Alan Cook's Blog - Posts Tagged "murder"
Sue Grafton
Sue Grafton's new book, Y is for Yesterday, is coming out this month (August 2017), and her last Kinsey Millhone book, Z is for Zero, will hopefully be out in 2019.
Unfortunately, she has been forbidden by her doctors from public appearances and speaking engagements, so she will not be interacting with her many friends and readers. This is a shame because Sue has always been a very public person, maintaining a positive relationship with her readers and giving helpful talks to writers.
I have listened to her speak on several occasions. She signed one of her books for my wife: "Surprise! Surprise! Your husband is a great guy!"
I once sent her a limerick and she wrote me a letter, thanking me and complaining about how difficult it was to think up a plot for her next book. Judging from the success of her books and her vast readership, she has always been able to overcome any plotting problems she might have had.
I wish her well and look forward to the publication of Z is for Zero.
The story of Grafton, Sweet Sue,
Is one of an alphabet stew.
From A through to Z;
She'd done B, G and P.
She's doing it all just for U.
Shrewd Kinsey was born back in '50;
She deals with the folks who are shifty,
And killers and sneaks;
It's justice she seeks,
And a really nice guy would be nifty.
Unfortunately, she has been forbidden by her doctors from public appearances and speaking engagements, so she will not be interacting with her many friends and readers. This is a shame because Sue has always been a very public person, maintaining a positive relationship with her readers and giving helpful talks to writers.
I have listened to her speak on several occasions. She signed one of her books for my wife: "Surprise! Surprise! Your husband is a great guy!"
I once sent her a limerick and she wrote me a letter, thanking me and complaining about how difficult it was to think up a plot for her next book. Judging from the success of her books and her vast readership, she has always been able to overcome any plotting problems she might have had.
I wish her well and look forward to the publication of Z is for Zero.
The story of Grafton, Sweet Sue,
Is one of an alphabet stew.
From A through to Z;
She'd done B, G and P.
She's doing it all just for U.
Shrewd Kinsey was born back in '50;
She deals with the folks who are shifty,
And killers and sneaks;
It's justice she seeks,
And a really nice guy would be nifty.
Writing a Novella
I didn't start out to write a novella. I was trying to write a third "Charlie and Liz" suspense novel. (The first two are "Trust Me if you Dare" and "East of the Wall.") I wrote about 27 chapters and decided I was on the wrong track, so I started over. I wrote about the same number of chapters again, and again I stopped. Something was wrong.
I decided what I was really writing was a much shorter mystery story called "Death at Monksrest." So I did. It is now published as an Ebook on Amazon Kindle.
It starts with a poem about the legend, which tells of an event that took place about the year 1400 in eastern England. Five monks were walking to Canterbury on a pilgrimage when they stopped to rest, but after an argument one killed the others. The poem states that this monk put a curse on anybody who disturbed the bodies.
Flash forward to the 20st century and the site is now on an ancestral estate called Monksrest. When Emma, the daughter of the current owner is murdered, is this a result of the curse?
Charlie is already in England and is called to Monksrest to console his friend, Reggie, the dead woman's brother. He asks Liz to come over from the States and shed some light on what happened based on her knowledge of history.
When she gets there she finds that Oliver, the current owner of Monksrest, is the only person other than the police who is able to focus on the murder. Liz develops a bond with him as she attempts to figure out what happened, what part, if any, the legend played, and whether there might be further consequences.
I decided what I was really writing was a much shorter mystery story called "Death at Monksrest." So I did. It is now published as an Ebook on Amazon Kindle.
It starts with a poem about the legend, which tells of an event that took place about the year 1400 in eastern England. Five monks were walking to Canterbury on a pilgrimage when they stopped to rest, but after an argument one killed the others. The poem states that this monk put a curse on anybody who disturbed the bodies.
Flash forward to the 20st century and the site is now on an ancestral estate called Monksrest. When Emma, the daughter of the current owner is murdered, is this a result of the curse?
Charlie is already in England and is called to Monksrest to console his friend, Reggie, the dead woman's brother. He asks Liz to come over from the States and shed some light on what happened based on her knowledge of history.
When she gets there she finds that Oliver, the current owner of Monksrest, is the only person other than the police who is able to focus on the murder. Liz develops a bond with him as she attempts to figure out what happened, what part, if any, the legend played, and whether there might be further consequences.
