Mysterious Matters: Mystery Publishing Demystified

Going Gonzo with Tim Dorsey

Greetings, Friends and Detractors:

I apologize for my long delay between posts. So much going on, and yet so little! 

Have you all noticed how Amazon is now making more money by selling marketing space to self-published people than it is in selling books? The revolution continues. Meanwhile, the big publishers and agents are absolutely paralyzed, unwilling to take on ANYTHING new, different, interesting, or exciting, and churning out the same tired stuff from writers who outsource their plots (we all know who I'm talking about) and other big names.

I shouldn't say this, but I've found that it makes no sense to buy any new hardcover by a best-selling author. All I have to do is wait three months for it to be remaindered. Unfortunately, that doesn't work for the writers I like, because the print runs aren't that large. Curses!

But I must not let myself get too down about the state of the industry, as we independent publishers are still doing fabulous things. Our theme song is "Tubthumping" from Chumbawumba: "I get knocked, but I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down..."

I've read some pretty good stuff lately, and when my wife asks me for reviews, I've found myself saying, "Decently written, good plot, fast-paced, like the characters." That's the equivalent of a rave. But there are still some books out there whose writing knocks me on my rear-end.  I want to share some of it here on Mysterious Matters (and I hope I won't forget to keep sharing these tidbits).

If you're not familiar with Tim Dorsey, let me put a plug in for him here. The word most often used to describe him is "gonzo," and that's a fair description. His "hero" (note the use of quotes) is Serge Storms, a total psychopath with a lovable twist: He's a serial killer who kills only the worthy -- specifically, the many, many scam artists who call Florida home. Serge is known for the highly creative ways that he dispatches the ne'er-do-wells. His sidekick, Coleman, is a Stoner with a capital S. You can't call these books "mysteries" as much as "bat-shit crazy capers" in which Serge spouts gonzo philosophy and Coleman looks for his next joint to light up. So, you have to be pretty open-minded to this kind of stuff before you purchase your first Dorsey opus, which have titles like Gator-a-Go-Go, Pineapple Grenade, and When Elves Attack.

Sometimes I get so giddy when reading a Dorsey book that I lose sight of the fact that the dude can write.  I want to give you a sample from Tiger Shrimp Tango that shows what this guy can do:

The name's Mahoney. I get lied to for a living. The sign on the door says I'm a private eye, but I mainly keep bartenders and bookies in business.

My best friends--a rumpled fedora and bottle of rye--sat silently on my desk, waiting anxiously for the next case like a weasel-beater in a peep-show booth with incorrect change.

The day began like any other, except it was a Tuesday, not the other six. One of those pleasant days, real nice, right up until it kicks you in the Adam's apple like a transvestite in stilettos. The air coming through my window was heavy with heat, humidity, and double crosses.

Down on the street, people's lives bounce off one another like eight balls in Frankie's billiard joint, until one of them lands in the corner pocket of my office. They pay two hundred clams up front to spill their guts about frame jobs, missing identical twins, and alimony. Most of them just stink up my oxygen with alibis that are as shaky as an analogy that doesn't fit.

But this next one was a broad. She knocked on my door like knuckles hitting wood. I told her to have a seat and gave her a hankie. She blew her nose like a British ambulance, and her sob story had more twists than a dragon parade in Chinatown. But I have a soft spot for the farmer's-daughter types who take a wrong turn out of the dairy barn and end up in Palooka-ville. This dame didn't know from vice cops on the take for back-alley knobbers, which meant not having that uncomfortable conversation again, and that was jake by me.

My gut said this bird was on the level. She had no priors, skeletons, or known associates. A regular Betty Crocker life in the burbs. It all started simple enough with an out-of-the-bye phone call from some mug she'd never heard of. An odd kind of threat. Clearly a wrong number. And some easy green for me. I planned on dishing it for the usual kickback to an off-duty cop named Mccluskey who put the arm on such jokers to knock off the funny stuff, and I'd still have time to make the eighth race at Gulfstream.

The joker had other ideas...

It's not safe or milquetoast, is it? If Dorsey wasn't already successful, I bet most agents and editors would clutch their pearls and decree Dorsey the second-biggest male chauvinist pig in the world, next to you-know-who. But guess what ... Dorsey likes women; it shows in the books. Give him a try, if you dare.

 

I Still Exist + Random Thoughts

Greetings, and apologies for the long time between blog entries. Where does the time go?

