Trends in modern mystery fiction is a popular subject and even I look for those trends and try to figure out what is popular and what seems to be hot. If you are looking to break into writing fiction, however, I think that it is important to let that all go. If you are just going to write what everyone else is writing, it seems unlikely that you are really going to make it. Writing, like everything else, is about talent and individuality. Go with what works for you and hope that others are drawn to it as well. Look at Ruth Ware’s books which seem to combine the old with the new. Writers like Louise Penny are still writing popular police procedurals which many critics claim are going under. You have to be true to yourself so keep it real if you are trying to write a novel and if you are just reading try to look beyond just what is popular right now and you might find some hidden gems.

 

Reading right now:

Ruth Ware’s “One by One” pays homage to Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians” to a great extent and it really works. A work retreat to a French ski resort goes terribly wrong when an avalanche cuts them off from the world and one by one the coworkers are being killed off. All of the guests work for a company that makes a popular music app that advertises itself as “Voyeurism for your ears.” The story is told through two characters, Liz and Erin, which makes you think that one of them must be the killer. Like most of Ware’s books it grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until you know everything. The first Ruth Ware book I read was “The Turn of the Key” and just like her latest novel she managed to combine the old with the new (a gothic feel with invasive technology). Her books inspire me to stay up all night.

 


On hold right now:

Recently two Canadian authors added to their popular series. In “The Unlocking Season” Gail Bowen adds her 19th book to the Joanne Kilbourn series. As a writer Joanne has been pulled into helping solve mysteries too often and in this latest novel, she is working on a script for a TV series with a co-author Roy Brodnitz when he is found dead while scouting locations for the series. The second Canadian author is Louise Penny who just added the 16^th book to her Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series called “All the Devils are Here.” After Armand’s billionaire godfather is critically injured, a key is found in his possession. Gamache tries to find what it unlocks only to discover secrets that he wishes he hadn’t uncovered.

Other Mysterious Things:

Unfortunately, “Troubled Blood” by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling) has become a little controversial. In this day and age, it doesn’t take much for that to happen. I have mixed feelings about reviews and critics. I think sometimes that reviewers spend too much time being negative just because it is easier to be hateful than helpful. Critics don’t just tell you about a book or movie to draw you in to see if you might be interested, they often condemn the movie or book and ruin something for you that you might have actually enjoyed. They make you second guess your taste. We are all different and enjoy different types of movies and books. We should be allowed to enjoy what we enjoy and put it aside if we think it is inappropriate or it just doesn’t match our personal taste. Life is way too short to get caught up in unnecessary drama so if something sounds like it is your taste read it or watch it and just enjoy.