Friday, January 5, 2024

What's We're Writing--Debs on It's All in the Execution

DEBORAH CROMBIE: It's What We're Writing week here on JRW! On Monday Jenn McKinlay gave us a snippet from the Library Lovers book she's finishing, in which the victim is electrocuted, and I thought, "I haven't electrocuted anyone since the very first murder in my very first book!" That got me thinking about how weird that must sound to people who don't write (or read!) mysteries. What a bloodthirsty bunch we are, always trying to come up with inventive ways to get rid of our poor victims. 

I have used, as we go through my Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series; electrocution, blunt intrument, poison, drowning, blunt instrument, poison, poison, drowning (the last three all in one book!), strangulation, drowning, hit by car, knifing, knifing, shotgun!, blunt instrument, blunt instrument, drowning, blunt instrument, hit by car (two victims again! And there's a stabbing in that one, too), blunt instrument, blunt instrument, drowning, strangulation, a bomb!, victim pushed in front of train (ick!), strangulation, gunshot, poison, and stabbing!

You can see that I'm not very inventive--I work on the theory that most murderers use the easist/most accessible means, especially if the crime is spur of the moment--and also that I have favorites in my murderous arsenal! Drowning and bludgeoning, obviously, are high on the list, but which one is it in the book in progress, Kincaid/James #20? (Working title is some iteration of The Long Cold Sleep, but we shall see...it may end up something altogether different.)

Just for fun, check out the poor drowning victim in the ridiculously awful original hardcover art for my third book, LEAVE THE GRAVE GREEN. 



The British poet Stevie Smith's poem "Not Waving but Drowning," comes to mind. Does that setting look anything like Henley-on-Thames to you? Or even remotely like a British mystery??

Here's a snippet from K/J #20 (which will hopefully have a much better cover,) in which Gemma, the detective inspector on the case, consults with our dashing favorite pathologist, Dr. Rashid Kaleem.

Raising an eyebrow, Rashid said, “Nothing like jumping back in the deep end, then. Let’s see what we’ve got.” Pulling up his hood, he crouched beside the body and began his examination. “The victim appears to be a Caucasian male, in good physical condition. Probably, judging by his clothing, a runner.” He manipulated the fingers of the corpse’s right hand, then the left. “Rigor is established, as you can see, but from the flexibility in his digits, I’d guess it’s still advancing. However,” he glanced up at Gemma, “immersion in water can play havoc with all our usual indicators, as you know. There’s some bloating and discoloration, but not much sign of marine predation yet.”

“Why is he curled like that?”

“Drowning position. Back to the surface, arms and legs dangling. Normally bodies sink in this position and may show abrasions on fingers and toes, and even the face, from scraping the bottom, but I’m not seeing that here.”

The features were distorted enough that Gemma couldn’t get a clear idea of the man’s looks, or even his age. He’d been clean-shaven and his hair, although still wet, looked dark. He wore running shoes, and above them loose-fitting jogging trousers and a gray t-shirt in some sort of moisture-wicking material.

 Rashid, who’d been examining the clothing, held up an unmarked set of keys. “Zipped in the key pocket. House keys, I imagine. There’s also a mobile phone pocket at the back of the trousers, but it’s just a slip-in type. If he had a phone, it’s come out.”

“Do you think he went in the water here?” Gemma asked. “If that’s the case, the divers may find it.”

“There’s virtually no current in the canal, so in all likelihood, I’d say the body didn’t move far.”

“And time of death?

Rashid flashed a smile at her. “You’re not pinning me down on that until I get him in the lab. But I’ll schedule the postmortem as soon as possible. Bodies that have been in water start to decompose very rapidly once they’re exposed to air.”

“So, this guy was running, fell in, and drowned?” Frowning, Gemma added. “He did drown, right?”

Rashid had moved from the victim’s torso to the head, and was now running his fingers gently over the skull. His hand went still. He looked up at Gemma, all levity gone. “He very well may have. But that would have been after someone bashed him over the head.”