I think I have been a bit depressed lately. 2015 was a very good year for my company. So far, 2016 hasn't been great. I had three books on the spring list, and none of them have hit. It's hard for me not to take this personally, since I have to advocate to get them to the contract stage, and then I edit them with my own red pencil (so to speak). So far, there's been very little traction. One of my favorites, and (objectively speaking) the best of the three, missed reviews in a couple of the key journals. I can't even tell you how painful that is.  I want to grab people by the collar and shake them, but their jobs aren't easy.  It's just the biz, folks. We have good seasons and bad seasons, and one of the benefits of working for this smaller press is that the owners are devoted to keeping it going over the long haul, meaning they ride out the ebbs and flows instead of panicking about shareholders, firing everyone in sight, and cancelling contracts.

Unfortunately, this only makes me feel worse about not having delivered good- or excellent-sellers. Maybe things will pick up later this year. It does happen; I believe Anita Diamant's The Red Tent was basically ignored for the first year after its publication, and then became a massive best-seller. Hope springs eternal.

In other news, you may be interested to know that I and the two other senior editors here have made the decision to reject, instantly, any manuscript that comes to us with the word GIRL in the title. This is an irrational business, and while I do pride myself on being a rational person, it's time to take a stand. GONE GIRL was 2012; GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was 2008. It's time for us to move on and stop trying to clone past successes by treating readers like idiots who think the word GIRL in a title signifies a fabulous, can't-put-it-down, amazingly perfect book with an amazing perfectly ending that you just can't believe!!!  Over lunch we decided that, just as the media made a decision not to cover Paris Hilton back in her heyday, we are drawing a similar line in the sand with GIRLS. Maybe that means we won't get the next best-seller. Fine. 

I'm having trouble getting excited about any submissions these days. Everything seems so blah. I keep thinking, "This sounds stupid," or "This has been done a million times," "You've got to be kidding me," and "You're serious--you're really submitting this to me, with a typo in the first line?"  This too shall pass. One of my colleagues thinks people/agents who would have submitted to us in the past are just bypassing us straight for the vanity-publishing route. Who can blame them, with Amazon implying that they (the writers) will make millions by doing so--as long as they invest in Amazon marketing campaigns?

Speaking of which--Amazon has now imposed a 4% annual fee on all sales through our distributor, to cover its "marketing costs." Next step: We sign over the deeds to all of our houses, plus the lives of our first-born, to feed the Amazonian beast.

I was going to review a few recent books (not mysteries), but I think I'll save that for next time. 

Yours in mysteriousness,

Agatho

 

 

The Enduring Appeal of Mary Higgins Clark

There are those who say, "Agatho, you are such a contrarian." To them I say, "No, I am not."

But seriously ... Every so often somebody posts a snarky comment about Mary Higgins Clark on DorothyL, the listserv for "mystery lovers" that often feels like a nonstop publicity engine for those who post endlessly.  I think the days of DorothyL being able to get anyone onto the best seller list ended with Polly Whitney in the early 1990s (and where is Polly now?), but hope springs eternal.

Anyway, the Snarkmeister (not limited to one person) usually makes an offhand comment dismissing MHC as ... oh, too commercial, or too goody-goody, or not dark/deep enough, etc. To these folks, I note that Mary is not posting to social media a dozen times a day in a desperate effort to find readers.  What Mary does do is turn out one best-seller after another. I have been to MHC book signings. The line stretches around the block, probably because Mary has a nice word to say to every single person waiting in line.

So, when I see Ms. Clark dismissed, I in my contrarian way feel the need to pick up one of her books and remind myself why she is so successful.

I hold in my hands the 1975 hardcover of WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN?, from back in the days when books were not puffed up and overly wordy, when you could tell a hell of a story in 200 pages. And I distinctly remember the shock I felt when reading 1980's THE CRADLE WILL FALL, when I happened upon a chapter that took only one page. WTF?  But methinks James Patterson took notice, too, and took it to another whole level.

I just finished 2014's I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN. I think the early books were MHC's the most suspenseful -- A STRANGER IS WATCHING is exquisite -- but this one was a good, solid read. I see Mary's technique more than I used to. Gather a bunch of people with secrets (some believable, some not), toss in a psycho, and let the tale unfold. It's pretty impossible not to like Clark's Irish-Catholic heroines, who are good girls from start to finish -- educated, professional, pretty, feminine, and kind. I'm forever moaning about readers wanting the hero/ine to be their best friend, but I can see where Clark's heroines fit the bill. Key #1 to her success.

Key #2 is the fact that the average teenager can read these books. No parent would object to the content--you see much worse in prime time and on cable. The always competent writing serves the story. Few literary flights of fancy and absolutely zero pretension.  I think Mary writes as the person she is, and the reading public responds to this.  

Key #3, and something that a lot of aspiring writers seem to forget, is that plot still matters. A lot. If you can't tell a story--and a good one at that--you shouldn't be writing in this genre. Show me a writer who gets by on character alone, and I'll come back at you with an argument that s/he can also tell a story.

