When people are lazy
i read
alot
most anything
trash, popular lit, weird non-fiction stories, etc...
but my true love is the mystery
even if i figure it out by the third chapter
i adore the mystery genre
over the past few years mystery series have moved past the old english lady detective, the hard-boiled pi, and the pesky teen sleuth...
the sub genres have become...well... bizarre
i think the best way to describe it to you, dear readers, is to illustrate the latest trends in mystery series:
1) The caterer turned unintentional mystery solver
Yes. you read right. Caterers are hot in the mystery market.
Despite in real life, most of us would avoid hiring someone to cook at an event who is associated with so many dead bodies.
The cateres come from all parts of the country,
I'v read about them in Colorado, Kansas City, Virginia...
What sets these books apart are their cutsey titles
ex: Killer Wedding
The Cereal Murders (from my favorite of the CULINARY genre)
Killer Pancake
Fudge Cupcake Murder
and the always popular
Death By Chocolate
Finally...these mysteries offer tasty sumptious recipes along with the dead bodies and crimes against nature...
2) Pets who solve mysteries
Cats are really popular detective characters
I also find that these books suck
Just an opinion.
There are too many to list
But here are the two most popular
and by most popular i mean that i read them
The Midnite Louie ones are ok...but as I said before scukage
3)Real life dead people solving mysteries.
This is just...odd
Odder than the caterer mysteries.
I bet you didn't know that Jane Austen was the Nancy Drew of her times
Yeah, well I bet she didn't know either
3) Literary characters
Sherlock Holmes is busy lately
and so are the minor characters from his books.
These series aren't too bad...but they do take lisence alot.
I like the Mary Russell ones
The real problem with these series, and most normal mystery series, hell any books that have a recurring character, is that they become redundant. Boring. You read them out of habit (I'm looking at you Cornwell, Patterson and George) Yet, the readers are harsh mistresses and when the authors try to deviate from the standard set-up they often face harsh criticism.(See Martha Grimes and her Paradise Hotel Series)
But I blame the publishing world for taking truly creative ideals and forcing sub-standard crap on us, while ignoring and not promoting truly good pieces of fiction.
alot
most anything
trash, popular lit, weird non-fiction stories, etc...
but my true love is the mystery
even if i figure it out by the third chapter
i adore the mystery genre
over the past few years mystery series have moved past the old english lady detective, the hard-boiled pi, and the pesky teen sleuth...
the sub genres have become...well... bizarre
i think the best way to describe it to you, dear readers, is to illustrate the latest trends in mystery series:
1) The caterer turned unintentional mystery solver
Yes. you read right. Caterers are hot in the mystery market.
Despite in real life, most of us would avoid hiring someone to cook at an event who is associated with so many dead bodies.
The cateres come from all parts of the country,
I'v read about them in Colorado, Kansas City, Virginia...
What sets these books apart are their cutsey titles
ex: Killer Wedding
The Cereal Murders (from my favorite of the CULINARY genre)
Killer Pancake
Fudge Cupcake Murder
and the always popular
Death By Chocolate
Finally...these mysteries offer tasty sumptious recipes along with the dead bodies and crimes against nature...
2) Pets who solve mysteries
Cats are really popular detective characters
I also find that these books suck
Just an opinion.
There are too many to list
But here are the two most popular
and by most popular i mean that i read them
The Midnite Louie ones are ok...but as I said before scukage
3)Real life dead people solving mysteries.
This is just...odd
Odder than the caterer mysteries.
I bet you didn't know that Jane Austen was the Nancy Drew of her times
Yeah, well I bet she didn't know either
3) Literary characters
Sherlock Holmes is busy lately
and so are the minor characters from his books.
These series aren't too bad...but they do take lisence alot.
I like the Mary Russell ones
The real problem with these series, and most normal mystery series, hell any books that have a recurring character, is that they become redundant. Boring. You read them out of habit (I'm looking at you Cornwell, Patterson and George) Yet, the readers are harsh mistresses and when the authors try to deviate from the standard set-up they often face harsh criticism.(See Martha Grimes and her Paradise Hotel Series)
But I blame the publishing world for taking truly creative ideals and forcing sub-standard crap on us, while ignoring and not promoting truly good pieces of fiction.
posted by Shannon @ 11/02/2005
4 Comments:
At 12:52 PM,
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
At 6:05 PM,
Anonymous said…
Obviously you need to start solving crimes and then write your memoires.
It'll be all gritty and realistic: brilliant insights into the killer's psyche made during hot wing binges, murder investigations interspersed with trips to the store to buy cat litter and wine, sleuthing around the city with your trusty sidekick, McKitty, in his patented Sherlock Holmes kitty cap (you'll have to market this one if it doesn't already exist), and not to mention the harrowing ordeals of getting a stay of execution from the governor for that man you just confirmed was innocent all while getting that last grant in before deadline!!!
It's elementary, really.
At 10:42 AM,
Shannon said…
um...you forgot the illicit sex with the suspect, the sex with the cop investigating, sex with the attorney, sex with the bag boy at the local grocers....and drinking tea
At 3:10 PM,
Anonymous said…
I've been reading a mystery series with queen elizabeth the first as the "lead investigator"... it's not award winning material, but it keeps my interest. the author is karen harper & the first book in the series is "the pyson garden"
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