Hello fellow readers!

I know it ended weeks ago but I have to say, January was an odd little thing this year, wasn’t it? It felt as if the month was a train racing along one minute and stuck on the tracks the next (and, on a few days, completely off the rails). I’m beyond ready for warmer weather. Lately, all I’ve wanted to do is burrow under my weighted blankets and wait for the sunlight to return. I need those longer spring/summer days so I can stop disappearing into the darkness.

Also, side question, how much weight is too much to be sleeping under? I have two blankets right now that amount to about 35 pounds which creates a lovely cocoon for me to hide in, but I do worry sometimes that I’m slowly flattening my internal organs.

And now, your regularly scheduled links…

Shifts in Publishing and Reading

At Maybe I Overshared, Alex Brown breaks down recent insights on bookstore trends from the CEO of Books-A-Million and it sounds like today’s readers are speedily shifting to everywhere all at once. Old school ideas are no longer the norm. Shout out to Jane Friedman for the note about this article.

Via The New York Times, Elizabeth A. Harris provides an excellent history of the mass market paperback novel amid news that publishers will no longer be focusing on producing the handy little pocket novels. (Paywalled)

Meanwhile, Kelly Jensen of Book Riot reports that 40% of Americans did not read a single book in 2025 and Sam Spratford at Publisher’s Weekly reports Shein is expanding into book selling.

On Cosmopolitan, Annabel Iwegbue asks if “Bookstreaming” can save the literacy crisis.

From Impakter, Anastasiia Barmotina shares how publishers address the carbon footprint of books.

Let’s go to the library

PBS has created a documentary called The Librarians focusing on, well, librarians, politics, and the battle over book restrictions. In related news, Book Riot’s Kelly Jensen explains the impact of the recent Little v. Llano County court case.

Ariane Komyati at Straight Arrow News examines the hidden costs of ebooks, specifically in libraries.

At Mental Floss, Lorna Wallace shares a list of 6 unusual libraries that aren’t home to books.

Reading Fun

Unsure how or why to annotate your books? Cassandra Fushia at Bookstr has answers.

Thriller Thursday and Lauren Nossett roundup a list of what scares thriller writers the most in their writing.

Ever wondered what character you’d be in a traditional English murder mystery? Olivia Rutigliano at Crime Reads has the answer.

At Book Riot, Emily Martin provides a list of new and upcoming mystery books to try on audio.

Carmella Lowkis contemplates family curses in fiction on CrimeReads.

Kirsten Weiss has a great list of hygge mysteries (and an explanation of what hygge is) that are perfect for these cold, dying days of winter.

Reda Rountree is talking about the role of trains in mysteries at Only Murders in the Inbox.

And…the trailer for Spider Noir is out.

Valentine’s Day was last weekend. February’s flying by!

As I looked up links for this article, I did a short dive into weighted blankets and yes, 35 pounds is too much for several reasons. 5 - 12% ish of a person’s body weight is considered a safe amount. I shall have to retire one of my blankets to the bench at the end of the bed and give up my cocoon. How disheartening!

Ah well, I was going to have to put the blankets away soon I suppose. The days are warming up, although you can’t really tell by the amount of snowcrete left in my driveway from the storm at the end of January.

Thanks for reading!

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The links I provide are for reader convenience. Unless I specifically state I endorse a product, service, or opinion, these links should be viewed as being for informational purposes only. Clicking any of the links above will take the reader to an external site. A. Kate Willett and MysteryPlease! is not responsible for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links on the site. Any questions pertaining to an external site and its content should be directed to the administrator of the external site in question.

If any link is found to be broken or unsecure, please notify A. Kate Willett and it will be updated or removed immediately.

TLDR: At the time of publication, all links above are in working order and legitimate. But, considering the Internet is constantly tinkered with by good and bad actors, clicking any of the links above is at your own risk.

Hello fellow readers!

The holidays are here and I’m scrambling like crazy right now to get all of the THINGS done. My Clue Advent Calendar: Secrets Under Snowfall (I love Clue, I love advent calendars, and I love having them both in one fun package) is the only reason I can keep track of the days. In addition to our usual content, I’ve added a list of gift ideas in case you’re still searching for the perfect gift for your book lover. So, let’s just dive on in!

The Links

According to Brittney Melton at NPR, there’s a book vending machine in DC.

Maureen Lee Lenker explores Red herrings, skateboards, and Carrie Fisher: An oral history of mystery classic Clue over at Entertainment Weekly. Very interesting behind the scenes of the movie.

The Official Agatha Christie website offers both a decadent Yule Log recipe for the holidays and an interesting tidbit about the origins of Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (you’ll find it in the Did You Know…? section of the page).

Adam Thomas of Murder At The Manse reviews two holiday books with very different approaches to the season.

At It’ll Be Fun, They Said, Jess Pan regales us with her adventures in bookselling, the charm of New York, and the bittersweet sting of change.

I adore Cornell Woolrich’s writing and, at CrimeReads, Adrian McKinty has a great article on the claustrophobic atmosphere behind Woolrich’s short story, “It Had to be Murder”, which later became Hitchcock’s Rear Window.

At Mental Floss, Lorna Wallace lists seven authors who owned unexpected pets. My favorite is the backward walking chicken.

The MysteryPlease! 2025 Holiday Gift Guide

NOTE: The items listed below are not endorsed by me, they are simply cool things I’ve found online. Some I have used and can vouch for (I will note this next to the item) but otherwise please be prudent in your purchasing.

Out of Print

Eat, Read, and Be Merry cozy socks

Merry Bookmas mug

Have Your Shelf a Literary Christmas bookmark

The New York Public Library Shop

Recipes for Murder: 66 Dishes That Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha Christie by Karen Pierce

A Tiny Diary for Tiny Thoughts

Tidy The Library: The Original Card Game for Book Lovers

Uncommon Goods

The Book Lover’s Oracle Deck (this one’s on my list this year)

No-Pressure Reading for Fun Journal (I have and love this reading journal!)

Future Bookworm Literary Building Blocks

Paper Source

Winter Velvet Book Pouch

TBR Book Stack Cozy Socks

This Is My Bookstore: 100 Postcards Of Beautiful Shops Around The World

The Reader’s Catalog

“WHERE IS THE LIBRARY?” Language Pencils

Card Catalog Notecards

Waterstones

Little Miss Marple: Muddle at the Vicarage - Mr Men Little Miss Agatha Christie Mysteries

Mr. Poirot: Mystery on the Nile - Mr Men Little Miss Agatha Christie Mysteries

Chronicle Books

Nouveau One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book (I have a this and it’s a super convenient way to quickly record your day-to-day)

Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey

Rifle Paper Co

Embroidered Book Journal

Bookshelf fleece blanket

Barnes and Noble

Macbeth Weird Sisters Tote Bag

The Edgar Allan Poe Collection

The Agatha Christie Collection

The Sherlock Holmes Collection

Literary Charades

Other

CLUE: Peanuts Snoopy board game at Urban Outfitters

Fabulously Flat Paper Pens at Bas Bleu

“Easily Distracted by a Good Mystery” Book Plush at Punchkins (I have this and it’s adorable!)

Cover to Cover 2026 Desk Calendar at Calendars.com

You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder at Penguin Books (This one’s on my list this year)

Sherlock Holmes: Book Nook at Lego (I have this and it is awesome)

Okay, that’s it from me until 2026. Here’s hoping you all have a safe and happy holiday season and a happy New Year!

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The links I provide are for reader convenience. Unless I specifically state I endorse a product, service, or opinion, these links should be viewed as being for informational purposes only. Clicking any of the links above will take the reader to an external site. A. Kate Willett and MysteryPlease! is not responsible for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links on the site. Any questions pertaining to an external site and its content should be directed to the administrator of the external site in question.

If any link is found to be broken or unsecure, please notify A. Kate Willett and it will be updated or removed immediately.

TLDR: At the time of publication, all links above are in working order and legitimate. But, considering the Internet is constantly tinkered with by good and bad actors, clicking any of the links above is at your own risk.

