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Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel Revised and Expanded Edition: The Complete Guide to Mystery, Suspense, and Crime
A Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award Finalist for Best Critical/Biographical Work
Discover the secrets to crafting an unforgettable mystery!
To piece together the puzzle of your mystery novel, you need patience, resilience, a solid understanding of the craft, and a clear blueprint for combining the plot, characters, setting, and more. And while patience and resilience must come from you, the essentials of craft and the plan to execute them are right at your fingertips with Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel . This completely revised and updated edition features solid strategies for drafting, revising, and selling an intriguing novel that grips your readers and refuses to let them go.
New York Times best-selling author Hallie Ephron shows you how to:
• Create a compelling sleuth and a worthy villain
• Construct a plot rich in twists, red herrings, and misdirection
• Bring the story to a satisfying conclusion
• Sharpen characters and optimize pace during revision
• Seek publication through both traditional and indie paths
Filled with helpful worksheets and exercises for every step of the process, Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel Revised and Expanded reveals the keys to writing a memorable story that will have fans of mystery, suspense, and crime clamoring for more.
Discover the secrets to crafting an unforgettable mystery!
To piece together the puzzle of your mystery novel, you need patience, resilience, a solid understanding of the craft, and a clear blueprint for combining the plot, characters, setting, and more. And while patience and resilience must come from you, the essentials of craft and the plan to execute them are right at your fingertips with Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel . This completely revised and updated edition features solid strategies for drafting, revising, and selling an intriguing novel that grips your readers and refuses to let them go.
New York Times best-selling author Hallie Ephron shows you how to:
• Create a compelling sleuth and a worthy villain
• Construct a plot rich in twists, red herrings, and misdirection
• Bring the story to a satisfying conclusion
• Sharpen characters and optimize pace during revision
• Seek publication through both traditional and indie paths
Filled with helpful worksheets and exercises for every step of the process, Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel Revised and Expanded reveals the keys to writing a memorable story that will have fans of mystery, suspense, and crime clamoring for more.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 2017
131 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Hallie Ephron
21 books559 followersHallie Ephron (http://hallieephron.com) is a New York Times bestselling author of suspense novels. Her last five have all been Mary Higgins Clark Award finalists.
Her (August 2019) Careful What You Wish For tells the story of a professional organizer married to man who can't pass a yard sale without stopping. In this respect, Hallie is writing from personal experience. Her husband is a champion yard sailor who's packed their basement, garage, and attic with his finds.
A STARRED review in Publisher's Weekly proclaimed it an "outstanding standalone." Reviewing it for TIME Magazine, Jamie Lee Curtis called it "thrilling and suspenseful." From Kirkus: "Ephron's tidy approach to stowing clues, arousing suspicions, keeping the chaos of the climax under control, then tying up loose ends makes her a professional organizer of this type of entertainment. In a word—neat."
Hallie's Never Tell a Lie was made into the Lifetime Movie Network film.
A book lover, she also wrote The Bibliophile's Devotional and 1001 Books for Every Mood. For twelve years she reviewed crime fiction for the Boston Globe. Her Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel (now in a revised/expanded edition) was an Edgar and Anthony award finalist. She teaches writing at writing conferences and workshops all around the world.
Hallie lives near Boston with her husband and has two fabulous daughters. She is the third of four writing Ephron sisters.
Her (August 2019) Careful What You Wish For tells the story of a professional organizer married to man who can't pass a yard sale without stopping. In this respect, Hallie is writing from personal experience. Her husband is a champion yard sailor who's packed their basement, garage, and attic with his finds.
A STARRED review in Publisher's Weekly proclaimed it an "outstanding standalone." Reviewing it for TIME Magazine, Jamie Lee Curtis called it "thrilling and suspenseful." From Kirkus: "Ephron's tidy approach to stowing clues, arousing suspicions, keeping the chaos of the climax under control, then tying up loose ends makes her a professional organizer of this type of entertainment. In a word—neat."
Hallie's Never Tell a Lie was made into the Lifetime Movie Network film.
A book lover, she also wrote The Bibliophile's Devotional and 1001 Books for Every Mood. For twelve years she reviewed crime fiction for the Boston Globe. Her Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel (now in a revised/expanded edition) was an Edgar and Anthony award finalist. She teaches writing at writing conferences and workshops all around the world.
