. . . mysteries worth solving and stories worth telling . . .
— Sherlock Holmes
My writing career began with mysteries, but I drifted for a while towards short stories and books of history (fiction & nonfiction). Coming full circle, I’ve turned again to my favorite genre: mysteries.
Currently, my crime fiction projects include
a mystery series called
NANTICOKE ISLAND MYSTERIES
&
a standalone romantic suspense novel titled
IN DARK CLOUDS
NANTICOKE ISLAND MYSTERIES
These novels feature Elise Hunter, a forensic artist who resides on a small island in the Chesapeake Bay, midway between Virginia and Maryland. Her investigative skills come naturally, but she also depends on her training in forensic artistry to solve local crimes.
Book One: LEATHER WINGS
In the first mystery in this series, readers meet Elise Hunter as she moves into her new home on a high cliff on Nanticoke Island. The moving van delayed; she lodges for a month at an abbey—a beautiful, serene setting until a serial killer appears.
Book Two: FATAL CHARM
In the second novel in the series, Elise hunts down a murderer who has preyed upon Nanticoke Island’s husbands for decades. Until she solves the mystery, husbands will vanish and die.
This novel is a work-in-progress.
STANDALONE NOVEL
Romantic Suspense: IN DARK CLOUDS
This mystery is set in my onetime village home in Carrigaholt, County Clare, Ireland. The story tells of Vera Bissett’s search for a murderer amidst the resurgence of the IRA, a paramilitary movement in Ireland.
The manuscript is finished and undergoing a final revision.
How do I draft a mystery?
Plotting and writing a mystery is similar
to plotting and playing a game of chess.
Each character, like each playing piece, has unique
strengths and weaknesses,
desires and fears.
In every aspect, the key figures—hero and villain—are much like the game’s two kings. Strong opponents, they surround themselves with trusted allies as they struggle through conflict and danger to reach individual goals.
What are the hero’s and villain’s goals?
Hero’s goal is to achieve something that brings happiness—a sense of well-being.
Villain’s goal is to keep hero from achieving that goal of happiness.
So, just as the two kings strive for victory,
HERO AND VILLAIN
strive to reach their goals to
WIN THE GAME.
In games or stories, the battle for victory is essential—without the tension of conflict, there’s scant interest in the outcome.
A successful mystery is as creative, passion-filled, and logical as a well-played game of chess.