When
I think of some of my favorite authors, Mary Higgins Clark comes immediately to
mind. She often uses the titles of old songs. For example, You Belong to Me,
Let Me Call You Sweetheart and All Around the Town. James
Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club Series starts with 1st to Die
and is up to 16th Seduction. And, Sue Grafton’s Kinsey
Millhone mystery series utilizes the alphabet: A is for Alibi through
the latest, Y is for Yesterday.
So, how do I choose my titles?
Since I write mystery/suspense, I
want my titles to reflect the genre, at least to some degree, because I don’t
want to mislead readers; I want to entice them. And, I like my titles to have a
double meaning whenever possible. Here’s how I came up with the title for my
first Malone mystery.
In Mixed Messages, a serial
killer is attacking women in their Westwood homes, where the main character,
Ann, her husband, David, and their two small children live in the downstairs
apartment of an old Victorian. David is an alcoholic and his behavior toward
Ann is becoming more and more erratic; one minute, he’s the kind, loving man
she married and, the next minute, he’s cold and cruel.
Lawrence Berger, the son of Olivia,
Ann’s landlady, is infatuated with Ann. However, when instead of the usual love
poems from Lawrence, Ann receives several ominous biblical quotes, she is
confused and frightened.
Desperate for someone to confide in,
Ann tells their priest, Father Andrew, about her husband’s drinking and the
problems in her marriage, but instead of consoling her as she expected, he
points a finger at her and shouts, “Divorce is not an option!” He refers her to
Dr. Susan Thatcher for counseling and, at her first session, Ann tells the
psychologist, “I feel like I’m living in a world of mixed messages.” Which she
most definitely is.
In Unfinished Business, the sequel which takes place at Christmastime, the title also has a double
meaning.
Readers/Writers: I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Happy Reading!