This post is copyrighted by A Kate Willett. Large Language Models (LLMs) and the AI bots trolling the web for content to train LLMs on do not have my permission to use my work for this or any other purpose.

Hello fellow readers!

I don’t know about you, but starting October 1st in my house we’re all reading, watching, and living Halloween until the 31st. It’s scary movies and scary stories all day, every day. It’s the one time of year we truly embrace the spookiness, and I love it. I like to keep the focus on Halloween and tend to lean toward Halloween themed stories and movies for my picks. My husband complained about my choices being like Hallmark Christmas but for Halloween, so I’ve amped up my game a bit and last night succeeded in scary the ever loving life out of him. It was awesome. Best Halloween ever!

And now, your regularly scheduled links…

This Is Halloween

Since Friday’s the big day, let’s start with a chunk of Halloween themed links to get the party started!

First up, Reda Rountree at Only Murders in the Inbox offers several suggestions for how to spend your Halloween night. First up, she has a list of 4 different ways to get comfy on the couch with a weekend of murder. Then she has a list of 5 murder mystery horror flicks for Halloween. Werewolves Within is one of my favorites from the selection.

We’ve got two link recommendations from Retro Ramblings as well: A list of old Halloween specials you might have forgotten (I’m going to check out the Rue McLanahan one!) and a nostalgic essay on the school harvest festival back in the day.

Agatha Christie official has an entire section devoted to Halloween with puzzles and pumpkin carving templates.

Finally, if you’re still searching for that perfect last-minute costume, CaLea Johnson at Mental Floss has suggestions for which Halloween costumes are trending in 2025.

The Inner World of Authors

Kat Long at Mental Floss challenges you to match Edgar Allan Poe quotes with his stories.

At The Guardian, Stephen King explores the dark brilliance of Daphne du Maurier.

Back again at Mental Floss, Jane Alexander explains how a book marketing ploy almost ruined Edgar Wallace while Sher Hackwell follows the twisted trail of Bram Stoker’s notes for Dracula.

Meanwhile, Lauren Noss and other authors via Thriller Thursday reveal what thriller writers call research.

Odds and Ends

I’ve always been fascinated by the vanishing of Dorothy Arnold. Dr Nell Darby has a great right up about the case on Secret Sleuths.

Kirsten Weiss explains why she’s given up reading for fun.

We’ll end with two more links from Only Murders in the Inbox. Reda Rountree does a deep dive into the role of the final girl in horror, then she reveals that Clue, my most favorite board game ever, is becoming a reality competition show on Netflix!

I’ll close with a question recently posed in one of my mystery group chats: What’s your favorite “murder song”? This could be a decades old ballad or something contemporary. Lot’s of great suggestions came up (from “The Wexford Girl” to Richard Marx’s “Hazard”). My personal favorite is “Delilah” by Tom Jones.

And that’s it. Stay safe this Halloween and thanks for reading!

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The links I provide are for reader convenience. Unless I specifically state I endorse a product, service, or opinion, these links should be viewed as being for informational purposes only. Clicking any of the links above will take the reader to an external site. A. Kate Willett and MysteryPlease! is not responsible for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links on the site. Any questions pertaining to an external site and its content should be directed to the administrator of the external site in question.

If any link is found to be broken or unsecure, please notify A. Kate Willett and it will be updated or removed immediately.

TLDR: At the time of publication, all links above are in working order and legitimate. But, considering the Internet is constantly tinkered with by good and bad actors, clicking any of the links above is at your own risk.

This post is copyrighted by A Kate Willett. Large Language Models (LLMs) and the AI bots trolling the web for content to train LLMs on do not have my permission to use my work for this or any other purpose.

Hello fellow readers!

Here’s something I never knew existed until the past few months: Lantern flies. They have invaded my area of the world. These bugs look like cicadas with pretty wings. They have about as much sense of direction as cicadas too. It’s causing all sorts of chaos for one member of my family, who is bombarded by them every time she waits for a bus. Someone told me they kill trees and have no purpose, they’re just a nuisance.

Their wings are pretty, though.

And now, your regularly scheduled links…

It’s All True

An older article, but still relevant. On CrimeReads, Rachel McCarthy James discusses Beth Klingensmith, the Villisca murders, and the graduate school research paper that helped solve a crime.

Also on CrimeReads, Maria Malone argues that people, contrary to popular belief, do sometimes just vanish.

Yet again on CrimeReads, Lisa Black shares what she learned in CSI school.

This article on Magnifico, a UK site about magnifying glasses, lets you have a peek at a Scotland Yard “murder bag” and learn about Sherlock Holmes’s iconic sleuthing accessory.

Speaking of Sherlock, Dr. Angela Buckley discusses Manchester’s Sherlock Holmes on The Detective’s Notebook.

And at The Stiletto Gang, Lois Winston says When Life is Stranger than Fiction, Stick it in a Cozy Mystery Novel.

The Private Worlds of Authors

Olivia Mason at Murder & Mayhem discusses Mary Roberts Rinehart and how she invented a new kind of mystery.

At Chicks on the Case, Cynthis Kuhn reveals odd little events that have recently happened her life and asks if any one can explain the shenanigans she’s experiencing.

Something Is Going To Happen has an article by Dennis McFadden in which he shares the writing process for his latest story.

Rhys Bowen explains why she wishes fall would go away on Jungle Red Writers.

Finally, Agatha Christie’s official website’s article on food in Christie novels has a delectable treat at the end: A recipe for Delicious Death Chocolate Cake.

Speaking of Death…

Luke Winkie at Slate explains what Doom Moms are.

Mental Floss’s Bess Lovejoy rounds up the 12 Most Beautiful Cemeteries Around the World.

Odds and Ends

Adam Thomas shares his top 5 1920s mysteries on Murder at the Manse.

Olivia Rutigliano declares that the Best Movie Genre is One Where a Party at an Estate Goes Horribly Wrong on CrimeReads.

M.E. Proctor explores the no-rules rules of crime fiction at The Roll Top Desk.

Kristin Weiss wonders if cozy mysteries are going the way of the superhero movie.

Meanwhile, EA Mayes asks if writer-detectives are reviving a tired genre on Mysteriousities.

At Only Murders In The Inbox, Reda Rountree celebrates Agatha Christie’s birthday with a roundup of of some of Christie’s best mysteries.

And that’s it for September. Up next: Spooky season. I’ve already got a bag of Reese’s Peanut butter cups shaped like bats and ghosts on my kitchen counter. One or two have mysteriously disappeared from the bag already. Will it last until October 31st?

Thanks for reading!

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The links I provide are for reader convenience. Unless I specifically state I endorse a product, service, or opinion, these links should be viewed as being for informational purposes only. Clicking any of the links above will take the reader to an external site. A. Kate Willett and MysteryPlease! is not responsible for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links on the site. Any questions pertaining to an external site and its content should be directed to the administrator of the external site in question.

If any link is found to be broken or unsecure, please notify A. Kate Willett and it will be updated or removed immediately.

TLDR: At the time of publication, all links above are in working order and legitimate. But, considering the Internet is constantly tinkered with by good and bad actors, clicking any of the links above is at your own risk.

This post is copyrighted by A Kate Willett. Large Language Models (LLMs) and the AI bots trolling the web for content to train LLMs on do not have my permission to use my work for this or any other purpose.

Hello fellow readers!

September is barreling toward us. How did your summer go? I never made it to the beach or pool because I was taking developmental editing courses and working on art projects in my spare time. And catching up on reading after my months-long dry spell, of course! My most recent read was Thirteen Months Haunted, a light horror novel by Jimmy Juliano. I enjoyed it, but not as much as his debut novel, Dead Eleven. I do recommend you give Thirteen Months Haunted a try if you’re a fan of series like The Exorcist or The Conjuring.

And now, your regularly scheduled links…

It’s Back to School Time

For fun, here are a few articles for teachers about incorporating mystery into lessons.

