The Tangled Web

by Jane E. Kalmes

The last book on mystery writing you'll every need.

In this book, you'll

•. the three qualities that make an iconic sleuth
•. the four motives at the heart of every crime
•. the simple science behind creating shocking plot twists
•. how to support your twists with a robust network of clues



•. the four kinds of alibi
•. the four kinds of Damning Clues
•. how to construct false suspects
•. the 16 Story Beats every mystery needs

And so much more! The Tangled Web takes you through the entire process of planning a mystery novel, from start to finish. If you've always wanted to write a mystery—or if you've tried before and gotten stuck—this book is for you!

346 pages, Paperback

Published July 29, 2025

Reviews

[the_bookish_took · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ABSOLUTELY love this book! Super helpful to teach someone how to write a mystery, plant clues along the way, and generally give you a fantastic plan of action to follow. Her method of plotting is done in a way that really helps you to get a feel for your ideas, and to place them into a cohesive plan so you know exactly what you're doing. Also, check out her YouTube channel--she has a lot of great content. While this (and her channel) is tailored to the mystery genre specifically, a lot of her methods can be applied to different genres, such as the Image Bank and the Hook (defined here as the world in which your story is set).

She definitely has a gift for teaching and making it easily understandable with practical methods. I eagerly await her next book, nonfiction or otherwise!

Note on the typos: Yes, there are a few, but don't let that deter you from the methods she lays out. They are sound. (Having read the other two books she has out there, there a few typos there as well, yes, but the mysteries are solid and enjoyable, the character work consistent and all around a delight to read.)

[Cheryl Gilmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very helpful instructional tool for writing mysteries! I found that plotting was explained well and made me very excited to work on my own book, now. However, this book needed a lot of line edits. There were many typos with words repeated, like "the the" or "as as" and there were many times when a word was missing or added into a sentence. I found this quite off-putting. She also had an (-) at least once on every page. I feel like the author didn't edit her novel or have any "eyes" on the manuscript, and being that this is a book teaching us how to write a novel, this is concerning to say the least. Overall, I found the information helpful and I will utilize the tips and tricks she wrote about, but I hope she gets an editor to work on any future books. I love her, as a person, and enjoy her YouTube Channel, so this was disappointing to me that I couldn't give it a full five stars.

[Karen J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent guide to authors who are approaching the awesome journey of writing a book. Jane Hannon Kalmes is a gifted, talented author. Her expertise and skills show throughout this book as she guides writers in a logical way. Her use of current/well-known movies, tv shows, books and other media to highlight the writing process is thorough. Her fantastic research and memory compliment her writing style. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is as intriguing as a "mystery book" to me. Thank you for sharing your gifts with all who read your newest book.

[C.A. Newsome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A Craft Book for Mystery Writers

No matter what writing gurus claim about the Hero’s Journey (or Save the Cat, etc) fitting every type of story, mysteries have special needs that other craft books leave wanting. I’ve followed Jane’s mystery craft videos on YouTube for years (and I have the stack of notated index cards to prove it). This book is the distillation of her knowledge, in a well-organized and easily digested format. A must have for every mystery writer.

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is making me a better writer.

Here's What I Expected: A short jaunt into the basics of mystery writing

What I Got: A machine of pragmatism that turns the gossamer threads of idea into solid planning and structure. This book is 343 pages of insight strained and compacted into sensible tools and techniques.

I highly recommend to writers of any genre!