This week's other exciting news, other than writing progress and a blunt instrument or two, is our new REDS & READERS private Facebook group! It's a great place to make friends, find new authors, and of course keep up with the REDS. We'll be doing live chats and LOTS of giveways! I'll be giving away a copy of Kincaid/James #19, A KILLING OF INNOCENTS, so click here to join the fun, and leave a comment there to be entered for the contest!



Readers, do you like your murders complicated, or straight up?






129 comments:

  1. Oh, the poor guy . . . I’m guessing that being done in in two different ways tends to ruin your whole day! [But now I want to read the rest of the story . . . .]

    Murders either complicated or straight up, I’m happy either way. The fun is in figuring out the who, the why, and solving the mystery . . . .

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    1. Me, too, Joan! Either one definitely ruined the poor man's day.

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  2. I like my murders - no, wait that sounds weird - my murders...

    I enjoy murders..... No, that's not good, I'm not murdering anyone

    I enjoy reading a good story, if a murder, or two happen, I think the type of story might dictate if the murder is complicated or not.

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    1. I've always been more interested in the why than the how, Deana.

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    2. Me too - I'm intrigued, to say the least, about what tips relatively normal people into a state of mind that actually believes killing someone is a good decision!

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  3. Too complicated and I can't keep details straight; too easy and it comes off as contrived. I love the zany ways they use to murder victims in "Midsomer Murders" (death by wheel of blue cheese still being the most clever), but I get tad put off by the truly gory stuff.

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    1. Midsomer Murders is one of our favourite shows to watch! Suzette

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    2. The murders in Midsomer Murders are SO gruesome! I'd love to be in the writers' room where they sit around and think up these things!

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    3. The wheel of blue cheese was definitely one of the best. And the mead vat!

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    4. Hated the Death by Chocolate episode ! Ruining all that chocolate!

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  4. This makes me think of the show Dead Like Me and some of the crazy accidental deaths, like being hit by the toilet seat from the Mir space station.

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  5. This is a great beginning. I surely do want to find out who the victim was, who killed him, and the whole set of mystery puzzle questions: who what when where why. I don't really like to read gory mystery novels, but I love the sleuthing part, the puzzle of it all.

    On another note, I am really enjoying the Reds & Readers Facebook group.

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    1. Oh, that's so nice to hear, Elizabeth! We are loving it!

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    2. Oh, that is so wonderful to hear! And we are just getting underway….

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  6. I like to watch true crime shows on tv and one of my favorites is Dr. G, who was the medical examiner in Orlando. The most interesting episodes are the different ways people come up to commit suicide and how quite a few accidents are not really accidents at all, they were murdered.

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    1. I've never watched many true crime shows, but I did take a post grad forensics course because I've always been fascinated by what pathologists do.

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    2. Don’t watch true crime shows or read books ! Do like the interactions between Pathologists and detectives!

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  7. Now I want to know who based him in the head. I like murders I read to be both, complicated or easy, but not too easy that it is unbelievable.

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  8. Oh, I am so excited to see the dishy Rashid. Is Jasmine going to be dating him? Has our favorite Texas Brit made a match for two of her amazing characters?

    Oh, sorry. You wanted to talk about murder. Sure. But, some of the motives are more gruesome than the murders themselves. Next, you should list where all the victims are found! That is even more interesting than the method!

    Debs, I can hardly wait for the new book!

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    1. JUDY: Ooooh, I agree about Rashid & hope that something more happens with him and Jasmine.

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    2. Count me in the Rashid fan club. Dishy!

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    3. I agree.
      Danielle

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    4. Laughing! Maybe we'd all rather talk about romance! Rashid is one of my favorite characters. So is Jasmine! I love all my characters! A relationship between Rashid and Jasmine is going to be challenging, considering their backgrounds--he is Muslim, she is Hindu. We will see!