Keep 'em coming, Mary.

 

 

 

My 2016 Reading List

Dear Readers,

It's been a while since I posted. Not much to say lately. Slow manuscript season and I haven't read anything stellar that I need to recommend. 

I'm reminded that "good" bloggers find a way to blog whether they want to or not, and I think I've gone way too long between posts. So, herewith the books on my reading stand, to be read in no particular order in 2016.

If anyone has read any of these books and has anything non-spoiler-y to say, please hit the Comment button and tell me what you think.

 

VIXEN, by Bill Pronzini

I'm a longtime fan of the Nameless series. I believe this book was published in much shorter form as Femme Fatale a number of years ago. It's next on my list.

 

 

 

 

 

SERPENTS IN THE COLD, by Thomas D. O'Malley and Douglas Graham Purdy

Saw this one in a bookstore and it spoke to me. I think the setting is 1950s Boston, and a serial killer is loose. I don't usually go for serial killer books, but I do like the Boston area and its rich history. We shall see.

 

 

 

 

 

THE ONE I LEFT BEHIND, by Jennifer McMahon

Mrs. Agatho is a big fan of McMahon's and has been on me for a while to read one of her books. I don't know what to expect because Mrs. A. won't say anything about a book to me until I'm done reading it. I think this falls into the category of "women's suspense fiction," whatever that means... 

 

 

 

 

 

THE WATER KNIFE, by Paolo Bacigalupi

I like a good dystopian novel (loved William Gibson's THE PERIPHERAL, which I read in 2015), and this one looks intriguing. It's a big book--what I call a "winter book" to be savored when the weather outside is frightful. 

 

 

 

 

 

THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS, by Stephen King

I like short stories (though I'd never publish a short-story collection - ack! impossible to publish successfully unless the writer already has millions of fans who will buy anything s/he writes), and in many ways I think King is a better short-story writer than he is a novelist. I know I'll find at least a few stories in this collection that I'll love.

 

 

 

 

THE DEVIL'S DETECTIVE, by Simon Kurt Unsworth

This promises to be something different--a detective story set in hell. So many ways for this to be fantastic--and so many ways for it to fail miserably. Only time will tell...

 

 

 

 

 

Happy new year to all, from Mysterious Matters.

 

Agatho's Picks: The Best of New Noir

Even though I don't publish a lot of hardboiled/noir, I consider myself a noir-kinda guy. I have been fortunate to read some stellar new noir books, about which I must now gush here on Mysterious Matters. Of these writers, two are hitting their stride very nicely, having set high standards and continuing to meet and exceed them. One writer is an old favorite, and one is a newbie (at least to me).

I have to begin with THE DEVIL'S SHARE, by Wallace Stroby, the latest book in his Crissa Stone series. This is the fourth in the series. Crissa Stone is absolutely my favorite Honorable Thief. I get a bit giddy when reading Stroby's books because I marvel at his writing. He's the tightest writer in the business. You never -- and I do mean NEVER -- encounter a sentence or paragraph that seems irrelevant or unnecessary. Characters are drawn with deft, tight strokes. The plot plays out inexorably, as you sit there with your teeth gritted, hoping that what you THINK is going to happen DOESN'T happen, while knowing that it very well MIGHT and praying that there's some outcome other than what appears to be inevitable. There is a sort of open secret in the business that journalists have an easier time getting an agent/publisher than other folks, and there's a reason for that: They know how to write. That said, I think Stroby is without a doubt the best of the current crop of journalist-turned-mystery-writers. I usually save books by favorite authors for plane trips or vacations, but I can't do that with Stroby. As soon as the new one arrives, I have to rush to finish what I'm reading so that I can get to Crissa's lastest adventure as soon as possible. You don't have to read these books in order, but it's not a bad idea, and you really should read all of them, if you can: Cold Shot to the Heart, Kings of Midnight, Shoot the Woman First (which is one of the best books of the decade), and now The Devil's Share.

Another writer hitting his stride is Englishman David Mark, whose Aector McEvoy series is set in gritty Hull in northern England. McEvoy is a gentle giant married to a Traveler (gypsy), Roisin, whom he saved from a horrible situation and with whom he now has two children. There are two key reasons to read Mark. First, the writing is stellar. I usually hate using the word "poetic" to describe prose, because that description turns some readers off ... they imagine overly florid language, or tortured metaphors, or pretentious wordplay. Mark's writing is poetic in that it is so incredibly vivid. It casts a sort of spell, and I find my jaw agape with marvel over the way this man crafts a sentence, paragraph, page, chapter. Second, Mark is a superb plotter. Every book in this series has a terrific plot with excellent surprises. McEvoy made his debut in The Dark Winter, which was followed by Original Skin, Sorrow Bound, and now TAKING PITY. You don't have to read them in order, but doing so is not a bad idea. I greatly like the supporting cast, too--they feel like real people, not the usual secondary players who are walking stereotypes. Be warned that there is some dark stuff in these books, so you have to have the stomach for hard noir--but the darkness is balanced by the light in McEvoy and in the relationships among the characters.

