Malcolm in two years but I feel saddened knowing there's no chance we'll once again get to discuss a mystery. Mystery writers owe so much to these dedicated readers...and there are so many of them. They are what keep the publishing world afloat and the writers happily creating new stories.

So here's a salute to Malcolm Campbell...to Elaine and to all who eagerly await an author's next book or are keen to explore new writing territory with a first time writer. We're all in this together!

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

LADIES' KILLING THURSDAYS

Where have all the critics gone?

I've been reading a lot of reviews of new mystery novels lately and they have been exceedingly complimentary, every one. I'm delighted because these happen to be very fine novels written by my good friends. But I have to admit that a small part of me would like to read a really nasty review once in a while. Cutting critiques are hard to find. Even the Times Literary Supplement and the New York Review of Books seem to steer clear of the really eviscerating remarks. These belong to a by-gone era and I have to say I miss them.

We were at the National Arts Centre last week and I was taken aback to read the following notes on the evening's performance of Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op 35.

"The Russian composer Tchaikovsky is surely not an ordinary talent, but rather an inflated one, with a genius-obsession without discrimination or taste. Such is also his long and pretentious Violin Concerto. For a while it moves soberly, musically and not without spirit. But soon vulgarity gains the upper hand and asserts itself to the end of the first movement. The violin is no longer played; it is pulled, torn, drubbed." And on and on it goes. It wasn't clear until the end of the notes that this was not a current review but rather one from the first performance of the piece in 1881. Once in on the joke, the NAC audience members could be seen turning to their neighbours to share the review and to laugh at how we'd all been briefly duped. I wondered, though, if they, like me, had a moment of missing the days when a review like this one was de rigueur.

Where are the modern-day Dorothy Parkers? Who today would ever dream of writing the following about a book, as did she, "This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force." Or "It is that word ‘hummy,’ my darlings, that marks the first place in The House at Pooh Corner at which Tonstant Weader Fwowed up.”

Even restaurant reviews have calmed down since Seymour Britchky's days writing for New York Magazine. Britchky said of one famous Manhattan eatery: "The wines are overpriced and anyway, the proper drink for the food here is Alka-Selzer."
And of Mamma Leone's, "So when you sit down, you are brought celery, olives, tomatoes, and a block of soap the size of half a loaf of Wonder bread, and you cut off a hunk and go to the washroom to wash before dinner, and a few old hands restrain you good-naturedly and say no, no, that's cheese, for to eat, no soap. And you say no, no, it's soap, I can tell from the taste. And they say oh no you can't, because it doesn't have any taste! And everyone has a good laugh."

I miss Dorothy and Seymour. Maybe I'll just have to tune into the Parliamentary Channel to get my daily dose of insults. Ack!


Sue Pike has published a couple of dozen stories and won several awards including an Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Crime Story. Her latest, Where the Snow Lay Dinted appeared in the January issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Sue and her husband and an opinionated Australian Shepherd named Cooper spend the winter months in Ottawa and the rest of the time at a mysterious cottage on the Rideau Lakes.