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    5. Just going to put it out there, Debs - in my experience, forbidden romance is VERY popular with readers...

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    6. Oh, Julia, that's something I hadn't even considered!! I need to pick your brain about this!

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  9. Love the scene, Debs. Your thought about murder weapons brings to mind going out to dinner with author pals at Malice Domestic. When murder weapons become the topic, the waitstaff starts backing away and diners at nearby tables look horrified. We laugh and say we're mystery authors!

    I have that kind of weapon list for my books, and feel oddly smug that I've never killed someone with a gun. It just feels too...easy.

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    1. Years ago I was staying in a B&B in Somerset with Kate Charles and Marcia Talley, and at breakfast one day we were brainstorming some plot problem when the people at the next table got up and left the room, their breakfasts unfinished. They were German, and we could hear them whispering in the hall with our hostess. She assured them that we were all respectable crime writers, not murderers! We still laugh about that.

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    2. The comment about waiters backing away when you discuss murder methods sounds like what happens when a group of us nurses eat together and talk about our experiences in medicine. Funny!

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  10. DEBS: I laughed when I saw your list of murder weapons used in your books! Of course, in a long-running series as yours, it's hard to come up with a novel way to off the victim, lol. And I'm not surprised that you didn't use a gun (or shotgun) as the weapon in England.

    As for your scene snippet, yes another bashing of the head! And I also welcome seeing more of Rashid (like JUDY).

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    1. In the two instances, the shotgun was a hunting gun, and the handgun was used by someone with logical access to firearms. In the UK, you're more likely to be stabbed than shot.

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  11. Debs, LEAVE THE GRAVE GREEN was the first Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James I ever read! My cover had a paintbrush, I think. I looked on Google images and that seems right. It was very simple and elegant. The drowning stayed in my mind.

    I've never thought about if I like my murders elaborate or simple. Hmm, I don't think I have a strong preference but I do enjoy it when the author is very clever with disposing of important evidence or the body.

    I don't want to spoil too much, but the first Brother Cadfael book comes to mind and also a Roald Dahl short story 'Like a Lamb to the Slaughter.' That one was made into an episode of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and I loved that too. There's tons more, but those were two of my favorites.

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    1. Jill, I agree that disposal of the body is every bit as interesting as the murder method. That's why I suggested that Debs list where the bodies are found since we rarely witness the murders themselves. My personal favorite for creepiness was under the patio. Oh, that was a very evil murderer.

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    2. Exactly! Where was the body found and why was it found there? Who found it and how did they find it?

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    3. Jill, that was the first paperback edition of Leave the Grave Green and it was a lovely cover. I still have some of those somewhere.

      Judy, yes, under the patio! Some of my murderers are people pushed too far, but that one was truly, bone-chillingly evil.

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  12. Love the list of murder weapons/causes of death. I've never electrocuted anyone and it's been a while since I had an alleged drowning victim. Now you have me thinking...

    As for murders. I enjoy twists and turns and misdirections, so bring on the complicated plots!

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    1. Annette, as a reader, the fun part for me is watching the detectives, whether pro or amateur, follow the clues and solve the puzzle. In a series, I want to see all the developments in their lives as they work it out.

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    2. Yes, I want to see the "life" stuff! I want to write the "life" stuff!!

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    3. Love the “life” stuff! — Pat S

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    4. How about death by angry horse leaning its rider against an electric fence?

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    5. Pat, I've had horses do their best to sweep me off under a low-hanging branch, but mine have all known to stay the heck away from the electric fence.

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  13. Your second paragraph listing all the methods of killing you've used is eye popping -- don't let that one out on its own without the rest of the essay!

    I can't bear gruesome but find believably easy-to-hand methods equally disturbing. I read mysteries for the main characters, their personal lives and their professional knack for solving crimes -- without that element, I would not be reading. So, keep writing, Debs, and do let Rashid have a happy love life!