Mystery Writers of America (MWA) has a page devoted to helping educators teach the mystery genre to students.

Amanda at Engaging and Effective Teaching has tips on hooking older students on mystery (without a murder).

PBS Learning Media is a wealth of crime information and lessons for teachers (but be warned sensitive topics may be addressed).

And, at Edutopia, Andrew Mills has advice specifically for Using a Murder Mystery Game in History Class to Kick Off the Year. He even offers a lesson planning guide to get other teachers started.

Want to read school mysteries instead of teach them? Check out Vera Kurian’s article about The Dark Pleasures of School-Based Mysteries on CrimeReads or the list of Dark Academia: Mysteries Happening at Elite Prep and Boarding Schools created by the staff at Arapahoe Libraries. Or try out one of the books on Sara Farmer’s list of Cozy to Cold-blooded: Boarding School Mysteries at DIY MFA.

Finally, on Thriller Thursday, Lauren Nossett interviews Amie Schaumberg about The Campus as Crime Scene: Amie Schaumberg on Murder, Myth, and the Death of a Beautiful Woman.

Cozy, Cozy…Gothic!

EA Mayes’ Mysteriousitites wonders: Is Cozy a Genre or a Growing Quiet Revolt?

On BookTrib, Valerie Burns examines The Comfort of Chaos: Why Cozy Mysteries Matter in a Violent World.

Julie K discusses An Easy Introduction to a “Gothic” Mystery over at Mystery Minutes.

Up Your Book Cred

Lucy Knight of The Guardian delves into How ‘books by the metre’ add the final touch to your home – or your image.

At Mental Floss, Chason Gordon explains How Book Nooks Bring Magic Little Worlds to Your Bookshelves.

It’s History

Dr. Nell Darby of Secret Sleuths spins the true tale of The female detective who caught a Lady.

At CrimeReads, Sulari Gentill recounts her experience on the famous train in The History of the Orient Express.

Dr. Angela Buckley of The Detective’s Notebook reveals The Science of Sleuthing in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

And, last but not least, Adam Thomas at Murder at the Manse provides a thorough review of both Dorothy L. Sayers and the book The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers.

I’m closing out this edition with something very off-topic: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s engagement news. Of all the articles that have popped up about this announcement, the BBC’s take is too inventive and unexpectedly refreshing to not share.

Thanks for reading!

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The links I provide are for reader convenience. Unless I specifically state I endorse a product, service, or opinion, these links should be viewed as being for informational purposes only. Clicking any of the links above will take the reader to an external site. A. Kate Willett and MysteryPlease! is not responsible for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links on the site. Any questions pertaining to an external site and its content should be directed to the administrator of the external site in question.

If any link is found to be broken or unsecure, please notify A. Kate Willett and it will be updated or removed immediately.

TLDR: At the time of publication, all links above are in working order and legitimate. But, considering the Internet is constantly tinkered with by good and bad actors, clicking any of the links above is at your own risk.

This image and post is copyrighted by A Kate Willett. Large Language Models (LLMs) and the AI bots trolling the web for content to train LLMs on do not have my permission to use my work for this or any other purpose.

Next month, the Sisters in Crime Los Angeles chapter is hosting George Fong, a retired FBI agent who now authors crime novels, on its monthly Zoom meeting. (Side note: If you’re interested in writing crime fiction and haven’t joined Sister in Crime yet, you should check it out. The archived webinars on the main site are worth their weight in gold for any mystery author and the individual chapter events are top of the class.) The announcement got me thinking about all of the authors who’ve come to writing after building their professional careers. Former law enforcement officers (LEOs), lawyers, physicians, and the like have all add credence to their novels by including their first-hand knowledge of real crimes and emergencies. Their inside knowledge solves the crime.

But what if we flipped that dynamic and a crime writer became the investigator?

On television and in books, that’s often the hook. In Castle, Richard Castle pulls strings to tag along with Kate Beckett’s team and ends up solving hundred of cases with them. The magnificent Jessica Fletcher, former English teacher turned mystery writer, is always two steps ahead of other investigators. There’s also Ariadne Oliver, the crime novelist who assists her friend, Hercule Poirot, in cases by providing him with insight into the criminal mind.

In many mystery cozies, amateur sleuths rule the page. They may not have connections or certifications or professional titles, but they find that unexpected clue or figure out the last piece of the puzzle that solves the crime. That’s one of the reasons readers love these stories so much.

We could be that amateur sleuth.

When an author writes a mystery story, they’re fulfilling this fantasy for the readers by hitting the right beats, utilizing the right tropes, and staging the right scene. The most obvious suspect is usually not the perpetrator but a red herring. Everyone has a dirty secret to hide. Clues are hidden in devious ways and motives are intertwined. There’s a process and a plan to structuring a mystery.

In real'-life, that process and plan go out the window.

I’m speaking from experience. A couple of years ago, I participated in a mock investigation complete with a meticulously staged crime scene. After examining the evidence, our group of four was divided. Two of us (one being me) went for the mystery novel solution. The victim had uncovered an illicit affair between his wife and business partner, as well as that his business partner had embezzled money from the company, and was silenced to keep both secrets hidden. In our scenario, a protestor who had threatened the victim and whose fingerprints were found at the scene had been framed by the business partner to take the fall.

The other members of our team believed the simpler solution: The protestor (again, who had threatened the victim and whose prints were found at the scene) murdered the victim.

Guess who was correct?

I recall feeling terribly let down when the answer was revealed to be the protestor. The solution was so boring. Where was the drama? The misdirection? The secrets and lies?

In real life, the mystery author’s process and plan can muddle the facts.

I have first-hand knowledge of this. At that mock crime scene, in our quest for a good story, my teammate and I ignored the facts and chose to focus on the distractions because they spun a juicier and more tantalizing tale. A tale that sent the wrong fictional suspect to fictional jail because, in the end, our argument won over the other half of our team and we submitted the business partner as the criminal for the mock crime scene event.

So what do you think? How effectively could a crime fiction author transition from penning mystery novels to solving actual crimes in the real world as a police detective or other professional investigator? After writing the book for so long, how well would they be able to go “by the book” and follow the limits placed on them by the job? Do you know any crime fiction writers who reversed the script and became an LEO after writing novels? I’d love to hear about them!

(Also, fun fact, the image at the start of this article is my own from that mock crime scene. I, in true Detective Clouseau fashion, somehow stepped in the fake blood with my blue bootie and traipsed across the floor, depositing bloody foot marks here and there. I can’t remember for sure if the photo is of my bumbling handiwork or one of the clues set up by the people running the mock crime scene.)

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This post is copyrighted by A Kate Willett. Large Language Models (LLMs) and the AI bots trolling the web for content to train LLMs on do not have my permission to use my work for this or any other purpose.

Hello fellow readers!

I cannot believe it’s the end of July. Where has the summer gone? I’ve been swamped with projects, reorganizations, and family matters. I haven’t even had time to (gasp!) read. How about you guys? Is your summer turning into a whirlwind of chaos too?

And now, your regularly scheduled links…

Want To Try Your Hand At Writing Mysteries?

Grant Hudson at Clarendon House Publications spells out how to write a simple detective story. Loads of great advice in here!

Zara Altair via ProWritingAid offers tips and plot twist ideas. I’ve found Altair to be a fountain of valuable information on mystery writing in my own research. Again, great stuff here.

Another wonderful place to check out is Career Authors, where Laura DiSilverio has an series breaking down the individual elements in mysteries.

Meanwhile, if psychological thrillers are more your cup of tea, Karen Osman reveals how to write a gripping one over at Thriller Thursday.

And if you want a mini-masterclass in writing mysteries, check out Jane Kalme’s extensive series over at The Perfect Crime. Alternatively, you could pick up a copy of , her new book, The Tangled Web, a guide to writing complex plots.

Binge Watches

Julie K on Mystery Minutes reviews Netflix’s amazing Dept. Q.