Ken Bruen, an Irishman whose books are as much about being Irish as they are mystery stories, is a longtime favorite. He and Stroby are the only two modern writers whose books I read in one sitting. GREEN HELL is the latest installment in the long-running Jack Taylor series, which also boasts earlier entries like Cross, Priest, Headstone, and London Boulevard. Jack Taylor is like the Timex of old: He takes a licking and keeps on ticking. By this point he's been maimed so many times, I'm surprised he can still get out of bed in the morning. And yet he does--and I'm glad of it. In every Jack Taylor book, I'm stopped dead in my tracks by a sentence, an observation, a line--something I'll never forget. Green Hell sees the introduction of a new character, Emerald, who is not unlike Lisbeth Salander from Steig Larsson's books. I sense that Emerald has been introduced to bring new direction to the series, and she's worth watching. I think Bruen is probably a like-him-or-not proposition. I'm firmly on the like side ... and I particularly enjoy Bruen's own enjoyment of, and celebration of, the genre within the pages of his books. If you don't mind seeing the brutal side of Galway and can handle lovely, likable characters getting murdered in horrific ways in every single book, then give Bruen a try.

Also know as Martin Hill Ortiz, Martin Hill came onto my radar only recently. His NEVER KILL A FRIEND is the first in what looks to be a new series starring Detective Shelley Krieg of the Washington, DC Metro Force. Shelley is a 6-foot-4 Black woman who finds herself taking the side of a likely criminal over the side of her colleagues on the force. I think it's always tricky when someone outside of the culture attempts to write a Black man or woman, but Hill has pulled this off with style and respect. His heroine isn't perfect, but she's doing the best she can in a world that is getting increasingly topsy-turvy and she doesn't know whom to trust any more. In the background is Washington, DC, itself, a hardboiled world of drug dealers and homeless living alongside middle-class Black people who are trying to make lives for themselves and their children in the nation's capital. The pace is breakneck and I particularly liked the supporting cast, especially the career criminal "AZ," who becomes an unlikely ally for Shelley. Hill is one to watch and this is a splendid debut.

Readers, PLEASE go out there and support these writers. If your library doesn't have them on the shelves, please request these books from the librarian. We need some fresh blood getting bookstore space AND places on best-seller lists. And I would love to see all of these books having AT LEAST 100 reviews on Amazon and Goodreads within 6 months. When you read and love these books - and you will - tell a friend, blog, tweet, do whatever it takes to spread the word. 

 

 

Let's Hear It for the Girls

Let's talk about the hugest of the huge best-sellers of recent years and what they have in common. Above are the three ubiquitous books that the world has embraced--selling zillions of copies, spawning films, receiving thousands of reader reviews on Amazon and Goodreads...

All are mystery/thrillers, of course. But what I find most interesting is the fact that all have the word GIRL in their title.

Now, there was a time not too long ago that I wouldn't have dared call any woman a "girl." Having a wife and two daughters, and sharing their experiences, I came to understand why it wasn't acceptable to say "the girls in the office." But recently I've noticed that even my wife has begun to talk about "the gals" and one of my daughters talks about her "girls' night out."

I'm not up on the latest feminist theory, but there is something going on here. I understand that a recent wave of feminists holds that women should use whatever tools they have at their disposal to maximize their success and power--and that sex and sexuality are two of those tools. Still, there's a difference between referring to someone as a "woman" and referring to that same person as a "girl."

I admit I'm curious as to how these titles came to be, about the conversations that were had. Let's take them in order, adjusting the wording a bit.

THE WOMAN WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO--As many people know, the original title of this book in Swedish was "Men Who Hate Women." And that is indeed a key theme of the book. Did we think our slick/schlocky society here in the States wouldn't embrace a book with such a title? I know I wouldn't publish a book with such a title. Here, though, I can see why "girl" works, in that Lisbeth Salander is a young woman, just beyond girlhood, who is the victim of a paternalistic society. Despite her bravado, she's vulnerable--a sort of girl-woman. So, I think using the word "girl" in the title works and fits the book's themes. But I wonder how Lisbeth herself would feel about being called a girl. Something tells me she'd be OK with it--she's more of a raw-emotion kind of person, not a quibble-over-semantics kind of person. I wouldn't be surprised if she reads the "Grrl Power" anime comics that are popular the world over.

