Mystery: How to Write Traditional & Cozy Whodunits

by Paul Tomlinson

SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF THE MYSTERY How do you write a cozy murder mystery that readers will love? You need to include all of the things they expect to find in their favourite - A murderer and a victim - An investigator - either a Great Detective in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes; a Spinster Sleuth like Miss Marple; or a feisty amateur sleuth for a Modern Cozy Mystery. - A closed setting with a small circle of suspects - A 'Watson' to assist (or hamper!) the sleuth - An investigation that explores Means, Motive, Opportunity and Alibis - Clues to what really happened and red herrings that muddy the waters - A plot that puts all of these things together in the proper sequence Here you will find techniques and tools for creating all of these ingredients, along with detailed breakdowns of the three plot structures most often used for the Act I Murder, the Midpoint Murder, and the Most-Likely Suspect (or Innocent Accused) story. You will also find out how locked room or 'impossible' mysteries are created and how 'inverted mysteries' differ from the usual kind. As a bonus, there is a detailed analysis of how these guidelines were used to develop, plot out, and write a full-length murder mystery novel - from original idea to final edit.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Mystery

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2017

About the author

Paul Tomlinson writes genre fiction and books about how to write genre fiction.

Reviews

[L.B. Holding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great bibliography on this one. I took lots of notes, mostly about how Tomlinson writes himself, going back to plant clues and red herrings. He has helped me calm down about not knowing everything about every character at this point in my second mystery. And calming down was basically what I was after.

[V.C. Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because I was writing a cozy murder mystery for the first time. It laid out everything I needed to know about this genre, including the setting, iconography, themes, tone, characters, and plots. This book helped me so much. I ripped apart most of what I had already written and started again. With this book by my side, I learned about The Crime, victims, suspects, and most importantly, the sleuth. I learned what works and what doesn't, where and how to sprinkle clues and red herrings. It was fun reading, too! If you're a new writer of a cozy mystery, this book is a necessity.

[Giancarlo Marquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primero pensé que este manual estaba siendo demasiado básico como para ser realmente útil; es decir, muchos conceptos que hasta el más novato en el género comprendería, pero entre estas cosas básicas hubo ideas que sí fueron útiles y me mantuvieron leyendo. Lo mejor llega cuando el autor da sus ideas sobre cómo estructurar la obra, los diferentes géneros y subgéneros, y la diferencias entre ellos.

A la larga, no deja de ser un manual sencillo y comprensible del estilo "How to...", y por eso es bueno y útil en su intención. Si buscas algo super detallado y avanzado, este no es el manual que buscas, sobre todo si te consideras experimentado.

[Roslyn Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy Reading with Serious Intent

I recommend this work, because it fulfils its promise of How To. We are shown all the facets of constructing a mystery, as a study of Table of Contents indicates. Useful comments on Personalities of Suspects. Fascinating history of Traditional Cozies. Surprise ending: writer included step by step outline of his own C.M. including commentary. Bibliography shows extent of research. Oh, yes. I recommend.

[Allen Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Done, Mr. Tomlinson!
I've read several of Paul's books on writing and to say that his breadth of knowledge is extensive is an understatement! His exhaustive research and the depth of information he shares make this a VERY worthwhile book for those interested in writing (and/or knowing more about) the "whodunit form of mystery! Easy to understand and with many clear examples, it's a valuable addition to the writer's library.

[Jody Derby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully useful guide to mystery. Filled with information spanning the great detectives and more modern cosies. Drawing on Paul’s personal experience of writing a mystery, he shares tips on how to plot, how to create your Watson, and where to plan those red herrings. Easy to digest and return to for reference. A great resource!

[Paul Hefka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative.

I found this book to be enjoyable and easy to understand. A writer should never stop learning. This book makes some interesting observations. This book is worth reading.

[Constanze Scheib · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sehr interessantes und lehrreiches Buch über traditionelle und moderne Cozy Krimis. Verschiedene Detektivarten und Plotstrukturen werden genauso vorgestellt, wie die unterschiedlichsten Autor*innen und ihre Werke. Für Schreibende, die tiefer in die Materie vordringen möchten, genau das Richtige!

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very basic info as far as the genre goes. More informative than instructional. If it was a book on the history and genre conventions of traditional/ cozy mysteries, I would have said it did a great job, but it just didn’t give a lot of help on actually executing these concepts.

[Sidney Smart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

I have been searching for a book that concisely lays out what I need to know in order to write my mysteries as real mysteries. This is it. Thank you!

[Kay Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asset

So much great information, honestly more than anyone would ever need but it allows not just one but several different road maps to writing your own mystery.

[Nikki Kincaid]

Excellent reference. Highly recommended.

[Sieglinde · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and informative guide to one of the most popular genres in modern fiction.

[D.W. Earnhardt]

This is a fabulous resource for anyone looking to go deeper in their understanding of how to write mysteries.

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great guide on writing traditional and cozy murder mysteries. It is very detailed and helpful

[Lou Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I’m always keen to read new ideas about craft and this did not disappoint. In fact I wish I’d found it sooner. Now to fix my current WIP!

[Rachel Neuburger Reynolds]

The first book I've read that really gets down to the nitty-gritty in palatable terms. Very readable. Most books like this are far too remedial or complicated to the extreme. Extremely helpful in getting me through a serious writer's block, so thank you for that, Mr. Tomlinson.