Whodunit?

wilkie collins 'the woman in white' & your comments

COMMENT (after lavin's presentation at college club)

'I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your presentation and humor at the October College Club meeting. I loved your comment about experimenting with items found in the newspaper and incorporating them into your text. Clever! I wouldn't have picked up on the example you used,  had you not mentioned it.' (m.a.c.)   note by audrey: i'll be glad to give a program at your club or institution, too.

 

TELEVISION INTERVIEW:

On Track with Betty Mac, starring interview with Audrey Lavin  will air Monday, November 26 through Sunday, December 3 – Channel 15 – 8 am, 12:30 pm, 8 pm and 12:30 am.

 

WRITING TIP (from internet):

Try writing without character names.This is a well-guarded professional secret used by hundreds of pros. When you write your characters, don't write who's saying what (you can add it later). This way, you are sure to make each character speak in different voices just to keep it straight in your own mind as you write. It forces you to make each character unique.

 

BOOK:

'The Woman in White' by Wilkie Collins continues to be the whodunit i am currently reading. hey, it's 617 pages. but i am making progress with only 200 pages to go. preparations for thanksgiving might interfere with my finishing it in the next few days. we'll see. first published in 1860 the novel has never been out of print. it is dated however. time and again we readers are reminded of what a telephone would do to move the plot along, or, perhaps, destroy it. certainly the long trips by foot or train to verify a fact would not be necessary. it is pleasant, though, to read of local landscapes and towns in the mid-nineteenth century. manners, too, add interest. it is what one professor of mine called 'the anthropology of literature' to learn that ladies and gentlemen shook hands each morning on meeting again, even when visiting in the same household.

one comment that i can safely make now with the climax in sight is that the two main women, half sisters, actually form a whole. our heroine laura never seems to be a whole person by herself. this is not merely my opinion. in fact, during much of the book when she is ill, she is portrayed as not being a whole person. we need her half, rather masculine sister, to make a whole person of her.

 

more of this novel later, and a happy thanksgiving to all. remember the titanic. eat your pumpkin pie with plenty of whipped cream, and eat it first.

akron art, grabenstein's fun, and more on 'the little magazine'

ART NEWS:

 

El Anatsui's exhibit is a must. we all are at the same mental eye-roll level when we receive brochures that again tell us we'll be 'awed' by 'monumentally fantastic' works by one artist or another, so i really didn't know what to expect from the el anatsui exhibit now at the akron art museum. result: joy unbounded.

 

 a small group of us met at the museum and couldn't help laughing with delight, literally jumping up and down with each new discovery of yet another wonderful room of hangings or similar objects.

 

the outstanding exhibit opened first at the akron museum because the akron art museum was the first museum in north america to buy an el anatsui work. this has to be due to the museums' outstanding director dr. mitchell kahan.

 

Dr. Mitchell Kahan has been director of the akron art museum for 26 years of growth and the movement of the museum to the national scene. his resignation is a loss to all of us.

 

BOOKS:

 

Fun House by chris grabenstein is a fun read--for most of the book. it is light, full of puns and knowingly-bad jokes. it is a take-off on the jersey shore t.v. series that i've never seen, but can't help reading about. even the pair of detectives, or new jersey cops (john ceepak and danny boyle) have well defined characteristics and play off each other pretty well. but all murder mysteries have to end; motivations have to be provided and really? killing two people -- stop reading! spoiler --to raise your ratings?

 

although this isn't as thumbs-down as finding out that the two people who didn't really fit in are the bad guys. as a writer, i try to think of why they didn't fit in. i think too much space was given to descriptions of them, making this reader notice them more than i normally would.

 

most readers will get a laugh out of this 289-page novel and want to read the rest of the series. it is published by pegasus crime. the price is $25.

 

MAGAZINE PROGRESS:

i am discussing title graphics for the little magazine on the blog with betterbuilt.com.

writer c.t. says, 'I really enjoyed little magazine on the blog. You have started a new trend.'

and writer m. l.

says, 'Fred's piece--terrific.  A thumbs-up response--again, great idea.'

please send your submissions to lavingroup@aol.com

stuart woods and richard castle: whodunit? and whowrote it?

i'll start today's blog with another of my favorite poems. this one is by dorothy parker.

 

The Lives and Times of John Keats,
Percy Bysshe Shelley, and
George Gordon Noel, Lord Byron

Byron and Shelley and Keats
Were a trio of Lyrical treats.
The forehead of Shelley was cluttered with curls,
And Keats never was a descendant of earls,
And Byron walked out with a number of girls,
But it didn't impair the poetical feats
Of Byron and Shelley,
Of Byron and Shelley,
Of Byron and Shelley and Keats.