If you have a BritBox subscription, I highly recommend BBC’s Death Valley and Ludwig. Both mix humor and mystery in a delightful little package. Bonus, I believe both have already been renewed for second seasons. Honestly, it would be worth subscribing to BritBox for a month just to binge these. There’s only about six episodes each.

At Only Murders In The Inbox, Reda Rountree offers a list of twelve classic Murder, She Wrote episodes perfect for devouring in a few sittings. .

It’s Science!

Dr. Angela Buckley of The Detective’s Notebook provides a fascinating and in-depth look at the science of sleuthing for Victorian and Edwardian detectives.

In The Guardian, Ella Creamer reports on a new tool for identifying deadly books (the infamous ones where arsenic was used to create the green book covers).

This is probably more mechanics than science, but it was interesting so I’m including it here. On Mental Floss, Jake Rossen explains the differences between deadbolt locks and why they are called by the name.

Odds and Ends

Can image if, in 1972, you wrote a letter to Agatha Christie and she wrote you back with personal advice for your own writing? At the Library of Congress, an article by Lewis Wyman tells the story of one lucky fan experiencing just that!

Raegan Teller studies the changing shape of storytelling on Mystery and Musings with Raegan Teller.

Gloria Chao via Crimereads explores why murder and humor go so well together.

At Mental Floss, Ellen Gutoskey reveals 8 bookstores in which you can spend a amazingly bookish night.

Mark Coggins shares the history behind his purchase of a typewriter that once belonged to Raymond Chandler. If you love typewriters like I do, you’ll love this article.

Finally, I haven’t read Stephen King’s Bill Hodges trilogy, but I can absolutely appreciate Stephen Lee’s breakdown of the investigative techniques used in Holly in his very spoiler filled article on Modern Detection. If you haven’t read the book but plan to, avoid this one.

The dog days of summer are almost over. I can’t say I’m going to miss them. I always get an urge to read Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine about this time each year. Maybe I’ll make that my first read after my unexpected reading dry spell? Stay cool everyone!

Thanks for reading!

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The links I provide are for reader convenience. Unless I specifically state I endorse a product, service, or opinion, these links should be viewed as being for informational purposes only. Clicking any of the links above will take the reader to an external site. A. Kate Willett and MysteryPlease! is not responsible for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links on the site. Any questions pertaining to an external site and its content should be directed to the administrator of the external site in question.

If any link is found to be broken or unsecure, please notify A. Kate Willett and it will be updated or removed immediately.

TLDR: At the time of publication, all links above are in working order and legitimate. But, considering the Internet is constantly tinkered with by good and bad actors, clicking any of the links above is at your own risk.

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The words and photos included in this post are copyrighted by A Kate Willett. Large Language Models (LLMs) and the AI bots trolling the web for content to train LLMs on do not have my permission to use my work for this or any other purpose.

I recently posted photos of The Blue Book of Crime on Instagram. It’s fascinating to look back at the techniques and beliefs that fueled investigations of the past. I have an extensive collection of similar books on my shelves and thought it might be fun to start sharing these bits of history with you guys.

First up is How To Be A Detective by Arthur H. Farrar. This book was published by Padell Book and Magazine Co in 1943. Topics included scientific crime detection, case method, “G” men mastery, the criminal code, and police operative, shadowing, finger printing, laboratory sleuthing, gun tests, and analysis reports. Below are photos from the book. It’s only 61 pages long, but it tackles a ton of topics.

(That last paragraph must’ve been added in a hurry. So many typos :)

I’m not sure who the intended audience was for books of this nature. Were these possibly used to train new detectives and private investigators? Or were these aimed at a crime-obsessed public who wished to play at being a detective? What are your thoughts on the advice given in this How-To for burgeoning detectives in the 1940s? Would you be interested in seeing more stuff like this?

Let me know in the comments!

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Welcome to the June round of Read Mystery With Me! If you’re new, here’s the deal: Every other month throughout the year, I’ll be picking a mystery novel to read. Each day during that month (until we reach the end of the novel) we’ll read a chapter or two and post our thoughts about what we’ve read in a private chat. Please note, you do have to be a pai…

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This course has ignited a barrage of dissent among Agatha Christie fans for both the use of AI to bring her back to life and accusations the whole endeavor is a blatant cash grab on and exploitation of Christie’s name by the author’s heirs. And I have to say, after taking the course, the reanimation of Christie to teach a class feels like mere novelty. Still, I did find value in the course.

With caveats.

The basics

The course price of $89 offers students eleven lessons with AIgatha Christie over 2.5 hours. Along with that, students receive a decently stuffed 78-page pdf of notes from the lectures, which also includes a timeline of key moments in Christie’s life and other facts about her. Also included is a 100 page activity workbook.

For the course, AI has been used construct the lessons from Christie’s letters, interviews, and autobiography. It has also been used to digitally impose Christie’s face on the actress playing her, Vivien Keene.

The good

This production is top notch. The lush set with its rich greens and browns, prim costume choices of pearls and tweed, and impressive other details, such as the vintage typewriter on AIgatha’s desk, evoke a solid mid century atmosphere. As an added bonus, vintage paperbacks of Christie’s works are scattered around the set.

The lessons are great for beginners. AIgatha teaches students all the basics of writing a cozy mystery, complete with the original Christie’s personal insights on the elements of the genre. But the true meat of the class lies in the 100 page workbook included with the course, not the video lessons. Here, the student puts knowledge into practice and expands their own writing skills. There are tons of assignments and prompts to work on.

Additionally, the workbook encourages students to examine Christie’s works and study the way she deftly crafted the mystery in her books.

The thought-provoking questions and lengthy excerpts from Christie’s novels assist students in evaluating their own goals for writing. By the end of the workbook, students should have a solid understanding of the cozy mystery genre and be able to incorporate what they’ve learned into their own work.

The not-so-good

Few public interviews with or footage of Christie exist, so I can’t truly evaluate if AIgatha succeeds in replicating the author. In my opinion, the AI is a gimmick and added no true value to the lessons. I would’ve preferred BBC Maestro hire Keene to portray Christie and dispense with the technological shenanigans.

I’m guessing Keene needed to stay still for the AI to generate Christie’s face onto her own. As a result, AIgatha is hardly animated about her subject. The teaching is very measured and AIgatha’s speech is slow (probably so the AI voice can do its work). This is a great contrast to other BBC Maestro courses taught by actual people who exist in this world, here and now. Those instructors are passionate about writing and can barely contain their joy in sharing the things they’ve learned with their students.

Bottom line

BBC Maestro’s gotten a lot of buzz over the last few weeks because the Agatha Christie class is not the normal format. So, is it worth the hype?

It…depends.

The class is a mere reflection of Christie and the possible lessons the true Christie would deliver on how to perfect the cozy mystery. If you lack time to read Christie’s novels or autobiography or secret notebooks, perhaps this class would be valuable for you. It does provide succinct and easily digestible chunks of Christie’s wisdom in a neat little package. Additionally, if you’re an emerging writer interested in mastering the genre, the information and workbook could make checking this course out worth the time and money.

For more advanced writers, this single class at $89 isn’t worth it. But, for an additional $31, the plot twists. Currently, $120 will get you a full year subscription to access all of BBC Maestro’s classes—the Agatha Christie attraction and so many more on a variety of topics, not just writing. Learn how to become an actor with Brian Cox. Study music with Mark Ronson. Try your hand at modern Indian cooking with Vineet Bhatia at your side.

In the past, I have purchased (yes, at the $89 price for both) the writing courses taught by Lee Child and Harlan Coben and both were fantastic. And, to get the Christie class, I purchased the subscription so I’m looking forward to trying out the other courses before it ends. My only complaint so far in perusing the offerings is that the platform isn’t as robust as Masterclass (an American online education platform that’s very similar and on which I have taken many classes) and, I have to say, not as diversified in its instructors.