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    1. Amanda, you made me laugh out loud. What a fun post!

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    2. Amanda, I do hope that won't be taken out of context--and we won't even talk about my Google searches lol!
      And another cheer for Rashid. He's just a lovely guy--I'm quite smitten with him.

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    3. But that’s not fair! Doug and Melanie have been waiting for happy love lives much longer than Rashid! Doug and Melanie first, please. Elisabeth (acting like a five year old)

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    4. Flora here. I'm stamping my feet and holding my breath 'cuz I want to see Doug and Melanie happy too! :-) Rashid, by the way, probably already has someone--he's just not flaunting his relationship to Debs or us..

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    5. Oh, Doug and Melody. Sigh. They are my wayward children!

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    6. And neither Flors nor I even get Melody’s name right, blushing, Elisabeth

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    7. As long as you didn't call Gemma "Gemma Jones," LOL

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  14. I like murders that get the job done, and I'm not picky about the means, unless it's so contrived the murder loses all sense of credibility.

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  15. I love this post Debs, we should all catalog our beleaguered victims and compare. Love the snippet, cannot wait for the book!

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    1. Rhys's and Jenn's lists would take pages, as many books as they've written! But it is interesting, isn't it?

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  16. So interesting! Wondering... do you think about the method matching the perpetrator? The other day I was talking to a writer working on her first crime novel, and the murder was (straight up?) blunt force trauma with the killer attacking the victim from behind. Problem was, the killer was an woman in her 60s and immediately I heard Miss Marple whispering to me, "not likely." Debs, how do you manage the matchup between the murder method and the murderer? Because you don't want to make it obvious but you want to make it believable...

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    1. From Celia: such an interesting take Hallie. You’re quite right Miss Marple would have seen through that. But just as a thought; I’m an 80 year old woman at my PT with a therapist who’s making my recovery hell. I’m dead lifting a 20# kettle bell. He/she kneels down to tie their sneaker and I bash them one, over and out. No I’m not taking up writing but it made me think. Oh and you’re welcome to a new approach.

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    2. OMG, Celia. Too, too funny. "Take that you mean old therapist."

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    3. CELIA: I hope to not get on your bad side! And it's never good to underestimate what an older woman can do when provoked!!

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    4. Celia is absolutely right!! You can never make too many assumptions!

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  17. Great snippet. The murder for me has to be, like Goldilocks, "just right" - neither too complicated nor too easy.

    Hallie has a great point about the method matching the killer. Anyone can shoot someone, but it's hard to realistically portray a smaller, elderly person killing a young, strapping victim by blunt force trauma or strangulation.

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    1. Strangulation, yes--I can't imagine having the strength in my hands to strangle someone. But there can always be extenuating circumstances. And as for blunt force trauma, the human skull is quite fragile....

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  18. Thanks for the tantalizing snippet, Debs! As for complicated/weird ways of murdering people and displaying their corpses, it usually indicates a psychopath, and I'm not a fan of books where the murderer is entirely bonkers because that makes their motives pretty unimportant, and motives make detective stories interesting. Now, if someone sane, with "normal" motives like greed or revenge or jealousy, were pretending to be a psychopath, that would be okay.

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    1. I've written one book where the murderer WAS a psychopath, in the clinical sense. I did a lot of reading about the personality type and behaviors. Interesting but very disturbing stuff. The book was creepy to write and creepier to read--not sure I would write about a character like that again.

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  19. Thanks for the excerpt! I can't wait to read the book. On a scale of murder straight up to complicated, I would say that I am somewhere in the middle. I like some complications, but if it gets too far-fetched it strains credibility. I imagine if your books were set in the US, there would be way more murders involving guns. As I read the list, I thought 'how very British'.

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  20. My mystery reading isn't about murder, it is more about the story and the interactions between the characters.
    And once I have attached myself to the characters (like yours, Debs), I want to know everything about them: personal and professional joys and difficulties. I wish their success and happiness.
    I love the snippet and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it.
    Danielle

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    1. I feel exactly the same way, Danielle!