Hallie lives near Boston with her husband and has two fabulous daughters. She is the third of four writing Ephron sisters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 28, 2020
I've read quite a few books about the craft of writing novels, and this is one of the best I've read. The author hits all of the genre expectations for mystery, including tidbits about subgenres, and gives readers helpful worksheets to brainstorm their own WIPs.
In the ebook version, the worksheets were links to a website. When I first purchased the ebook, the links weren't working. I sent an email to the publisher and got nowhere, but then I emailed the author through her website. She got them back up and running within a day and was perfectly lovely. Thanks, Ms. Ephron, that was amazing.
The last part of the book about self-editing and paths to publishing includes useful information regardless of genre. This really is a useful resource.
In the ebook version, the worksheets were links to a website. When I first purchased the ebook, the links weren't working. I sent an email to the publisher and got nowhere, but then I emailed the author through her website. She got them back up and running within a day and was perfectly lovely. Thanks, Ms. Ephron, that was amazing.
The last part of the book about self-editing and paths to publishing includes useful information regardless of genre. This really is a useful resource.
January 21, 2022
This is a useful handbook for beginning novelists in the mystery genre. It breaks down the writing process into basic building blocks, and while supplying excellent examples from published books, presents worksheets (space included in the book, and links included to print them from online) to assist the reader in developing their own work. The back of the book addresses the subject of publication at its most basic level; really, this book is 95% on the writing process, and publishing (especially traditional publishing) is so complex, it requires more books to address it at a helpful level.
August 24, 2017
As a new mystery author, I've read several books about "how to write". This is by far the best one one I've found. The advice is solid and to the point. There are several worksheets and exercises to help you get the best from every chapter. Before I even finished, I was recommending this book to other writers. It's one that I'll keep near my writing desk and refer to often as I continue forward with my first novel.
July 21, 2017
The best book on writing a mystery I've ever read. So thorough!
February 14, 2020
Excellent resource
As an author switching over to the mystery genre, this book really helped me understand the nuances that go into writing a good mystery novel. Thanks for sharing!
As an author switching over to the mystery genre, this book really helped me understand the nuances that go into writing a good mystery novel. Thanks for sharing!
September 1, 2018
Pleasant, Not Mind-Blowing Read
I was interested in the mystery genre, but this book is full of advice for any genre. Everything here is good. Maybe great. For me, I didnt have any real lightbulb moments. But that could just be because my knowledge of writing tools and techniques has grown beyond what this book could offer me. I found myself agreeing with everything written, saying “Yes, exactly.” but never found myself saying “Oh wow, I didnt know that!” Without any profound realisations striking my mind, it is not possible for me to rate this super highly. But because I know this is totally selfish and subjective, I’ll give this 4 stars.
I liked this quote about the genre:
This quote made me think of why I love Asimov so much:
I was interested in the mystery genre, but this book is full of advice for any genre. Everything here is good. Maybe great. For me, I didnt have any real lightbulb moments. But that could just be because my knowledge of writing tools and techniques has grown beyond what this book could offer me. I found myself agreeing with everything written, saying “Yes, exactly.” but never found myself saying “Oh wow, I didnt know that!” Without any profound realisations striking my mind, it is not possible for me to rate this super highly. But because I know this is totally selfish and subjective, I’ll give this 4 stars.
I liked this quote about the genre:
A great mystery plot is like a thrilling ride on a roller coaster. The cars go shooting out of the starting gate. Then there’s a slow, steep climb before a deep plunge. There’s a brief respite before the ride gathers speed, going fast and then faster, rising to a hairpin turn and an even steeper drop. You barely catch your breath and the ride gains speed again, rising to yet another twist and plunge. There’s a final twist and a heart-stopping plunge, and then you coast back to the platform, exhilarated and ready to ride again.
This quote made me think of why I love Asimov so much:
Dialogue that sparks with conflict is inherently more interesting than dialogue that merely conveys information.
October 8, 2017
It's hard to mark this book as read since I refer to it constantly. This is my second Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel. I own this one in two formats, Kindle, and trade. I bought the first one in paper many years ago and literally wore it out.
I've written five books, and I've used this book (in one of its incarnations) in whole or in part to write each of them. It's never failed me.
A book for every writer's bookshelf.
I've written five books, and I've used this book (in one of its incarnations) in whole or in part to write each of them. It's never failed me.