A large amount of love and hard work went into creating this class. BBC Maestro and Christie’s heirs painstakingly tried to remain true to Christie’s image, even if I’m not sure they succeeded on that front. However, the course on its own is beneficial to newer writers regardless of the AI hocus pocus.

My last thought on this is that we don’t need to repeat the process with other celebrities. No “How to Write Poetry” with AI Maya Angelou or “Write the Southern Gothic” with AI Flannery O’Connor. No “Dramatic Acting” with AI Sidney Poitier or “Successful Band Leading” with AI Xavier Cugat. These people were the Greats of their time, but they are gone. New greats are emerging. Let the old ones lie still.

Honestly, I’m terrified of a world where a perfect replication of Agatha Christie, or anyone, is possible.

What say you all? BBC Maestro’s AI Agatha Christie class—Yay! or Nay?

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Hello fellow readers!

It’s mystery con season! I’ve only attended two of the biggies myself, Bouchercon 2020 via Zoom (because Covid) and Malice Domestic 2018 and 2019 in person. Sadly, Sleuthfest, Left Coast Crime, etc have remained out of my reach due to distance and finances. Here’s a super comprehensive list of these cons from the Mystery Writers of America Norcal Chapter. Be sure to research and see if an event is a good fit for you before buying tickets. Some of these cons are directed at fans/readers and some are focused on the writing craft.

If you’re curious what goes on at mystery cons, mystery author Ellen Byron at Chicks On The Case posted about the most recent Malice Domestic earlier this month (and dispels a misconception that prevents many readers from attending). Malice Domestic holds a dear place in my heart because my first published story was included in the 2019 Malice Domestic anthology (“Murder Takes The Cupcake”, Mystery Most Edible). At the close of each Malice Domestic, the next anthology’s information is announced and Mystery Most Senior is the current theme, in case you’d like to submit your own story for consideration. If you do, best of luck with your entry!

Bottom line, if you love mystery novels and want to connect with fellow mystery lovers, go to a con. You never know who you’ll meet or what may happen.

And now, your regularly scheduled links…

Speaking of writing cons…

If you are considering writing your own mystery story with law enforcement for Malice Domestic’s anthology or another platform, keep these tips on What Every Writer Should Know About Real Policework by D. L. Williams on Killer Nashville in mind. You can find information about the next Killer Nashville conference while you’re there.

Not all cons are amazing experiences. I’m talking about fiascos like the now infamous A Million Lives Book Festival that recently happened in Baltimore, MD. Leigh Stein at Attention Economy has an excellent write-up on what went wrong at A Million Lives and how it could have gone better, based on her personal experience in organizing writing cons.

Blasts from the Past

Did you know Abraham Lincoln wrote a true crime novel? Read all about it on Mental Floss, courtesy of Jake Rossen.

Also on Mental Floss, are you a paperback fan? If so, you’ll want to check out the story of How Paperbacks Transformed The Way Americans Read.

At CrimeReads, Tom Milani contemplates The Enduring Influence Of James M. Cain.

EA Mayes’ Mysteriousities examines the underlying America Dream at play in Alfred Hitchcock’s adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith classic, Strangers On A Train.

In his newsletter, Equip Story, Geoffrey Golden talks powerpoint parties, VCR games from the 80s, and (briefly) Clue.

Books and Book Clubs

On Murder at the Manse, Adam Thomas has two book reviews that caught my eye. The first is for Writing the Murder, edited by Dan Covon and Richard V. Hirst. I adore essay collections on mystery writing by mystery writers. The second is for Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert in Wickedness by Mark Aldridge (yes, the same one who contributed to the BBC Maestro Agatha Christie class). I have this one, but haven’t been able to properly dig into it yet. Thomas’s review has made me excited to do so.

John Copenhaver of The Twisted Plot celebrates the satisfaction of a successfully written slow burn novel.

At The Big Thrill, Tracey Devlyn shares author recollections of unexpected happenings during book club events. My fav is Heather Gudenkauf’s cave story.

Mystery Mashup

Ever wondered what jobs some of today’s writers had before publishing their first words? Lauren Nossett at Thriller Thursdays has some surprising answers.

On One Tired Mother, Jessica Payne reveals How to Stage Your Own Disappearance on Mother’s Day.

Not Mystery Related

But still important. A plea from Ann Handley to use a “surprising new A.I.”—Analog Intelligence.

That’s all for this edition. One last note, I’ve completed BBC Maestro’s controversial AI Agatha Christie class and will be posting a write up of my thoughts in the next week or so.

Thanks for reading!

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The links I provide are for reader convenience. Unless I specifically state I endorse a product, service, or opinion, these links should be viewed as being for informational purposes only. Clicking any of the links above will take the reader to an external site. A. Kate Willett and MysteryPlease! is not responsible for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links on the site. Any questions pertaining to an external site and its content should be directed to the administrator of the external site in question.

If any link is found to be broken or unsecure, please notify A. Kate Willett and it will be updated or removed immediately.

TLDR: At the time of publication, all links above are in working order and legitimate. But, considering the Internet is constantly tinkered with by good and bad actors, clicking any of the links above is at your own risk.

(Image above is of an altered screenshot on BBC Maestro’s website advertising the course, used for editorial purposes only.)

BBC Maestro’s newest class is also one of its most unique and most ambitious. How would you like to learn how to write a mystery from the Grande Dame of Mystery herself, Agatha Christie?

Impossible, you say.

BBC Maestro begs to differ.

In what had to be an enormously arduous task, the online learning platform partnered with Agatha Christie Limited to develop a course that does exactly that. How? Here’s a link to an article with an in-depth explanation of the process. AI was involved, but this isn’t some random AI generated Agatha. The technology was used (I believe) to mimic Christie’s voice and facial image, which were then matched to the movements of an actor named Vivien Keene.

The amount of work that went into the set design, costuming, and direction of this course is mind boggling. The lectures have been reworked from sections of Christie’s writing and letters by a group of researchers and scholars including Dr. Mark Aldridge, whose books examining Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot I’ve enjoyed. Christie’s grandson, Mathew Prichard, and great-grandson, James Prichard, also worked closely with the team to bring Christie to life on the screen. This was a immense labor of love to bring to life and I respect that.

I feel like this is a bit of a slippery slope, though. Agatha Christie’s been gone for forty-nine years now. No matter how many visual effects and tricks you use, it’s still just an illusion of the author and not the real deal. What other classes with no-longer-of-this-world celebrities teaching us how to do things will be popping up in the future?

But I’ve signed up for the course out of sheer curiousity. My initial thoughts? This is a little weird. I’ve watched the prologue and first lesson so far. It’s a bit uncanny valley at the moment. Kind of like when Kurt Russell was aged down for whichever Guardians of the Galaxy movie he was in. It looks okay but simultaneously not quite okay.

I’ll let you guys know what I think of the course once I’ve finished it. And, hey, if you’re taking it as well, chime in down in the comments with your thoughts.

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Hello fellow readers!

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’m trying to chip away at the massive TBR pile I’ve acquired over the years. My goal is to create a personal library full of books I can randomly pull off the shelf and fall into at any point at any time. For instance, T Kingfisher’s novels The Twisted Ones or The Willows. Or Grady Hendrix’s Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. Or Simone St. James’s The Broken Girls. Or Jimmy Juliano’s Dead Eleven. Books that will instantly transport me to another world and immerse me in the story in a heartbeat.

This stipulation, that I be able to fall into the book for it to live on my shelf, means that many other wonderful books (and a few not so great) have not made the cut. The story ends up being more of a one-and-done situation that I won’t want to relive again. I now have a stack of these in my closet waiting to be donated or taken to the used bookstore.

Which brings me to my question for you. What keeps a book on your shelf? A good story? A beautiful cover? An author that you love who’s novels have a reserved spot?

And, on the flip side, what do you do with the books you choose not to keep? Gift them to friends? Donate them to your local library for a book sale? Guilt yourself into keeping them anyway? Let me know in the comments!