GONE WOMAN--Now, there's a title that doesn't work at all. The alliterative "Gone Girl" is so much better. Amy Dunne, our unreliable narrator, isn't a girl. She's a young woman. But she engages in the sort of dramatic antics that we (or should I say, I) associate with teenage girls. She's a dangerous mix of maturity and immaturity (as is her husband, and this dynamic is what sustains the entire book). Amy positions herself as a victim, sort of infantilizing herself (portraying herself as a sweet, loving, happy-go-lucky, innocent person) to manipulate the media, society, and the police. When Amy disappears, it's as if a "girl" has gone missing, not a "woman." But I think this observation only strengthens my point that society perceives a girl as an innocent,and a woman as a person with agency. The clever trick here is that a rather vicious woman manages to present herself a "girl."

THE WOMAN ON THE TRAIN--OK, that title works for me, but "The Girl on the Train" is better. Here's another case where the person of the title, Rachel Watson, is clearly not a girl. She's a grown woman who's a complete and total disaster. She sees herself as "the girl on the train"--it's a way of bringing her back to a more innocent time, when she was younger and happier. The fact that this mess of alcoholic can see herself as a "girl" does create pathos; if she saw herself as a woman, she'd have to take more control of her life rather than play the victim as an excuse to keep drinking. So, again, I think "girl" was the right choice here.

So, can we say that underneath these best-sellers we see a running theme of women's identity, self-presentation, emotional well-being, and place in society? Perhaps, perhaps.

I loved DRAGON TATTOO, quite liked GONE GIRL, and truthfully found GIRL ON THE TRAIN overrated. Everyone in the publishing industry knows that every agent and publisher in the United States has been looking for "the next GONE GIRL," so kudos to Riverhead for finding it (or making it happen) with GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Something tells me that was a savvy bit of marketing on the author's/agent's part and the publisher's part. GIRL ON THE TRAIN suffers from being too long, too predictable, and really not doing anything different from what's been done before--unlike DRAGON TATTOO and GONE GIRL, which I think did a nice job of breaking new ground. But I'm all for any book that keeps people reading and talking.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention an earlier series that has long been a favorite of mine: the GIRL series by Charles Mathes. This is a series in that all the titles feature the word "girl," but the heroine is different in each book. The first, The Girl with the Phony Name, is pictured at left. The other three are The Girl Who Remembered Snow, The Girl at the End of the Line, and The Girl in the Face of the Clock. Mathes' heroines are unlike the dark heroines of the books mentioned above; in fact, they're the polar opposite: upbeat, pleasant, a bit in over their heads but really trying not do anything stupid. They're all girls in that they are rather innocent naifs when the book opens; by the end of their adventures, they've grown but still remain the delightful women we've come to love. Books like this aren't being published any longer, as far as I can tell, and that's a shame. But do look for them if you like a highly entertaining, pleasant read, often with a light Gothic feel, and do start with The Girl with the Phony Name, one of my all-time favorites.

 

Exploring B&N; The Supernatural Enhancements

I was feeling despair during a recent trip to Barnes & Noble. 

First, I was upset that I was being made to pay full price for a hardcover. Barnes & Noble: I want to support you. I really do. And I ended up buying the book I wanted. But when I got home, I checked Amazon -- and the price was $10 lower. Yes, a full $10.  I work in publishing, for God's sake -- I'm not a rich man. That 10 bucks means something to me. I have a vested interest in this business, and I want bookstores to stay in business and thrive. Couldn't you have given me a token 10% off or something? You need to figure something out. You really do.

Before Borders went out of business, I used to call it the "Mary Higgins Clark Store." Variety was generally pretty poor, and no matter where you looked, you saw books by Mary Higgins Clark. The B&N I visited was approaching that model -- the same authors everywhere you looked: near the front door, on the end caps, on the first floor, on the second floor, even on shelves under misleading signs. This particular store was the Gillian Flynn store -- the books were EVERYWHERE.  I'm a fan, and I'm delighted by what GONE GIRL did for the business, but surely SOME of that shelf space could have been devoted to OTHER books by OTHER writers?

What depressed me even more was seeing the same old tired writers featured and displayed everywhere. I jotted down a list of them, which I won't reproduce here. My list has 18 names on it. Anyone could probably figure out who they are. One's a factory, one writes the same book over and over again, one writes thrillers with cardboard characters, one churns out a supernatural book every year, blah blah blah. I can't blame agents and publishers in general for feeling despair when this is the sort of stuff that we are pushing at people. It's like watching an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, where people are force-fed mediocrity and made to love it, or lemmings line up to buy something truly mediocre just because they recognize the name.