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    2. Me, too, Danielle, and I'm so glad that you and other readers agree!

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  21. From Celia: I’ve never really thought about what types of murder I prefer others than to add psychos scare me. I’m not that keen on torture descriptions either. I’m a bit of a chicken really. I want and enjoy the whole community of characters which is one reason I love your books Debs. The emotions of your characters are so real I can believe I might meet them if I were in Holland Park. I’m still worrying about their house. When are the owners coming back from HK? Does Toby really want to go to ballet school? So many tiny details making the whole completely real for me.

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    1. Celia, sometimes when I am there I think I will meet them! And one day walking down Earl's Court Road I would swear I saw Kit. Still gives me goosebumps thinking about it. I absolutely LOVE that you are so invested in the characters' lives, Celia! And I do have an idea about the house, etc., etc. :-)

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  22. Great snippet, Debs! Of course, I always eagerly await your new books, so I'm not sure even this could increase that anticipation any.

    Like many commenters before me, I loved the paragraph listing all your previous murder methods. So much so, in fact, that I read it aloud to my hubby.

    I was also amused to see in the comment that I was not the only one whose mind went immediately to Midsomer. I have to admit, I love how the bizarre methods of murder were a staple of that show. In general, though, I don't care much about the method -- I care about the process of solving the murder, and the character development along the way.

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    1. It's a good thing I don't take Midsomer seriously, because three deaths per show is unreal. And the killers are so endlessly inventive! No M.O. for the British, thank you. No two deaths are alike. Apparently, it's against the murder code. LOL

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    2. I'm always amused that Midsomer is categorized as "cozy" when it is so unrelentingly gruesome. Just shows you can get away with anything in the Cotswolds!

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  23. I really cannot wait to have this book in my hands, Debs! It doesn't really make any difference to me whether the murder is simple or complicated, as long at it makes sense in the end. No graphic gruesome descriptions please. You haven't done any hanging deaths have you? Or maybe you have and the killer got away with it because it didn't "appear" to be an actual murder.

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    1. There is actually one hanging death, Judi, now that you've reminded me of it. But not described in too much gruesome detail, I don't think. Hanging deaths always make me think of PD James' An Unsuitable Job for a Woman. Such a good book!

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  24. Celia, you could have written that explanation for me, as well. No torture, please. No keeping women in boxes under the floorboards. No gruesome body part strewing, thank you.

    I've been doing a lot of cleaning, tidying, and reorganizing--spring cleaning early, to get ready for the basement work. And listening to audiobooks while I slave away, the most recent being the first Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet, narrated by the brilliant Stephen Fry. Of course poisoning was used for the two main murders, although several other killings happened in the wide-ranging narrative. I'm not sure it worked, though. The conclusion was satisfying, but I had big questions about the administration of the poison.

    Count me in for Team Rashid, by the way. And Team Jasmine. I am quite fond of the prickly detective.

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    1. Karen in Ohio, I never liked stories where women were always the victim. I think that says something about the society that we live in. I refuse to read stories where someone is tortured.

      Diana

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    2. I just did a gender talley of my victims, and there are slightly more women than men. But I've never written a sex crime, and don't intend to.

      And yay, another vote for Rashid and Jasmine!

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    3. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Debs. I quite reading several authors for those types of gruesome and cruel murders.

      Yep, Diana, no tortures. Unh-uh.

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    4. Karen, must be something in the air full of mystery and killing that I’m breathing, but now I worry that your cleaning could reveal body parts. (Wink Wink )Be cautious! Elisabeth

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    5. Elisabeth, that would lend an entirely new spin on the concept of "Swedish Death Cleaning", wouldn't it? LOL

      Oddly, today the big story on news here in Cincinnati is the discovery of severed body parts in a wood.