And now, your regularly scheduled links…

So Much Nostalgia

On Thriller Thursday, Carter Wilson explores how our rose tinted memories of the good ol’ days may be darker than we think, and why that’s a good thing for thriller writers.

And, while the subject is more about teen mystery than nostalgia, Reda Rountree of Only Murders In The Building dedicates a paragraph of her article High School Can Be Murder to Christopher Pike and I love her for that. Also, the other suggestions are awesome as well. Also also, they’re rebooting I Know What You Did Last Summer for a new generation. How do we feel about this? I was less than impressed with the Scream franchise reboot.

Speaking of Mr. Pike and teen fiction, Alissa Burger’s section at Reactor is loaded up with tons of articles on teen horror and mystery that will be sure to spark nostalgia in a lot of hearts.

Mystery In General

EA Mayes examines the uptick in mystery novels with multiple POVs instead of one POV of truth.

Kirsten Weiss solves the Mystery of the Missing Glasses (complete with a reenactment video).

Julie K at Mystery Minutes explores the power of location and setting in mysteries.

At CrimeReads, Olive Rutigliano takes a deep dive into critical reception in 1985 of the movie Clue.

Also at CrimeReads, Sarah Weinman presents a fascinating article about Howard Haycraft, Mystery’s First Great Historian.

Cozy and Surprising Spaces

Ever wondered what 221b Baker Street would’ve looked like in real life? Visit The Sherlock Holmes Pub in London and wonder no more! Via Atlas Obscura, Luke Spenser reveals that upstairs, above the bar, is a life-size copy of the apartment Holmes shared with Watson.

Sarah Laskow, also via Atlas Obscura, has a great piece with photos about the New York Public Library’s Last, Secret Apartments.

At Mental Floss, Luke Spencer (who may or may not be the same Luke Spencer mentioned above) lists 9 Notable Buildings with Secret Floors.

Wrapping up this architectural themed section, the 2008 New York Times article “Mystery On Fifth Avenue” by Penelope Green details what it’s like to live in an apartment that’s also a puzzle.

Library Love

Lela Nargi on Mental Floss shares 19 Secrets of Public Librarians.

Again via Mental Floss, Jake Rossen presents 25 Amazing Facts About Libraries.

Interested in Nancy Drew and Mildred Wirt Benson (Drew’s first ghostwriter)? If you’re in Toledo, OH there’s a collection of cool Drew items to peruse that were donated by Jennifer Fisher, a Nancy Drew expert, from her personal collection.

On PBS’s site, Anthony Ha points out 10 Different Ways Libraries Make Our Lives Easier.

That’s all for this edition. I hope Spring’s treating you well, wherever you are. Here, everything’s green and lush. I love it!

Thanks for reading!

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The links I provide are for reader convenience. Unless I specifically state I endorse a product, service, or opinion, these links should be viewed as being for informational purposes only. Clicking any of the links above will take the reader to an external site. A. Kate Willett and MysteryPlease! is not responsible for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links on the site. Any questions pertaining to an external site and its content should be directed to the administrator of the external site in question.

If any link is found to be broken or unsecure, please notify A. Kate Willett and it will be updated or removed immediately.

TLDR: At the time of publication, all links above are in working order and legitimate. But, considering the Internet is constantly tinkered with by good and bad actors, clicking any of the links above is at your own risk.

A while back, I was hunting for a gift for my niece, who was turning two. When she was born, I decided to be the aunt that’s always nudging her toward reading. I had one, my Great Aunt Elizabeth, and her love for reading was infectious. When I was younger, we would write letters back and forth discussing authors and books and everything else. Sadly, we drifted apart as I grew older. Gosh, that’s one of my heartbreaks in life. I was too young and self-involved to understand that Great Aunt Elizabeth wouldn’t always be around whenever I decided to poke my head up from my own life to reconnect with her. I still have some of our letters in my keepsake box.

Back to my niece. For her first birthday, I gave her a set of Dr. Suess books that I figured my brother and sister-in-law could read to her. For her second birthday, I wanted to purchase a book she could begin reading to herself. So, board books. I ran across the usual suspects like Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. But I’m a mystery gal and wondered to myself if there were any mystery themed books for wee tiny babes and younger readers not ready for chapter books out there?

Yes. Yes, there are. I ended up purchasing six: three board books, two picture books, and one board book that, quite honestly, is aimed at adults but still could be fun to read to young children (with discretion).

The Board Books

Edgar Gets Ready For Bed by Jennifer Adams (Illustrated by Ron Stucki)

This one isn’t about Poe, although he’s very present in silent ways through the story. This tale is about Edgar, a raven, and his playful distractions during bedtime to which he answers his mother’s exasperations with “Nevermore!”. When he finally is convinced to settle into his covers, he asks his mother if she really loves him. Her answer? “Yes Edgar…Evermore.”.

Sherlock Holmes in The Hound Of The Baskervilles by Jennifer Adams (Illustrations by Alison Oliver)

Follow Sherlock as he goes around making all sorts of marvelous noises. Gates creak and shoes scrape. There’s lots of animated fun to be had reading this, for both the adult reader and the child!

Little Poet Edgar Allan Poe: Nevermore! by Kate Coombs (Illustrations by Carme Lemniscates)

This time, the Edgar in question is Poe himself. Lines from “The Raven” are peppered with Coombs text to distill this emotional and heavy poem into a narrative that younger readers can comprehend. Is this too moody for children? As with everything related to raising little ones, that’s for their parents to decide. Themes of love and loss are still present, but so are Poe’s lyrical stanzas.

The Picture Books

Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Marci Kay Monson (Illustrations by Greg Paprocki)

This retelling of Agatha Christie’s first mystery is aimed at readers between four and eight. Readers assist Hercule Poirot in finding clues to who killed Emily Cavendish through activities and games. Just a warning, this book does touch lightly on murder and poison and crime and punishment, if that’s a dealbreaker for you. The illustrations are gorgeous and the addition of a character list at the front and a glossary of words used in the book at the back made this a must buy for me (to read to my niece when she is older).

Little People, Big Dreams: Agatha Christie by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara (Illustrations by Elisa Munsó)

This lovely picture book is a summarizes chunks of Agatha Christie’s life, from childhood to her nursing days to creating Poirot and Miss Marple to finding fame on the stage. I love how the narrative flows from one topic to the next. The typewriter key end papers are a bonus I appreciated. A great introduction to Agatha Christie and a possible companion book to the read with the book listed above.

The Other Board Book

My First Film Noir by ‘lil Cinephile

Themes from murder to the mob and the titles of some great noir films adorn the pages of this board book. So this isn’t for kids necessarily, but I loved the concept and am including it as a bonus recommendation for the adults reading this article. Could you read this to your kids? Sure, but be ready to explain the gritty dynamics of noir if you do.

My personal favorites are the Sherlock Holmes board book and both picture books. Which one is yours?

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Welcome to the April round of Read Mystery With Me! If you’re new, here’s the deal: Every other month throughout the year, I’ll be picking a mystery novel to read. Each day during that month (until we reach the end of the novel) we’ll read a chapter or two and post our thoughts about what we’ve read in a private chat. Please note, you do have to be a paid subscriber to access the chat.

You can read further guidelines for Read Mystery With Me (RMWM) here.

This Month’s Pick

Dead Man in a Ditch by Luke Arnold (note: this is the second book in the series)

Back Cover Summary

A former soldier turned PI solves crime in a world that's lost its magic in this brilliant sequel to actor Luke Arnold's debut The Last Smile in Sunder City.

The name's Fetch Phillips -- what do you need?

Cover a Gnome with a crossbow while he does a dodgy deal? Sure.

Find out who killed Lance Niles, the big-shot businessman who just arrived in town? I'll give it shot.

Help an old-lady Elf track down her husband's murderer? That's right up my alley.

What I don't do, because it's impossible, is search for a way to bring the goddamn magic back.

Rumors got out about what happened with the Professor, so now people keep asking me to fix the world.