A book for every writer's bookshelf.
January 26, 2020
Incredibly useful book. I purchased the online and print version because which was helpful in my case. You can read this book from start to finish to get an overview and then go back and use it to guide you through your draft. It is rich with examples. I'm sure I'll be using it for the writing months I have ahead of me!
August 27, 2018
I was worried this might be a bit Billy Basic, but although it's relatively short, it's extremely comprehensive. I got a lot out of it and plan to immediately re-read it in order to take notes.
There's a lot packed in here, but there are parts where the author namechecks an element of writing and doesn't elaborate, which is frustrating. I suggest viewing this as purely a book on the crime genre, and checking out other books for tips on general writing (Self Editing for Fiction Writers is my forever favourite).
I'd also be remiss if I didn't point out that the chapter on Self-Publishing is worryingly inaccurate. It mixes up KDP (Amazon's ebook self-publishing platform) with KDP Select (the option that makes your ebook exclusive to Amazon) and recommends Lulu as a great print-on-demand option. ?!?! Please don't use Lulu for POD. If you're looking for an intro to self-publishing, I recommend checking out Joanna Penn's Successful Self-Publishing, which you can download for free on Amazon.
There's a lot packed in here, but there are parts where the author namechecks an element of writing and doesn't elaborate, which is frustrating. I suggest viewing this as purely a book on the crime genre, and checking out other books for tips on general writing (Self Editing for Fiction Writers is my forever favourite).
I'd also be remiss if I didn't point out that the chapter on Self-Publishing is worryingly inaccurate. It mixes up KDP (Amazon's ebook self-publishing platform) with KDP Select (the option that makes your ebook exclusive to Amazon) and recommends Lulu as a great print-on-demand option. ?!?! Please don't use Lulu for POD. If you're looking for an intro to self-publishing, I recommend checking out Joanna Penn's Successful Self-Publishing, which you can download for free on Amazon.
October 3, 2023
I've had this around for a while, and I finally read it, doing a direct comparison to my copy of the older edition. This one has a few extra chapters, has clearer and more streamlined writing at times, and includes more up-to-date examples from recent bestsellers in the mystery genre. The chapters about selling your work are also updated to include self-publishing options, but that part is very general and would just be a first step before prior research.
There are also other subtle differences, and it was an interesting exercise to make comparisons. Sometimes, I felt that the updated book was better, and other times, I preferred the older edition, especially since the quotes and charts in the new version are printed in a really small font size. Overall, the content is mostly the same, and even most of the quoted examples are the same. If someone is buying this used, it doesn't really matter which version they get, as long as they're not opposed to having additional dated examples in the original version. I personally prefer the older edition, and it's the one that I'll be keeping in my library.
There are also other subtle differences, and it was an interesting exercise to make comparisons. Sometimes, I felt that the updated book was better, and other times, I preferred the older edition, especially since the quotes and charts in the new version are printed in a really small font size. Overall, the content is mostly the same, and even most of the quoted examples are the same. If someone is buying this used, it doesn't really matter which version they get, as long as they're not opposed to having additional dated examples in the original version. I personally prefer the older edition, and it's the one that I'll be keeping in my library.
April 3, 2024
THE LONE WRITER'S SILENT PARTNER... I've switched from writing Self Help books to writing Fiction, and boy, what a learning curve. Fun, but, as any writer can tell you, it's a long journey. Hallie's book has really been a great guide to fleshing out the concept, the characters, and the ever-elusive twists and turns.
This book is very detailed and she gives great examples in each chapter along with the option to practice using the exercises she provides. But I must tell you, I rarely do the exercises, because once I've absorbed a chapter, I get ideas for where my story needs to go and how to get there.
I'm not perfect, by any means, but this book has given me a real jump on the process. Now my characters are the ones writing the story. Yes, that was a bit trite to say, but I'm having more fun and gaining traction.
This book is very detailed and she gives great examples in each chapter along with the option to practice using the exercises she provides. But I must tell you, I rarely do the exercises, because once I've absorbed a chapter, I get ideas for where my story needs to go and how to get there.
I'm not perfect, by any means, but this book has given me a real jump on the process. Now my characters are the ones writing the story. Yes, that was a bit trite to say, but I'm having more fun and gaining traction.
