N is For Notorious, Noose and ...

N is For Notorious, Noose and News-lettery, and The Mystery Reader Connection

A newsletter that is, your key to all things mysterious, as well as, insights into new authors to read and enjoy. New columnists with different perspectives on the noteworthy and notorious and sometimes ordinary in the world of mystery. 

Notorious cases turn into movies, make lawyers rich and successful, and get more media coverage than some Hollywood stars, but then Money Isn't Everything.

If the mystery writer writes about the notorious, care must be taken with details. Sure you are writing fiction, but readers take issue with re-writing history. Readers develop trust with the author, they expect to be entertained, but entertained with facts. 

Twists and turns, red herrings and detours, but never tricks, never lies, an unreliable narrator, perhaps, but they will see this and be wary of him. An unreliable author, on the other hand, gets slam dunked into file 13—the wastebasket—the never buy her book again list. And word of mouth is a notorious career buster or booster, if you're a good author who treats her readers fairly.

Patricia Cornwell wrote about Jack the Ripper. She didn't change the known facts. What she did was use her expertise to try to convince the reader with what the facts meant, showed, or proved with her expert insight. Cornwell's only flaw was some cases people don't want solved.  As long as they are not solved, writers and dreamers can write the story again and again, each scenario a speculation and perhaps a best seller.

Use notorious cases at your own peril, or use them wisely to make a good story better, but don't abuse them, your readers will be delighted an engaged.

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