  Mystery
This week: Edited by: MaryLou  
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| Mystery stories are so popular because they fulfill one of humans' deepest instincts - the need to explore, to question, to find out. Humans are incessantly searching for answers to life's greatest mysteries. Since those mysteries are so difficult to unravel, we can find comfort in reading and writing mystery novels and short stories. Thus, our need to discover is satisfied...until the hunger strikes again. |
| ASIN: B085272J6B |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 9.99
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Writing the Denouement
I've read many mystery novels in which the writer left out the denouement, but, in my opinion, a mystery without one is seriously lacking. Admittedly, I grew up reading Hercule Poirot, in which he always demanded to gather up all the suspects so he could demonstrate his brilliance in deducing the meaning of all the perplexing clues and fingering the murderer.
Poirot's motive for such demonstrations may have been egotistical, but there's no doubt he had a flair for the dramatic. And stories without the classic denouement leave me feeling cheated.
Tips on writing denouements
1) Include all the major characters/suspects
2) Make sure that the physical surroundings of the meeting place are inducive to comfort. Put the suspects at ease and the murderer will more
likely act irrationally when he or she is accused.
3) Have the protagonist/detective start his or her narrative at the beginning and work to the end, explaining all the confusing details along the way.
4) Point out the motives each suspect had for doing away with the victim. It's always a good idea to have at least two or three other people who gained something from the removal of the victim.
5) Don't let your protagonist/detective do all the talking. In general, it is his or her narrative, but inserting an occasional question or comment from someone else will keep the reader aware that others are there also. It's also good to mention their reactions to the elucidation of the mystery.
If you'd like to test your denouement-writing skills, check out my contest! 
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See ya next month,
MaryLou
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Editor's Picks
Here's a few items for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy and don't forget to rate and review! 
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Feedback
billwilcox: Mary, It would seem to me that a good mystery should be structured much like a horror story--where the story should keep building until the final scene--the show down between good and evil...
I absolutely agree, Bill.
Mini Mystery
1000 GPs for your correct answer.
A Theft At The Art Museum
from Great Book of Whodunit Puzzles
The theft of several valuable paintings from the Royston Art Museum created a sensation througout New England. Two days after Stanwick's return from a visit to Scotland, he was visited by Inspector Matt Walker, who was in charge of the case. As Stanwick poured tea, Walker quickly brought his friend up to date on the case.
"We've identified the gang of five thieves who must have done this job," Walker reported. "Archie McOrr, who never finished high school, is married to another of the five, Charlayne Trumbull. The other three are Beverly Cuttle, Ed Browning, and Douglas Stephens."
"I thought you told me earlier that only four people were involved in the robbery," said Stanwick.
"That's right. One stayed in the car as the driver, another waited outside as lookout, and two others entered the museum and carried out the actual theft. One of the five gang members was not involved in this particular job at all."
"And the question, I hope," said Stanwick with a smile, "is who played what part, if any, in the theft."
"Exactly." Walker flipped open his notebook. "Though I'm glad to say that our investigation is already bearing some fruit. For example, we have good reason to believe that the lookout has a Ph.D in art history, and that the driver was first arrested less than two years ago."
"A remarkable combination," Stanwick chuckled.
"Yes, indeed. One of the actual thieves (who entered the museum) is the sister of Ed Browning. The other thief is either Archie or his wife."
"What else do you have on Douglas?"
"Not much. Although he's never learned to drive, he used to be a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York."
"Interesting. Please go on."
"The rest is mainly odds and ends." Walker thumbed through a few more pages of notes. "Charlayne, an only child, is very talented on the saxophone. Beverly and Ed both have criminal records stretching back a decade or more. We've also learned that the driver has a brother who is not a member of the gang."
"Most interesting indeed," remarked Stanwick. He handed Walker a mug of tea and sat down with his own. "Your investigation has made excellent progress. So much, in fact, that you already have enough to tell who the thieves, the lookout, and the driver are."
Who are they?
Answers to the last mini-mystery:
Waltz Invictus  : Mini-mystery: Stanwick was tipped off by the letter of introduction and trapped "Lanchester" with his question about waiting until summer - as February in New England is high summer in Porte Alegre. "No, sir, I'm ready to start now" betrayed the visitor.
wildbill : Brazil's summer IS in our winter, therefore if he really knew anything of Brazil and had just returned from there his answer to the question of waiting for summer would have been different.
haroldh: February is summer in Brazil. Obviously Lanchester was never there. The mountebank. Harold
karabu: I'm taking a stab at the Mini-mystery. I believe that in southern Brazil (as it's in the southern hemisphere) it would already be summertime in Febuary. Mr. Stanwick didn't believe Mr. Lanchester because he didn't know this?
drifter46: If the man were telling the truth he'd know it was summer in Brazil. It was February in New England therefore summer in the southern hemishpere
ncblondie : I'll give it a try. If Mr. Lanchester had truly been in southern Brazil, then he would have been aware that it was currently summer there. When you cross the equator, the seasons reverse.
Chewie Kittie : LOL He tricked him with the summer question. In the southern hemisphere it IS summer in February. If he had truly just come up from there, he would have known that. Or if, indeed he was a native Australian. Good one! /ChewieKittie |
| ASIN: B01DSJSURY |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 5.99
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Mystery: January 04, 2006 Issue [#807]
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