 

this introduction serves to lift my spirits when i know i'll be writing about two unfavorite novels: stuart woods' kisser and richard castle's heat wave.

 

i should not have picked up kisser at the library. a fair warning was on the cover,

'a stone barrington novel.' i can not ever tell if i've previously read the novel in question  or not. these are comic books without pictures. stone is an extremely unappealing detective. he meets people at elaine's. elaine always comes over to his table to chat. seemingly she doesn't have anything else to do at her restaurant. beautiful girls throw themselves at stone or he picks them up simply by saying 'hello.' some girls are detectives, some are lawyers, actresses etc. they all work in this post-feminist society, but mainly they can't wait to unzip stone's pants. no person, adventure, issue, or sexual exchange of fluids seems real--or surreal enough to be interesting. this is something like his 40th novel; some readers must really like him.

 

strangely enough, the author's note 289-291 has a certain charm. too bad woods couldn't exert that charm in the other 288 pages. g. p. putnam's sons is the publisher.

 

i must be the squarest person on the planet. i had no idea that richard castle is a fictional character in a t.v. show. this article from the blogs at l.a. weekly explains it, i think: There have been plenty of book tie-ins for cult favorite television series' over the years, from Twin Peaks' Secret Diary of Laura Palmer to Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes, etc. Even Californication's Hank Moody recently had his career-making novel God Hates Us All released for real-life rabid reader consumption. Few screen-to-page tie-ins have been released with such expert meta execution, however, as Heat Wave, currently still negotiating the New York Times best-seller list despite its actual author remaining a mystery; ostensibly, it was written by Richard Castle, the mystery novelist portrayed by Nathan Fillion on ABC's sophomore drama Castle. To its credit, the network has been smart enough to strike while the iron is hot, sending the endlessly charismatic Fillion (who commanded a massive fanbase even before the show hit the air, thanks to his starring role in Joss Whedon's Firefly ) out to promote the book as Richard Castle. How meta can this promotion get?!

 

if richard castle did not write heat wave and nathan fillion didn't, who did? who put nicki heat, tough girl detective, along side of jameson rook. pulitzer prize author as a crime solving duo?  this is a pretty transparent plot that starts with a multi-millionaire (deeply in debt) getting thrown from the balcony of his apartment. though he is in debt, his apartment is full of 1. a gorgeous wife and child and 2. millions of dollars worth of modern art works.

 

i'll try to remember to watch the t.v. program though i don't even know what a sophomore drama (in blog above)means: is it full of sophomore angst? is it in the second year? or what?

 

i really like the idea of the fictional character, complete with a fictional bio, writing a novel. i just wish he had written a better one. he could. one terrific paragraph on making a margarita (really!) stands out.

the book is 196 pages and published by hyperion.

literary news and three whodunits

 

three new comments sent to me are worth repeating for all to read:

1. from chicago: didn't know there was a montalban tv series. cool  (i add, even if it's in italian! it will eventually be in english.)

  

2.  from chile: I'm in Chile and have my own mystery. Perhaps well see each other at the Akron Writers club in the future. bill p. (last time i saw bill was at a book fair where he was kind enough to buy a novel from me!)

  

3. from peggy b. of the canton poetry society: W. S. Merwin has been named as the new poet laureate of the United States.  The following link takes you to the story and a short clip of him reading his work.  I can’t think of anyone who has won more huge awards than he, so this honor is probably overdue.  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2010/10/wednesday-on-the-newshour-ws-merwin.html

Here’s a short prose poem to think about, by Merwin, of course.

 Language   by W. S. Merwin

Certain words now in our knowledge we will not use again, and we will never forget them. We need them. Like the back of the picture. Like our marrow, and the color in our veins. We shine the lantern of our sleep on them, to make sure, and there they are, trembling already for the day of witness. They will be buried with us, and rise with the rest.

Also, here is a link to info on the new movie, HOWL about Allan Ginsberg’s book and life.  Sounds like something we must see!!!http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/2189

i conclude  with some words about the three mysteries i've read in the past week.  all three are parts of series, leading me to the conclusion that writers ought to stop their series, say, on book six. still victoria thompson with her gaslight mystery series and janet evanovich  with her stephanie plum series must be making a ton of money.  i even doubt if they'll completely lose me as a reader; i'll always have some curiosity as to what these prolific authors can come up with next.

a number of years ago, when i first read janet evanovich, i really did laugh out loud. the characters were drawn so large. the situations they found themselves in so outrageous that they filed me with delight. the characters in sizzling sixteen are still drawn large, but they are the same characters. the situations are still outrageous, but, after all, if we've been taught to look down on bondsman vinnie for fifteen books, why would we care if he's kidnapped in #sixteen? if stephanie can't make up her mind between morelli and ranger, why wouldn't ranger, who is getting the worst of the deal, cut out for greener pastures after all of these novels and smashed cars? and what reader is interested in lula (whose cup size continues to runneth over) and her intellectual conversion. this is not a book for political correctness. sizzling sixteen is a quick read at 309 pages. it is published by st. martin's press.

then i read victoria thompson's murder on bank street and murder on waverly place. in bank street, the reader and widowed mid-wife sarah brandt find out what happened to sarah's husband dr. tom. we knew he was a good guy all along. this novel proves it. he is not the bad 'doctor' referred to as a villain. the story line is weak, except for the last few pages of denouement. then thompson does give us a neat twist. the book is 324 pages and published by berkley prime crime.

 murder on waverly place is a stronger story, though a murder at a seance has been don before. but, hey, if you can do it better, give it a try. the reader might think that now that the shadow of tom brandt has lifted, sarah and her co-sleuth detective frank malloy would get together, but no, we're going to see this strung out as long as possible. some of the minor characters do gather steam in the two books referred to here. sarahs' mother who was previously somewhat demonized as a 'socialite'  shows bravery and inner strength. maeve, her helper from the orphanage, is somewhat of a detective herself, all to the good. the book is 294 pages and also published by berkley prime crime.

  

 

writers' resources, literary news, and two whodunits

i came across seven interesting writers' resources in following the path from a recent duotrope mailing to penguin books. i've checked them and they seem reliable. you'll find writing and publishing tips, as well as some information (thesaurus.com, for ex.) for the general reader. please let me know what you think.

1. Authorlink

Writers resource and rights marketplace

Website: http://www.authorlink.com

2. Booktrust

Provides listings, factsheets on publishing and getting published, plus book news

Website: http://www.booktrust.org.uk

3. Handbook of Rhetorical Devices

Guidelines for and examples of rhetorical devices

Website: http://www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htm

4. Mslexia

The magazine for women who write. Advice and inspiration; news, reviews, interviews; competitions and grants

Website: http://www.mslexia.co.uk

5. Thesaurus.com

Online thesaurus

Website: http://www.thesaurus.com/

6. The Writers' Advice Centre for Children's Books

Founded in 1994, The Writers' Advice Centre for Children's Book is the only manuscript agency in the United Kingdom specialising solely in children's publishing.

The Writers' Advice Centre for Children's Books
16 Smiths Yard
London SW18 4HR
Tel: 0797 9905353

Email: info@writersadvice.co.uk

Website: http://www.writersadvice.co.uk

7. XRefer
Reference search engine

Website: http://www.xrefer.com

then a few comments from the london times 'saturday review' sent to this blog by our scotch correspondent alastair s.

bbc has produced a new three episode sherlock holmes program (would that be 'programme' if i'm talking british?). it gets rave reviews, the only complaint being that it is limited to three parts to its 'fleet, flashing run.' you'd think it would be impossible to have a new and better interpretation of conan doyle's stories, but obviously not. we can only hope some enterprising u.s. station buys the t.v. broadcasts.

also, a new biography has been published about photographer edweard muybridge, the man who gave us the stop frame photographs showing man and animals in action, the precursor to motion pictures.  it turns out that muybridge was also a murderer; he shot and killed his wife's lover. who would have guessed after all of these years of seeing in museums his photos of horses running, men leaping, etc.

now to fictional murders. sorry, i could not read Delicious and Suspicious (A Memphis BBQ Mystery), though i thank the reader who sent it to me. the author is riley adams. 'includes recipes!' is the bribe offered to potential readers on the back cover. if the title hadn't kept me away, that would have. i did read enough to find out the story starts in a bar-b-q restaurant in memphis, tenn. including the recipes, the novel is 277 pages and published by berkely prime crime.

i did read Grace Under Pressure (Manor House Mysteries, No. 1) by julie hyzy. grace, of course, wheaton is our girl detective. the love interest is the landscape architect. the older mentor is bennett marshfield, the owner of marshfield manor where grace works and where the murder occurs. we have two secret staircases (hey, i have one in Eloquent Corpse: A Murder Mystery), a group of suspects, and all of the expected accoutrements of the beginning of yet another series. julie hyzy can write and put together a plot. i wouldn't be surprised if she comes up with something less predictable.

berkley prime crime is also the publisher of this 310-page book.

 

 

 

two whodunit? series: centuries apart? i don't think so

Stalking Susan by julie kramer and Murder on Mulberry Bend (Gaslight Mystery), by virginia thompson continue the stories of their authors' heroines.

have the authors' improved their styles? was i in a better mood reading these two murder mysteries than i was when reading previous books in the series? maybe i just had a couple of good nights' sleep. both books are better than their predecessors. conversations are more natural. virginia thompson turns out to be really witty.

added later: there's a problem with above analysis. Stalking Susan is julie kramer's first book. i read it after another she's written, so there is no progression here.

kramer places her heroine, riley spartz, in a contemporary minneapolis (well, someplace in minnesota) tv newsroom, fighting for every headline, every inch of space. thompson's heroine sarah brandt is a mid-wife in turn of the century new york. both women have smoldering, helpful men in attendance. as i remember. both of the women have husbands who died in the recent past so are tentative about new relationships, though always moving closer. the two women, themselves are assertive, if not downright aggressive. they work in fields where they are not always made to feel welcome. they travel into dangerous areas of town. they meet dangerous people. they put their lives on the line and solve crimes.

kramer and thomas have worked hard to give verisimilitude to their ambiances, kramer from her own experiences in tv-land, thompson, i assume, from research. both are successful. kramer rushes headlong into a rather dumb ending, but what is one to do? i still highly recommend stalking susan and murder on mulberry bend.

some statistics: Stalking Susan, published by anchor books, is 387 pages plus two chapters of kramer's next book. i hate that. does anyone rush out and buy a book based on those two chapters. if i'm going to read another book by kramer or anyone else, i'll base it on what i've just finished reading or on an interesting review such as one you find on the whodunit? blog.

Murder on Mulberry Bend (Gaslight Mystery), published by berkley prime crime is 346 pages. at least neither of them end with questions for reading group discussions.

audrey's news, how to write, wallander, & louise penny's 'the brutal telling'

i've recently had a short piece accepted for on-line publication by onepagestories.com. editor Christy Shick tells me that it will be in the summer edition for this year, so keep checking the web site. the story, 'a japanese shaggy dog story' humorously (one hopes) discusses a unique english as a second language text book that i came across during one of my visits to japan. i'll let you know when the journal is posted.

those of you who follow the swedish detective wallander will be happy to hear that krister henriksson is now portraying the weary detective on t.v. and, in reports i've read, does a better job than the previous wallander, keneth branagh.

louise penny's The Brutal Telling: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel is another chief inspector gamache novel. writers beware. look what ms. penny has done. she has painted herself into a corner. she has invented three pines, the most charming of villages since brigadoon. maybe three pines is more like garrison keilor's lake woebegone because it is up there in canada permanently and it is a town that time forgot.

in the previous four inspector gamache novels, we have learned to know and love the eccentric inhabitants of three pines, who are routinely disturbed by murders. they are well drawn characters and we have well formed opinions of them. that is the problem. in this novel ms. penny has to overturn our opinion of the beloved bistro owner olivier to make him a viable suspect and more, not a very nice guy. she has done such a solid job in her other novels that i do not think she pulls the olivier we never knew off in this one. her invented three pines gives her too small an area in which to roam. one of the earlier novels takes place in a nearby resort. the next one should be in a new development called upper three pines--or something like that!

the book is 372 pages and published by minotaur books, n.y.

comments, cornwell, and scottoline

e-mail comments are still coming in from my curious george and machu picchu call to readers. i can't post all of them, but have tried to divide them into representative categories for all to enjoy--and ponder. what does it mean, for example, that the questers, those searching for mysterious lost cities, tend to be male and to write long, thoughtful comments? i'll post some of those reviews next blog.

but some of the shorter comments are great, too. in response to my trying to make a connection between curious george and machu picchu, jess. b. of north canton sent back a return e-mail:  'Curious George and the man in the yellow hat go to Peru?' love it. thanks.

m.l. from chicago says, 'Great on Curious George!  And thanks for the thumbs down on the Laura L novel--didn't look that appealing, will skip it now .'

some went back to older blogs: 'I AM BUYING THE BOOK CALLED Nine Dragons (Harry Bosch) FOR MY GRANDDAUGHTER WHO GOES TO KENYON COLLEGE.' even if she's not interested in hong kong, it's a good read.

and another reader who scrolled back, 'I know, Audrey, you are thinking that I am trying to one-up Nelson Demille.  Have I?' i assume this reader means by being wordy (after a long e-mail) but maybe she means being a sympathetic main character. either way. it's always a pleasure to hear from j.c.

some people took the opportunity for general literary criticism. 'I want poetry that I don't have to run to the dictionary for every third word but that means more than the words it took to write it.' says r.s. from zoar and there are many who would agree with him.

i'll close with some of my own comments -- i don't watch t.v. crime shows. however, i do find it interesting that a novel by patricia cornwall was going to be made into a t.v. show for the first time. i think all of that blood and gore would be difficult to transfer to what-used-to-be-called the small screen.

more about lisa scottoline's Look Again next blog