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  25. When I read a murder mystery, it doesn’t matter to me what means were used to kill the victim. I’m always interested in getting to know the people involved and trying to figure out whether or not each person might have been the killer. But I do like a really unique “how” if the victim was unlikeable!

    DebRo

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  26. Should have had more coffee before reading the proposed title, Deborah. The Long Cold SHEEP? Bludgeoning with a frozen leg of lamb? Looking forward to spending time with Gemma and Duncan again, soon….Rlisabeth

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    1. Snort, Elizabeth!! That's a method I haven't used!!! My agent always calls Leave the Grave Green "Leave the Grass Green." For years we've referred to that one as the "fertilizer book."

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    2. Roald Dahl has a short story featuring a frozen leg of lamb as the murder weapon called Lamb to the Slaughter. Really very clever, because then it can thaw out, and then. . . - Melanie

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  27. Oh, my now blogger has change my name to begin with an R. Elisabeth here.

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    1. Perhaps all of the discussion about England has changed your name to Regina Elisabeth? (I know it’s supposed to be Elisabeth R, but I’m going with what Blogger gave me to work with!!) — Pat S

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    2. I always have felt a bit Regal, Pat. Elisabeth

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  28. I’m fascinated that you have so many drownings and you’re not a swimmer and you live so far from water! I’m running this by my psychologist daughter!!! I think the clever method of killing is less important than the whydunnit although I do appreciate it sometimes and rarely use it myself

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    1. Rhys, you did have very inventive murder methods in your Christmas books.

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    2. It's weird, isn't it, Rhys, that I am so drawn to water. The book in progress features both the Regent's Canal and the Thames--I can't stay away! Although I've never written a seaside book or an ocean drowning...

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  29. DEBORAH: That new cover is PERFECT! I want, want, want, want your book with that cover even if the publishers decide on a different cover. Main reason I LOVE that cover is because I can SEE the title!

    Great excerpt and there is a mysterious note at the end. At first it looks like an accidental drowning then Rashid reveals that the person's head was bashed in before drowning in the river.

    To answer your question, I was thinking of two things: Agatha Christie often had poisonings in her mysteries. And if anyone here has watched MIDSOMER MURDERS, the writers often find inventive ways to kill someone. A murder victim was killed by cheese. Another episode had a murder victim killed by a tree shaker. One episode had the victim killed by bottles of wine!

    Looking forward to reading your next mystery and I would LOVE that cover!

    Diana

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    1. My research shelf includes a book called A IS FOR ARSENIC: THE POISONS OF AGATHA CHRISTIE by Kathryn Harkup. Fascinating!

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  30. Oh, can't wait to read this! Complicated murders are my favs. Bring them on!

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  31. Oooh Debs! You are the best. Your writing is so natural, you know? It doesn’t seem like writing at all, but more like listening in on real life. Love this!

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    1. Oh, that's the biggest compliment, Hank!! You've made my day!!!

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  32. And I am now thinking about this… I am also fascinated by motive. I often think about, for my books, of course, how incredibly angry someone must have to be to decide to kill someone. What would be something that would make someone that level of upset? Revenge greed envy power fear? It’s all about power and control, isn’t it?

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    1. Fear is a really big motivator, I think. Fear of loss, in whatever form.

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  33. So excited for the new book! My "favorite murder" is actually from Midsomer Murders - the one where the man was killed by a malfunctioning sliding glass door!

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  34. I've never had anyone drown, despite writing a whole book centered around a reservoir and river. Probably because my books are set in the US, and everyone has access to a gun. My most frequent murders are, in fact, gunshot and blunt force trauma. Although I did defenestrate someone once!

    I'm in the camp of, "it's not the method, it's the motive." I do appreciate a clever Golden-age style means of death - you know, a trained cobra slithers into the room and does the deed - but honestly, I'm too lazy to come up with fiendishly complicated ways of doing the deed. Let's kill someone and get on with the detecting.