January 5, 2018
The Best Book For New Writers
No B.S. Just a step by step (in plain English) instructional book. Takes the writer from start to finish. Easy to read and understand. Free with the book, go to links to download and print actual forms you can use. The forms help you develop your story, plot, characters, structure, etc. The last part of book keeps you safe. It shows you how not to trust people you don't know. It gives information that is helpful. The right trust worthy organizations to contact for help. Not Bob with the cool website and the quadruple spaced 100 page book. If you put in the time you can do it. I own 300 writing books this is number one.
No B.S. Just a step by step (in plain English) instructional book. Takes the writer from start to finish. Easy to read and understand. Free with the book, go to links to download and print actual forms you can use. The forms help you develop your story, plot, characters, structure, etc. The last part of book keeps you safe. It shows you how not to trust people you don't know. It gives information that is helpful. The right trust worthy organizations to contact for help. Not Bob with the cool website and the quadruple spaced 100 page book. If you put in the time you can do it. I own 300 writing books this is number one.
January 12, 2021
I was really disappointed in this because I was expecting a lot more about the specifics of writing mysteries. Instead, most of the book felt like very basic fiction writing advice. And the chapters focused on the specifics for mysteries are really obvious if you read plenty of mystery novels. Meh.
May 4, 2021
Excellent resource
I heard so much about this book, and it was all true. Ms. Ephron provides useful insight into each aspect of writing a manuscript. Much of this information can be applied to thrillers and suspense. The handouts are valuable and can be converted to a writer's specific needs. I strongly recommend.
I heard so much about this book, and it was all true. Ms. Ephron provides useful insight into each aspect of writing a manuscript. Much of this information can be applied to thrillers and suspense. The handouts are valuable and can be converted to a writer's specific needs. I strongly recommend.
October 7, 2017
I’ve read a lot of craft books and this ranks as one of the best. Not just because I’m writing a new genre, but because it really gave me different avenues to use while creating characters. Well worth it even if you don’t write mysteries.
August 3, 2022
Good advice even for published writers
I'm now on the third draft of my tenth published Carlos McCrary mystery/thriller.The advice in this excellent book has caused me to rewrite the climax and the coda. I intend to read this book a second time before sending it to my editor.
I'm now on the third draft of my tenth published Carlos McCrary mystery/thriller.The advice in this excellent book has caused me to rewrite the climax and the coda. I intend to read this book a second time before sending it to my editor.
August 23, 2023
Read most of it and the previous version, and of all the half dozen ish mystery writing books I have tried, this one and its prior edition was the best. Not perfect but very good mystery writing reference.
September 14, 2025
This provided good insights and tips on writing mysteries and the like.
It made me think on a few things in my current novel.
Whether or not you write mystery, this is a good book for anyone wanting to hone their writing craft.
It made me think on a few things in my current novel.
Whether or not you write mystery, this is a good book for anyone wanting to hone their writing craft.
December 26, 2017
A fantastic how to guide!!!!! Wonderful read and the ability to download the charts and maps were really helpful, especially if you are like me and do not want to mark up the book!
June 18, 2018
It was not what I expected, but that is not the book's fault.
I thought it remained on the surface, without going as deep into character or plot as other books on writing I have read.
I thought it remained on the surface, without going as deep into character or plot as other books on writing I have read.
August 14, 2018
Pleasantly surprised! This book contains plenty of great information and useful resources, yet is completely reader friendly! Not at all 'text book like'.
October 11, 2018
This book really helped me with developing my new mystery series. It asked you questions about your characters and plot that you'd never think of. Loved it
February 12, 2019
Such a great book to learn from with examples and charts and tables
August 29, 2021
A thorough discussion of the many aspects of writing a mystery novel. Definitely the book to read if you have ambitions in that direction.
October 6, 2021
Good information, but I got about half-way through and haven’t picked it up again
November 29, 2021
So much I've never even thought of regarding writing a mystery novel. This book is excellent.
December 14, 2021
The first half was excellent. I skimmed the second half because most of it was tried-and-true-but-not-mystery-specific craft info.
January 28, 2022
More like a 4.5, but I would definitely recommend this book to my students and it's very comprehensive.
May 21, 2022
Spectacular! Thorough. Insightful. Helpful beyond words (which is pretty amazing for a book about writing ;).
March 1, 2023
I found this a useful read as I prepare for my next writing challenge.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews