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Fall, 2002
Volume 7, No. 2 It's one of the givens of a murder mystery—the murder. But how many murders should there be? How many bodies does it take to make a good mystery? Our notions on this may differ, but we all agree that a dead body breathes life into a mystery novel.
Valerie Wolzien Pleeeeaaassseee! It is hard enough to think of reasons for my sleuths, Susan Henshaw and Josie Pigeon, to stumble over one body. More than one body per book would strain even my credulity. With that said, I admit that in the course of writing nineteen mysteries, I have more than once done in multiple victims. In fact, there are two murder victims in my first book, Murder at The PTA Luncheon, raising the question of whether one killer or two are at work. Let's face it, two bodies complicate the investigation, add lots of red herrings, and can involve even more characters, which creates more suspects. Two crimes in one book can also accomplish this. In An Anniversary to Die For, Susan's next-door-neighbor Ashley Marks is killed, providing the only body. But Ashley was arrested previously for poisoning her husband. However, he didn't die. She wasn't convicted. And their marriage continued as though nothing untoward had occurred until her body is discovered on the bed where Susan and Jed plan to spend the first night of the thirty-first year of their marriage. The first crime clearly has an impact on the murder investigation. But was Ashley killed by a vengeful husband? By a wayward daughter? Or did someone unknown unsuccessfully attempt to kill Ashley's husband and later, perhaps, succeed in killing her? This is the fun of writing mystery novels. The writer sets up the situation, plays with it, and eventually finds a solution. With one body, two, or more, the result is the same: justice. An Anniversary to Die For is Valerie's latest. The next Josie Pigeon mystery, A Fashionable Murder, will be out in spring 2003. Email Valerie at valerie@wolzien.com.
Jonnie Jacobs Bodies and mysteries go hand in hand. But how many, and how soon should they appear? I see the mystery as a framework for human drama, which is the essence of all storytelling. It's a wonderful vehicle for examining people and relationships in times of stress. What interests me more than grisly homicide details are the underlying motivations, fears, secrets, and defenses of the characters. A single murder provides plenty of fodder—victim, suspects, sleuth and ultimately, killer. Though a second murder can up the ante and confound the investigation, it's important that it be essential to the story and not added simply for the body count. Cold Justice involves three new murders and several older ones. The story required multiple murders; my challenge was making the reader care about each and not think, "ho-hum, another murder." Some of my books began with a murder, some had the murder occur later. The key in either case is making the reader care enough to keep going. Murder Among Strangers starts off with Kate kidnapped and tossed into an automobile trunk with a dead body. In Motion to Dismiss, the murder doesn't take place until several chapters into the story, but there are questions aplenty about the date rape that comes earlier. Asked how long a man's legs should be, Abe Lincoln said, "Long enough to reach the ground." In mysteries, the story should dictate when and where bodies appear. Look for Cold Justice in hardcover and Witness for the Defense, winner of the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice award, in paperback. Jonnie can be reached at jonnie@jonniejacobs.com.
Lee Harris About halfway through many of my books in the Christine Bennett series, I suddenly say to myself: Do I need another body? Most of those books have only one and I'd guess that most of the mysteries I read have more than one. Does the reader need a proliferation of bodies to stick with the book? So what should I do? I suffer from a kind of fear that perhaps one body won't hold the interest of the reader—although it holds mine as both author and reader—and maybe I should rework the story to include another one. Usually, I don't do any reworking. I just have a little talk with myself and keep going with one. Sometimes a body turns up in the past and I connect it to the body in the present. I like doing that sort of thing. But in the first book of the new series I am launching in April 2003, Murder in Hell's Kitchen, there are lots of bodies, all of them dead before the book starts, but only one of them known to the police and all of them relevant to the case. I wouldn't have a story without each and every body. The bottom line is: one body may be enough in one series but several can really make the new series appealing. Lee Harris's current book is The Happy Birthday Murder. The first book in her second series, Murder in Hell's Kitchen featuring Jane Bauer, NYPD detective, will be out in April 2003. Write her at MysMurder@aol.com.
Lora Roberts My mother has a common complaint about my books—not enough bodies. Did I mention that she's rather bloodthirsty? In fact, there's the rub. I'm—well, squeamish. When I know a character's going to take that long walk, I stall. I procrastinate. I polish other parts of the manuscript. Anything to put off causing a death. This is why most of the murder victims in my books are unpleasant people. They have more enemies, and I don't mind bumping them off so much. So the pages of my books aren't strewn with bodies. In my new book (Another Fine Mess), no one dies until well after the first 50 pages, which can be a problem for mystery readers (needless to say, my mother wasn't too happy about it). Although some of my books begin with a body in the first chapter, each book is different and demands a different approach. I know that murder and the attendant body are essential elements in a mystery. The crime is the catalyst that strips away people's masks and uncovers their secrets. Murder reveals the character of the killer as well as that of the victim. It levels rich and poor, man and woman, sane and insane. How many bodies does it take to get to that point? My comfort level says, as few as possible. Another Fine Mess from Perseverence Press features Bridget Montrose, with just a pinch of Liz and Claudia. Lora's email is myslora@pacbell.net.
Lee Harris ~ Jonnie Jacobs ~ Lora Roberts ~ Valerie Wolzien ©2005-06 by Lee Harris, Jonnie Jacobs, Lora Roberts and Valerie Wolzien. |