Where are the fresh voices, I asked myself, as I prowled every corner of that store. They were few and far between.

But then I found them -- in an unexpected place: young adult publishing. Wow. What a vibrant section, with books published the way adult trade fiction used to be published. That fact gives me hope -- today's young adult readers will turn into tomorrow's older adult readers, which means more opportunity for some new names on the best-seller list. I wish I knew more about this market but alas, YA is just not my area of expertise. Still, I had a lot of fun browsing that section of the store, until I came across a book with yes, you guessed it, James Patterson's name on it. My wife threatened to force-feed me a Xanax.

But then I found what I was looking for... that fresh book that I had to have. It is Edgar Cantero's The Supernatural Enhancements. It's not just that the cover is beyond fantastic. It's a book that takes chances, a strange mixture of epistolary novel, dream journal, screenplay. It starts out as a haunted-house book told by a millennial and morphs into a DaVinci Code-style thriller about secret societies, cryptography, and ancient secrets. Truthfully, it's far from perfect. The writer is quite young, and it shows; but there are moments when the writing sings and I see what Edgar Cantero can become. At times the book feels like a collection of the author's hobbies, and I lost count of the number of threads that are introduced and get lost, never to be seen again.

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts, though. I want to shake the hand of the agent who took this on and the editor who bought it, as well as the artist/typographer who designed the interior and the illustrator who designed the book jacket. The book was shelved with a bunch of new entries by old timers who haven't turned out an original work in years, which made The Supernatural Enhancements seem even more fresh and intriguing in comparison. It's not for everyone, and I like that about it. It doesn't use the same old tired formulas, but rather mixes things up and makes them spooky and intriguing. This is the kind of publishing I want to do -- and think that I do -- and I just wish I could do more for all of these books than I have the power to do.

[Speaking of old tired formulas -- I read flap copy on a bunch of the books on the publisher-paid table at B&N. Three of them-- of about 20-- told me in the first paragraph about the male protagonist and his recently dead wife or kid.  How many times are we going to publish that character, with that same boring backstory.  Ack! Aargh! Xanax, please.]  

In the meantime, though, do check out The Supernatural Enhancements and see if it is for you.

Rebecca: Could It Get Published Today?

 

Note: There are spoilers in this post.

Aaargh. My wife did it to me again. She has a penchant for deciding to read a classic (or older) work and leaving it on her nightstand. I see it there and tell myself, "I'll read just the first few pages," and before I know it, I've read the whole thing while my own book languishes (and Mrs. Agatho smugly comments on her excellent taste in fiction).

Last week Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca showed up on that nightstand. A rather large book, I thought, turning it over in my hands. Nice cover art. Let's just see what comes after that whole "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" thingy.... I finished it last night. As I often do when I've finished an older book, I ask myself, "Could this book have been published today?" And I think the answer is likely No.

There are a few "problems" (note use of scare quotes) in the book that would make it a very tough sell today. Specifically:

1. The first two chapters (only about 12 printed pages) are heavily descriptive. Truthfully, it's tough to get through them, but I was determined to plow on. Those first pages are probably the equivalent of say 25 manuscript pages. I think agents and editors would read those pages and think, "Ack! Too much" - and that would be the end of that. Things move much more quickly after page 12 (though the pacing does suffer from problems for much of the first half of the book); but today's publishing climate isn't patient. Every day agents make decisions based on the first 5-10 pages of a book. If there are any agents out there who'd read past page 5 of Rebecca without tossing it into the recycle bin, please raise your hands.

2. The narrator is really problematic. I see what du Maurier was doing. She wanted to contrast the new Mrs. de Winter -- mousy, insecure, more than a little pathetic, and rather annoyingly stubborn and obstinate -- with the first, dead Mrs. de Winter. I'm not a big find of narrators without names; I usually find the device pretentious, but here it works. Our narrator can never be as much of a presence as Rebecca; Rebecca's is the only woman's name that matters. du Maurier starts off on a sure footing here; we come to like our narrator, whose shyness masks a keen ability to observe (the scenes with Mrs. van Hopper are hilarious). She's a little mewling, but she's also 21 years old, so one expects some immaturity. But by the time she gets to Manderley, she's basically a lap dog and a whiner. I was annoyed time and again when people extend the hand of friendship to her, only to have her slap it away. She wants to be mistress of Manderley, but she won't do anything to step into the role. 

But this isn't just a matter of personal taste. I don't think today's readers (editors, agents) would think modern/contemporary women would like or be able to relate to the heroine. While she's not with a certain ironic humor, she's not the strong, independent woman we like to see in our sleuths or heroines. She's an observer, not an actor.

