E is For Evidence, Evil and...

E is For Evidence, Evil and Elle Dowser in My Brother's Keeper.

If you watch any courtroom dramas, real or fictional, you will know there are categories of evidence. Substantiated, circumstantial, hearsay, and degrees of each that are considered by police, defense, prosecution, judge and jury.

My Brother's Keeper

Evidence, real or perceived, planted or present by default, creates its own trail for the detective or those investigating a crime of any sort. Deciphering what it means is the detective's job. The writer plants the evidence, but it needs to meet certain criteria. Yes, it can be a red herring [there's that reference again, more later] or something planted to appear true as in My Brother's Keeper—a friend seems to be helpful, as does her boyfriend or male friend, except—neither is as they seem to be to Elle Dowser. 

Clues to solving Elle's dilemma some false, some misunderstood, some deliberate plants, must be sifted, sorted, discarded or believed at face value. Can she sort out the mess and stay alive to prove what the real evidence says? 

Of course, you know it won't be a clear, straight path from real clue to solution, or the book would go nowhere. Some evidence will seem to be, and yet, it turns out not to be—it's a dead end for your sleuth. 

Some evidence will be deliberate wrong turns meant only to deceive. As the writer, you are in charge. Make all the evidence work for you and your story and you are sure to keep your readers along for the ride.

D is for Detective or...

Diamonds, Death and Deceit

D is For Detective, Diamonds or Diamonds, Death and Deceit

Your detective can be a bungling idiot who, for all his short comings, manages to solve crimes in a timely and clever manner. Or, you may have Angela Lansbury, a.k.a. Jessica Fletcher murder mystery writer be pulled in because of her expertise to solve a crime. David Hemmingway in Death Diamonds and Deceit takes on the job for reasons dear to him. 

A career choice could be the impetus that puts your sleuth on a collision course with a crime that she needs to solve.

Whatever role your detective takes in your mystery, you need to build that character well so s/he serves your story and your reader. Diamond Jim Brady or Colombo, Stephanie Plum or Kay Scarpetta—what kind of detective will you build? He or she must be equal to the task as well as a staunch observer of human nature. Another prerequisite, she or he must be a match for the villain.  She must be strong enough to win over the antagonist in the end, even though she may not triumph until the very end. 

Balance is key. Your detective is smart enough, strong enough, good enough to be believable and effective for your story needs. You get to play god as you make your flawed, but perfect for this story, detective.

Help I'm Poly-fragmented

I'm reading Criminal Mind by Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D. and I'm beginning to wonder if I, and perhaps all writers, are Poly-fragmented Disassociative people suffering from identity disorders. I mean it seems to fit. Multiple, even hundreds of personalities in one body...I am guilty.

 With 40 some books and other pieces of published work - as a fiction writer...I must take on all these personalities to make them believable, to make them real to a reader.

When I write a character's part in my latest novel (or having done it in any of the previous ones) I become that person in my mind, my actions, my contributions to the story need to be consistent with what that person in this given situation might do. Am I treading on dangerous ground? In the unlikely chance that I would be called to trial to testify to some murder that I solved (unwittingly with my writing) as an expert witness...what would I say?  What would you say?

I must pose this question to Patricia Cornwell, Stephen King, Tess Gerritsen or another favorite Lisa Gardner...I wonder how they would answer it. How would you?

I'll be waiting for your comments.

Mystery or Horror? Bram Stoker's Dracula

Dracula, by Bram Stoker was first published in 1897 when he was 50 years
old. He died in 1912 at the age of 65 (according to onlineliterature.com .

While reading Dracula, I decided it is a good  mystery.

What qualifies it as a mystery? Every genre has the potential to be included in the mystery genre. To qualify as a mystery the story needs certain considerations: A crime, a secret, a detective, suspense and an orderly resolution.

A crime, either the death of Lucy Westener early in the book, or any of the other deaths in the book would qualify. 

A secret---there are plenty of those, even those between Jonathan Harker and his wife Mina who promised never to keep anything from each other. Dr. Seward is the best secret keeper, but the others --each hold something back.

A detective, I think Mina Harker is the best detectives in the book. She is brilliant, and even when under the spell of the monster Count Dracula, she reasons, plots, and delivers the necessary clues.

There are four others (her husband Jonathan), Dr. Seward, Professor Godalming, Mr. Van Helsing, and Arthur Qunicy also plays a part of the detecting crew.Their names intrigue me. The define them.

Suspense, oh yes, there is a whole boatload of suspense here. As to the orderly resolution...
We are taken round trip from Transylvania and back to Transylvania with the original Dracula and his first adversary Jonathan Harker.

Yes, Dracula is a very credible mystery dressed in the clothing of a well plotted horror story. Don't you agree?