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    1. My new vocabulary word for the day “defenestrate”…thank you, Julia. Now if I could just remember which of your novels used that….Elisabeth

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    2. Defenestrate is a great word, isn't it!!

      I'm with you on the "let's get on with the detecting, Julia!"

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  35. I drowned the victim in my very first mystery. Very satisfying. I love that old cover - except it looks like it's in the U.S. SW. LOL. Your snippet is brilliant - can't wait to read it!

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    1. Thank you, Jenn! You all are so encouraging. And, yes, the cover screams U.S. Southwest. What were they thinking???

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  36. I’d read a murder mystery with a complicated or straight up scenario any day as long as the story draws me in. Straight up seems quicker and to the point though. I’d still want it to be more of a thriller/mystery than a horror book though. This girl needs a good nights sleep after all.🙂

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    1. As Julia says, "Let's get on with the detecting!"

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  37. A one or two step murder is always interesting but a complicated motive rings my chimes! A six degrees of Kevin Bacon where there appears to be no connection at all between the victim and the murderer. I just supplied Annette with an equine means of murder based on riding a horse I didn't trust years ago. Death by Visine seems to be getting popular and much less complicated than those Midsomer murders.

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    1. Those Midsomer murders are hoot! Or at least if you have slightly twisted sense of humor!

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  38. I’m with everyone else, it seems. No torture, no sexual assault. I’m with Celia and DebRo about the means of killing not being as important as the character development in a series and the detective work to solve the crime. And I am seriously behind in your series, Debs, because I haven’t met Rashid yet. New Year’s resolution!! — Pat S

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    1. Oh, Pat, you are behind! Go back to Necessary as Blood. That's the book that introduces Rashid. And Charlotte!

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  39. I like my murder as complicated as it needs to be for the plot. I've read some books with a complicated murder that propels me further into the story, and the author pulls it off brilliantly. I've read others where the murder is much more complicated than it needed to be, and ultimate, it falls a little flat.

    And yes, some things that mystery writers and readers say make me laugh. They make perfect sense to us, but out of context they would make me raise my eyebrows.

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    1. I know exactly what you mean about the over complicated murder falling flat, Mark. Not enough pay off!

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  40. I don't care about about method, motive, means, etc. when choosing to read a mystery. It's the whole shebang--the setting, the characters, their interactions--the writing draws me into another world, lets me be witness and participant, makes me think, makes me feel a whole range of emotions--and when it's satisfying, I've been known to re-read the whole book right away, or the last chapters 3-4 times, just because the story was so well-written. That said, no torture, no sex crimes, and please don't kill any children or dogs (or cats or bunnies....). Flora

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    1. I do that, too, Flora. And sometimes when I like a book enough to immediately reread the whole thing, it's hard to move on to something else because I'm so invested in that world.

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    2. And if I didn't say, this happens to me whenever I read a Deborah Crombie mystery ;-) (Flora)

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    3. Aw, thank you, Flora! That means so much to me!!!

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  41. The snippet makes me impatient for the book! I'm not sure I could write about drowning. One of my fears.

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  42. This is Melinda. I have to love the characters to stay with a series, and I do love Duncan and Gemma and their family. And many of the secondary characters are also so well-developed. And I’m a total sucker for a strong sense of place, which you provide every time Debs. I’ve learned too much from your books, too - for example, I had no idea that there was such a canal system in England, crossing above valleys! I like my mysteries complicated, to keep me guessing - I don’t care how, but why. But as long as it’s a good story, I’m in. Can’t wait for your next book!

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    1. Thanks, Melinda! Half the fun for me is the researching.

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  43. I like complicated because I love surprises. Sometimes it's enough to know the perpetrator but not necessarily how the crime was committed. Usually, I'd rather find out through a series of twists and turns.

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  44. I think it's not how the victim was murdered; by whom and why are the things that matter!

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