3. This book is quite a bit longer than it should be. It's overwritten, with page after page that doesn't add to plot or character. The only people who can write books this long are authors who already have best-sellers under their belts. I can see the rejection letters (emails) now: "The core of the story is good, and there are some good plot twists, but there's just too much weighing it down. Best of luck with it."

Now let me offer a few thoughts from a reader's point of view, not a publisher's. The three points of dismissal above have the horrible result of utterly annihilating this book's many accomplishments. Specifically:

*This must be one of the very earliest novels to look closely at narcissistic personality disorder. Because that was Rebecca in a nutshell: a classic narcissist. And the way that du Maurier moves Rebecca so slowly and tantalizingly from a worshipped goddess to a vicious nymphomaniac is extremely skillful. I can't think of any portrait of a narcissist that is more effective. And du Maurier does all of this in retrospect, with a dead woman.

*du Maurier also does an excellent job with the unreliable narrator. I wish I could put a finger on exactly how the narrator's neurosis would be classified. Mrs. de Winter is forever extrapolating into the future, envisioning how scenarios will play out. She builds grand short stories in her mind, often with more than a bit of paranoia. She can't really seem to form attachments, except to Max, whom she worships: Perhaps she suffers from borderline disorder? (On a side note, I have always appreciated a good unreliable narrator, but I'm often surprised by how much readers hate them.)

*This book is expertly plotted. du Maurier provides the hints required by fair play, but there are at least four major plot twists that make the reader gasp. (Compare that to ONE in Gone Girl or A Kiss Before Dying). Writers really should study this book to see how a simple plot can be woven into a great mystery.

I'll close with just a few random thoughts. First, on more than one occasion I found myself disconcerted by the writing. I don't think I've ever read a book where I swung between thinking "Wow" and thinking "Ugh." If you read it, you'll see that the author occasionally gets into a mode where she spits out 50 or 60 simple sentences in a row. Once you notice it, you can't un-notice it. It put me off, that's for sure. I have to think du Maurier had a reason for doing this, because clearly she was capable of much, much better. I wonder...

Also, I'd been completely unaware that du Maurier faced serious allegations of plagarism with this book (and other works, too). From the little I read, it sounds like the allegations may have a strong basis. However, one could accuse Shakespeare of plagiarism, too, of course.

Finally, and I should have mentioned this earlier -- everything I said about the book not being publishable today is wrong. Why? Because du Maurier had strong family, society, and publishing contacts. Many people today with much less talent than du Maurier get published for exactly that reason.

 

 

A Plug for Malice Domestic

I've been a bit remiss in my posting these days - but I try to post only when I have something to say, as I don't like to recycle other people's content.

This week I'd like to put in a plug for Malice Domestic, one of the great mystery lovers' conventions. This year it will be held in Bethesda, Maryland, from May 2 - May 4th.

I've attended two or three times in the past, and I can say that this is a wonderful conference. Of course, it tends to attract lovers of cozies, but really, there's something for everyone, unless you're of the "I need lots of blood and guts" school of mystery reading.  

The panels are always fun, enlightening, and entertaining ... and not the same old, same old, so readers and writers can always feel as though there's something new and different to try. And, of course, the Agatha Award is presented at this convention, and that's always fun. (I wonder if, in the future, there will be an "Agatho" Award for most opinionated blogger.)

This year, Malice offers three lifetime achievement awards, rather than the usual one: to Margaret Maron, Joan Hess, and Dorothy Cannell (I particularly enjoyed her Withering Heights).

The best thing I can say about any convention is "There's so much going on that I'm frustrated that I can't be in three places at once." What a lovely option in life - to choose the greatest among goods, rather than the least of the evils. Malice Domestic is a welcoming place where there are many, many goods to choose from. If you're on the East Coast, stop in and celebrate the genre with the many devoted readers, writers, organizers, and volunteers who make Malice a success year after year.

 

Five Thriller Writers Who Are Better Than Patterson

I recently read, somewhere, that in houses/apartments with the fewest books, there is likely to be at least one James Patterson novel. If it's true, it's a telling indicator of how well Patterson has figured out what the "average" reader wants.

I know that I get on Patterson's case, probably too often, mostly because I resent his stranglehold on the industry and on readers. There are other great thriller writers out there who don't get nearly as much as ink (or generate nearly as many sales), so - for those of you who like thrillers - I would like to present my list of Five Thriller Writers Who Are Better Than Patterson.

I have to preface this list by saying that I evaluate thrillers on different criteria than I use for "crime fiction" or mysteries. For me, the key elements in a thriller are pacing, plot twists, and quality of writing. I don't expect heavy characterization or moments of transcendence; I do expect a fast, fun read that keeps me guessing while not insulting my intelligence. All thrillers require, for me, a massive suspension of disbelief; otherwise, why bother reading them? With all the writers I'm about to discuss, I find myself drawn into their webs and gladly ignoring reality.