But there's no magic in this story. Just dead friends, twisted miracles, and a secret machine made to deliver a single shot of murder.

Welcome back to the streets of Sunder City, a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.

Reading Schedule

4/1 to 4/30: Chapters 1 through 82 (three chapters each day)

4/30: Final thoughts and wrap-up

The fun starts in a few days. Grab a copy of the book and get ready to read!

Hello fellow readers!

The Atlantic recently published an article on how Meta trained its AI*. Every writer I know is in a justified uproar. In short, Meta used Library Genesis or LibGen, a shadow library for file sharing, for its AI training. I’m still unsure what LibGen is exactly. The descriptions I’ve read online suggest it’s akin to a free library of sorts. Maybe like the notorious Internet Archive? To stock this “free” library, LibGen pirated who knows how many copyrighted works and made them readily available to their users.

This copyrighted work is what Meta used to teach its AI. Or stole, I should say. The Atlantic article provided a tool to search the LibGen database also. Thousands of authors are finding their books in it. Some with 20+ books have been horrified to discover all of their work up for grabs in the database.

Remember those six crime fiction novels I ghostwrote? All are in the database. So, if I have any writers in the house, you might want to check out The Atlantic’s article for your own work. Here again is the link to do this. And, if you do find yourself a victim of this theft, the Authors Guild has created a page where you can tell Meta to stop using your work.

And now, your regularly scheduled links…

* Subscription required unfortunately but you can read enough in the preview to get the idea.

Spinsters, Spinsters, Everywhere

Gretchen Rue at CrimeReads shines a light on the single women who rule cozy fiction.

Also on CrimeReads, Katherine Hall Page remembers Dolores Hitchens and the early days of the “spinster sleuth”.

Meanwhile, Nina Stochlic enlightens readers on Rose Mackenberg, who probably posed as a spinster or two as she worked along-side Houdini to unmask fraudulent mediums.

Fun and Games

Test out your deduction skills at Mystery-O-Matic, where “A mystery a day, keeps the coroner away!”. How high can you get on the Sleuth-O-Meter?

Jonathan Bailey at Plagiarism Today offers insight into the bizarre IP history of Clue/Cluedo.

I love this breakdown on Danger Mouse, one of my favorite childhood cartoons, by Jon at Animated.

If the Walls Could Talk…

Back at CrimeReads, Gigi Pandian examines architectural misdirection in mystery novels.

In an older but still interesting article at The Denver Gazette, Jennifer Wilson recounts the shocking discovery during a home remodel of a man’s confession to a nineteenth century murder written on a board nailed to a wall. If you’d prefer a more recent article on the discovery (and more photos), Mike Walker at Atlas Obscura has you covered.

Be Kind to Your Mind

Things have been a bit slapdash in the world the past few months. If your anxiety’s been spiking (like mine has), Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum via CrimeReads suggests we read a mystery to calm our anxious minds.

And, in case anyone needs to hear it, the amazing Jenny Lawson is here to remind us that there’s beauty in imperfection. Embrace it.

Odds and Ends

Laura Miller at Slate offers Sweater Detective show recommendations to warm you in these still chilly days of early Spring.

On LitReactor, Brian McGackin evaluates Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

If you're looking for your next missing persons mystery to read, Jamie Canaves at BookRiot has suggestions. And, if you’re searching for new mystery, thriller, and true crime adaptations to watch instead, Canaves also has eight of them for you to check out.

That’s all for this edi...Ah, wait. I mentioned kittens in the subtitle, didn’t I?

Meet Charles and Oliver, the six month old lil’ darlings who chose us to be their forever family. If you’re wondering about the names, we’re big fans of Only Murders in the Building around here, so Charles and Oliver made sense for our new boys.

Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

The links I provide are for reader convenience. Unless I specifically state I endorse a product, service, or opinion, these links should be viewed as being for informational purposes only. Clicking any of the links above will take the reader to an external site. A. Kate Willett and MysteryPlease! is not responsible for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links on the site. Any questions pertaining to an external site and its content should be directed to the administrator of the external site in question.

If any link is found to be broken or unsecure, please notify A. Kate Willett and it will be updated or removed immediately.

TLDR: At the time of publication, all links above are in working order and legitimate. But, considering the Internet is constantly tinkered with by good and bad actors, clicking any of the links above is at your own risk.

It’s true. I’ve written six crime fiction novels. Those novels currently have an average Amazon rating of 4.6 based on 20,000+ overall reviews. I’ve also outlined a dozen more for other series in production at the book packager I worked with.

What’s that you ask? Can I tell you what the titles are?

Nope. Because I ghostwrote them and signed an NDA to never ever reveal the titles. All I can tell you are the stats.

Did I set out to become a ghostwriter? No. I’ve since hung up my shroud to focus on other things. To be honest, I fell into a ghostwriting gig due to pure luck. A friend of mine was approached by a book packaging company to write a series of crime fiction novels. My friend was too busy to take on the extra work and recommended me for the role instead. Voilà! I was officially a ghostwriter.

Almost.

First I had to pass a writing test. This involved writing a short story (which I was paid for) based on a series of parameters set by the editor and a plot summary a mere paragraph long. After that, the editor and I collaborated on revisions and I was approved. That was when I received my first assignment.

As I said, I can’t reveal the title of that first book or any of the others that followed. I can’t give you the faux author name that graced the covers of my books. I can’t do a lot of things, thanks to that NDA. I can, though, share some things I learned about ghostwriting as a side gig.

Keep in mind, I only worked with one book packager. My statements below are based on that specific experience. Your results, should you choose to pursue this avenue or if you’ve also ghostwritten, may vary.

What ghostwriters should consider before accepting a job

Your worth

Currently, the going rate for a ghostwriter creating full-length fiction is 9.0–11.5¢ per word or $55.00–110.00 per hour. This is according to the 2024 Editorial Rate chart compiled by the Editorial Freelance Association (EFA). A full-length novel in the mystery genre according to Nathan Bransford, a former literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd, should come in between 75,000 to 90,000 words. If we just go by the lower estimates, a ghostwriter who drafts a 75,000 word crime novel should be paid $6,750 for their work. I negotiated a slightly higher rate for my jobs, but the bottom line is I was paid well during my ghostwriting adventure.

Unfortunately, there are many people out there who will take advantage of new or struggling writers. A quick search on Upwork shows job postings offering $1,000 for 40,000 words (so 2.5¢ per word) or $450 for 30,000 words (so 1.5¢ per word). For most people, writing so many quality words and morphing them into coherent, relevant sentences is not a quick process. It takes time, sometimes a lot, making the value of that 2.5¢ per word plummet.

Let’s break it down. I can write about 6,500 (up to 10,000 if I’m motivated with very few distractions) a week on part-time (20) hours. That’s roughly 6 weeks or 120 hours work for a 40,000 novel. If payment is only $1,000, ghostwriting that 40,000 word novel would earn me maybe a dollar over working a job earning the federal minimum wage. Considering that many ghostwriting jobs require you remain anonymous and you can’t even use the work in your portfolio, that’s no deal. Which brings me to the next thing you should know.

You’re writing is the product

Essentially, a ghostwriter is a hired contractor. You are assigned a project and are expected to deliver an end product (the novel). It’s highly likely that, if you plan to ghostwrite fiction like I did, you’ll have to sign an NDA. I’ve been told non-fiction projects are more open to letting you use them in your portfolio to promote your skills. I don’t know if this is the reality, though. So you’re possibly signing away all rights to royalties, author acknowledgement, and bragging rights.

At the book packager I worked for, a ghostwriter is paid a flat fee for the product. I was fine with this. They supplied detailed chapter summaries and main character lists. The primary people, places, and events were already mapped out. I crafted the story around these requirements. I got to provide input and had leeway on the non-essential portions of the story but, for the most part, I didn’t stray from the provided outline’s parameters.

