Sleuth
Gail Bowen on Writing Mysteries
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
“Masterful.” Barbara Fradkin, two-time winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel
“Gail Bowen’s Sleuth is a marvelous guide to the art of writing mysteries, told with verve, humour and elegance, and with a rare insight into the value of creating stories that explore the darkest parts of human nature.” Ausma Zehanat Khan, author of The Unquiet Dead
“This is one of the best ‘how-to’ books I’ve read. Utterly entertaining and personable, Gail Bowen also has some very solid tips for writers. I got re-inspired. New writers have a wonderful guide.” Maureen Jennings, author of the Murdoch Mystery series
“In her primer Sleuth, Gail Bowen has taken the mystery out of writing mysteries, and in her insightful and humorous and compendious way (she cleverly cites Elmore Leonard, Richard Price and others) Gail actually describes the building blocks that form the basis of any novel, mystery or not.” Ian Hamilton, author of the Ava Lee novels
“Intimate and informative, Bowen’s Sleuth is destined to become a staple in every writer’s tool box [….] an instant classic.” Robert Rotenberg, author of Heart of the City
“Psst! Want to write a wildly successful mystery novel? Buy and read Gail Bowen’s Sleuth.” Alan Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of the Flavia de Luce series
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bowen's slim, useful guide expertly takes writers through the craft of writing mystery fiction. She is the author of 17 novels in the Joanne Kilbourn series (including A Colder Kind of Death, which won an Arthur Ellis Award), and her three decades of experience make her an insightful mentor. Drawing on her own work as well as novels by Raymond Chandler, Gillian Flynn, and Rex Stout, Bowen discusses the importance of research, elements of plot and characterization, and the extra work that goes into creating a series. What makes this guide rise above similar ones is Bowen's appealing personality. For every note of solid instruction, there's a memorable aside: "A fly in the soup doesn't spoil the soup, but it does spoil the experience. Don't spoil your reader's experience. Don't stint on the research." She takes pains to stress that there is no magic spell to creating a great mystery; it's a process that she follows for every single book but remains fascinated by. "I've had 5,580 pages in which to discover my protagonist," she writes. "I still think I don't really know her." Writers will benefit from her advice if they are willing to put their shoulders into the effort she describes.
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