It’s the Maze.
A horrible crime occurs. Murder most foul. The police are stumped, and it looks like the
criminal will get away with it. Then
along comes an amateur detective who follows a set of clues, and with supreme
logic, solves the mystery. Justice is
served.
I want to say I write mysteries and
suspense because of a deep-seeded need to see justice done in the world. I really want to say that. But it’s not true.
I love to read and write mysteries because
they are clever. They invite me to use
my brain. Who is the killer? Can I come to the same conclusion as the
detective, at the same time, following the same trail of clues?
Traditional mystery novels are like a chess
game. In writing the novel A Purse to
Die For, I discovered that mysteries must be plotted carefully,
strategically. It is a convention of
mystery writing that the reader receives the information at the same time as
the detective. Anything else is
considered cheating. Clues must lead to the solving of the crime. The reader must be able to go back and see
the trail, once he/she has finished reading the ending. But the ending can’t be too obvious – that’s
no fun. So it’s the clever mix of laying
several trails like those of a maze that intrigues me as both a writer and
reader. The trick: only one leads to the
fateful conclusion.
A good mystery with a bang-up ending –
logical, but original – gives me a kick like no other book. I marvel at the cleverness of the
author. In short mystery fiction, I
devour that twist at the end. In my own fiction,
you can count on an unexpected ending.
I love the wonderful delight that comes
from stumping the reader…in making them say “Ah! Didn’t see that coming.” I’ve given them a challenge, and hopefully at
the end, a smile. There is no greater
high.
Melodie Campbell is the author of 40 short
stories and eight novels, including the classic Agatha Christie-style mystery A
Purse to Die For, co-authored with Cynthia St-Pierre. She has won 9 awards for short fiction, including the 2014 Derringer and the Arthur Ellis Awards.
A PURSE TO DIE FOR Now on sale for 99c!!
The victim wore haute couture…
When fashionista and television celeb Gina Monroe goes home to attend
the funeral of her late grandmother, the last thing she expects to encounter is
murder. Who is the dead woman in the
woods behind the family home? And why is
she dressed in Milano designer clothes?
“Fast, funny, furious. A great read and proof once again that Canadian
crimewriters are among the best in the world.”
Janet Kellough, author of Sowing
Poison
Ebook and paperback available on Amazon.com,
Amazon.ca, Amazon.uk and European Amazon sites.
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