This detachment kept me from pouring too much of myself into the novel. Yes, bits and pieces of me are in there, buried between the lines. A mention of my favorite restaurant. An extra character I wrote in resembling my best friend. A memory recalled by the heroine that’s a reflection of my own. I got to leave my stamp on my writing and when I go back through the novels (because, yes, I did buy my own copies once they were published), I find all the little easter eggs I left for myself to remind me that I wrote that. But I’m not sad that no one else sees them.

At the end of the day, I was a tool for telling the book publisher’s stories, not my own. For that reason, I’m okay with coming up empty handed in the credit department. I provided a product and was paid for it. Simple as that.

There is no you in teamwork

When I was ghostwriting novels, I had one editor who approved my work. I’d send her the drafts, she’d send me notes, I’d revise my writing and send it back. We’d do this until the draft was perfect. Usually, it didn’t take long to get approval from the head editor.

When I switched to ghostwriting novel outlines, things were a bit different. Instead of one editor, I had three to four. At the same time. Because the outline given to the ghostwriters are so detailed (about 35 pages or so printed out!), they had to be more than perfect, hence all the extra eyes.

And so many extra opinions.

One time I decided to give a side character a fishing hobby. The editors loved this and decided to weave the hobby into the killer’s MO. One editor wanted a victim to be gutted like a fish. Another preferred the victim get a fishing hook to the eyeball. The third hemmed and hawed between the two options and suggested a third—strangulation with a fishing wire and a body ravaged by the river’s rocks. This could happen several times during one outline’s revision phase, which meant long delays while each editor individually ran through the draft and noted their thoughts.

Sometimes, we’d get the draft to just where the editors like it. Then the head editor would take a look and make more changes. A couple of times, these changes would affect the entire plot. We’d have to go back to the drawing board and start revisions all over again.

The point here is that ghostwriting doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s not just the writer, happily writing a draft, submitting it, and getting paid. There will be revisions and complete rewrites and maybe even some hurt feelings. So you better play well with others, otherwise your ghostwriting career will be short lived.

Time is limited

My book packager was always releasing new books in various series. Several of my novels were released within a few months of me finishing the manuscript. Those manuscripts ran between 60,000 and 75,000 words. Because the book packaging company had a release schedule for the entire year already mapped out, dawdling between novels wasn’t possible. As soon as one was done, the next needed to be started.

This schedule isn’t for the feint of heart. I wrote and submitted 15,000 words every two weeks. That’s a mere two months to write an entire novel. It’s brutal.

When I think back to that time, I remember being happy I was writing but also so very tired and stressed. I have a day job, so my evening and weekend hours were consumed by writing. I had to work time into my life for my husband and pets. But the extra money was sooo good to have and, hey, I was living my dream. I was a professional writer!

Six novels and a dozen outlines later, I realized how damaging ghostwriting at that pace was to my health and relationships. If I did it all over again, I would set better boundaries for myself. My main boundary would be to write weeknights or weekends, not both. Keeping those hours is punishing to the body and soul.

Why I quit ghostwriting

When my first series ended, the book packager asked if I wanted to continue writing novels or pivot to outlines. At the time, I was writing 15,000 words every two weeks, the same amount of words as novel outlines. And I was burned out on it.

My favorite part of creating a story is outlining it. Foolishly, I convinced myself drafting outlines would be more fun and, hey, I might get them done at a faster rate than writing prose. Maybe enough to warrant an extra paycheck or two every few months. I wholeheartedly signed up for the gig.

Folks, ghostwriting a novel outline is as or more difficult than ghostwriting it. Remember those editors I mentioned before? The ones with varying opinions, scrutinizing every single word in the outline? They also took forever to get revisions back to me. Contrary to what I believed, the outlining process for one novel would take much longer than a month. Sometimes it took two or three. And the entire time I was continuing to make the revisions requested by the editors, sending them for approval, and getting more revisions. Like George Lucas, they just kept tweaking, over and over.

I get it. The outline had to be perfect.

But here’s the thing. I was a writer for the book packager first, so I knew what the outlines looked like. At least the one’s I had worked from. When I signed on to ghostwrite outlines, I expected to crafting similar items.

At some point, I noticed my approved outlines were bumping up to 20,000 or 25,000 words. Sometimes more. Much more than the 15,000 I signed on for. I was told to be more succinct. I did. That didn’t work out either because the editors kept tweaking and requiring more details.

When I was a writer, I did a lot of research on things. One time the outline had a character jumping out to the ocean from a rocky coast. The problem? The story was set in an area composed primarily of sand and devoid of any rocky matter. I caught that and corrected it.

I looked up company acronyms and scrutinized organization websites to find details for my stories. I explored different cultures to find rules and customs to enhance the narrative. When a storyline involving a lake or river or gorge was set near a real town whose terrain was near none of those, I told my one editor and we relocated.

Rereading the outline editors’ notes, I realized what the issue was. They were having me do the research and spell out the details for all of these things. Even simple things that could be easily looked up online. All of this was “too make it easier for the writer”. It had to be perfect so the novel writer wasn’t wasting time.

What?

Memories of digging through Reddit threads and government websites flooded my mind. The hours I, as a novel writer, had spent away from my family because I needed to know what color an EMT’s jacket was or what a prison’s visitation hours were. I was still doing that same research now, as an outline writer, so that the assigned novel writer wouldn’t suffer.

Plus, I was expected to complete more and more work for the same payment. I had recently completed a series outline and, after asking for payment and being put off for a month, was asked to make more revisions because the focus groups decided they like x better than y and things were going to need to be rewritten. It occurred to me that, if I ever ghostwrote again, I would only offer to provide a couple of revisions (not ten or twenty) before requiring a new agreement.

And that was it. Last straw. Sporadic paychecks and wasted time to make someone else’s job easier didn’t work for me.

So I quit.

Was my experience ghostwriting crime fiction worth it?

Yes!

Are you surprised? Don’t be. Ghostwriting was tough, but the pros outweighed the cons. Because of my ghostwriting side gig, I:

· Got into the habit of writing every day

· Honed my skills

· Learned the ins and outs (and struggles) of working with multiple ideas and viewpoints

· Wrote a novels. Actually, six of them!

Plus the book packager was, for the most part, good to work with. Things changed somewhere along the way and we went our separate ways, end of story. I’ve nothing but respect for the company.

That’s it. The story of how I wrote six crime fiction novels and why I can’t share any of them with you. Again, all of the above is based on my own experience ghostwriting crime fiction novels with one book packaging company. If you’ve been curious about the ghostwriting experience and why anyone would chose to be one, I hope this article answered your questions.

3/10/25 Quick edit to add this post by Victoria Strauss on ghostwriting company scams. Another thing to watch out for if you’re interested in fiction ghostwriting. There are a lot of dishonest companies out there, so do your background research before working with one 😁

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Welcome to the February round of Read Mystery With Me! If you’re new, here’s the deal: Every other month throughout the year, I’ll be picking a mystery novel to read. Each day during that month (until we reach the end of the novel) we’ll read a chapter or two and post our thoughts about what we’ve read in a private chat. Please note, you do have to be a paid subscriber to access the chat.

You can read further guidelines for Read Mystery With Me (RMWM) here.

This Month’s Pick

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Back Cover Summary

On a day that begins like any other, Harriet Westaway receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance from her grandmother. Hal knows there’s been a mistake; her grandparents have been dead for more than 20 years, and she hasn’t had anyone to help her since her mother died three years ago. But the bills are piling up and Hal is running out of options. Down on her luck and worn thin by the weight of adulthood, Hal can’t help but wonder if the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money.

Soon, Hall finds herself at Trepassen, the sprawling estate in the English countryside where the deceased Mrs. Westaway‘s family has gathered to pay their respects and claim their bequest. But it doesn’t take long for Hal to realize that there’s something very, very wrong about this strange situation… and the inheritance is at the center of it

Reading Schedule

2/1 to 2/25: Chapters 1 through 50 (two chapters each day)

2/28: Final thoughts and wrap-up

The fun starts in a few days. Grab a copy of the book and get ready to read!