 

1. BLAKE CROUCH.  For those who like their plot twists to come at a fast and furious rate, I have to recommend Blake Crouch, a Colorado-based writer who has a solid backlist and, I think, some rabid fans. I can see why: These books grab you and don't let you go. Here's one of the reasons I like him better than Patterson.  Patterson's plot twists/surprises are almost always of the Grand Guignol school. You're meant to gasp out loud when you encounter them; there are always one or two biggies. But in Crouch's books (a good example is Snowbound, cover shown at left), there are not only some big surprises, but also many smaller ones. This relentless exposure of secrets and surprises makes the pace breakneck. Like Patterson, Crouch is a master of the "I'll read just one more chapter" phenomenon ... and before you know it, you've read another 50 pages. I take these books on trains and airplanes, knowing that I'll get sucked in (and that people sitting next to me won't bother me, because they can see how immersed I am).

 

2. WALLACE STROBY. A former journalist, Stroby is a master of packing a lot of action and a lot of meaning into a small amount of space. Stroby's books are some of the tightest, most no-nonsense thrillers I've ever read. Particularly good is Cold Shot to the Heart, the first (and one of the best) in the Crissa Stone series. These are hardboiled books in which everyone's a bad guy, but with a twist: There are good bad guys who are professional criminals committing mostly victimless crimes, and there are bad bad guys who gives the good bad guys a really hard time. Like Vachss, Stroby has a strong moral compass. His writing is direct and forceful; it makes you pay attention, but it does so subtly. Here's the marvel of Stroby for me: When I'm reading at a rapid clip, I may end up skimming because I'm so involved in the plot. Stroby makes me want to read every word. The prose isn't show-offy, but it's confident and articulate. This guy is terrific - give him a shot.

 

 

3. BRIAN FREEMAN. Freeman is a Minnesota-based novelist who has turned out one twisted, fast-paced thriller after another. If you like to follow series characters, you'll find a well-developed cast here, including the very cool Jonny Stride (I want to be him) and the complicated Serena Dial. Freeman does something better than anyone else I can think of: He sets up his plot twists magnificently. When reading a Freeman book, I often get to a surprise that exasperates me because it seems to come out of nowhere. By the end of the novel, that twist has been fully explained, and I see the author's artistry in plotting. The Minnesota landscape is realized extremely well (it's testament to Freeman's talent that these books make me think about living in that icy-cold state). My only regret is that the books often have those generically thrillerish titles, like Stalked and In the Dark (shown above). The titles position the books properly but don't do justice to Freeman's prose and characterization.

 

4. JOSEPH FINDER.  Finder has found a large audience, I think, largely on what I think of as the basis of all novelistic talent in this genre: The man knows how to tell a story. He has a series featuring Nick Heller, special ops guy; he's also done some very good standalones.  Power Play, shown at left, is particularly good. It features Jake Landry, tough guy with heart of gold. A quality that I see in Finder's books -- and, admittedly, it is difficult to define this term with any specificity -- is fun. They're just incredibly entertaining and ... well, fun. When I read any manuscript or book, it's always obvious to me when the author has had fun writing it (while also taking the task of entertaining readers seriously). This is the sense I get from Finder: I think he takes great pleasure in being a story teller, and it shows in the books. Like Stroby, Finder makes me read every word, even as the pace keeps me turning the pages.

 

 

5. SEAN DOOLITTLE. Being smart is a requirement for any good thriller writer. You've got to do a lot of things well, keep all those balls in the air, keep the reader engaged and surprised. Doolittle's great at all these things. But, of the writers I've included in my list, Doolittle has the most edge, and that's what I like about him. He brings an intellect to his stories and narratives that tickles my fancy, because I love his take on things. (Think Quentin Tarantino, though more intellectual and much less profane.) He's quite hardboiled in Rain Dogs (shown at left); a less hardboiled, but equally twisted book is Safer, in which Doolittle does so many things right, it's hard to enumerate all of them. Here Doolittle takes chances with a narrator who's a little hard to like (see - it had been done before Gone Girl, and just as effectively), pitting him against a nosy neighbor in a game of psychological one-upsmanship. There's a cleverness in these books that goes above and beyond what I see in the typical thriller.  Give Doolittle a try; he deserves a larger readership.

 

 

I give an honorable mention to Douglas Corleone. I haven't read much of his earlier work, but he's recently launched a new series featuring Simon Fisk, who makes a career of finding children who've been abducted. The debut is Good as Gone, and I think the series has legs. I'm looking forward to the next installment.