How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America

As a lover of mysteries and someone who plans on writing a mystery of her own one of these days, I found this book to be extremely helpful in understanding what goes on behind the scenes of writing a mystery. How to Write a Mystery should be the go-to handbook for anyone who is even thinking about writing a mystery, suspense, or thriller.

The book is organized into chapters on a need-to-know basis, starting off with general rules and ending with the publication process. Contributing to the writing of the book are a group of the most diverse mystery writers, including Lee Child (who also wrote the introduction), Kelley Armstrong, Linwood Barclay, and Allison Brennan, among many others.

There are subjects in this book that I had not even thought about that are highlighted as important aspects to any mystery book. Details such as the setting or the proper dialogue are so important and may be glanced over as a reader, but both are so important to the flow and success of the book.

Overall, this is an excellent book for mystery writers and readers alike.