I’ve always been an avid mystery reader. Growing up, I read
Nancy Drew mysteries like most other girls my age but my favorite books were
the Judy Bolton mysteries written by Margaret Sutton. Titles like The Midnight Visitor, The Mark on the
Mirror, and The Forbidden Chest
fascinated me. Each book held a mystery for Judy to solve and, if memory
serves, there were no murders in any of the books. Just an intriguing mystery.
Of course, those books were written for young girls, not
adult women, so there were limits on the subject matter and graphic nature of
the published material. Understandable. Although I love a good murder mystery,
I also like the idea of mystery without murder, which I attribute to all the
hours I spent with Judy Bolton.
There are no murders in Secrets
in Storyville. Only mystery.
Kate Morgan, a single mother,
lives in the small town of Storyville, Ohio where she grew up. A want-to-be
author, she works as a sales clerk in the town’s only department store doing
what she describes as “a job a monkey could do.” Although she’s bored with her
job, she’s reluctant to consider making any major changes in her life. However,
she’s about to find out that change is inevitable.
When Kate’s ten-year-old
daughter, Mandy, tells the family she plans to do a family tree for a school
project, the negative reaction of Kate’s parents and grandmother shocks her but
also arouses her curiosity. Why are they so against Mandy’s project? Surely her
family is too “normal” to have any skeletons in their closet.
Kate decides to support her
daughter even if that means defying her parents. As she searches for the truth,
she discovers some long buried secrets that, if she decides to reveal them,
will change her life and the lives of the people she loves - forever.
For those of us who love the genre, it's the mystery, not the murder, that matters. A murder wouldn't have made The Moonstone (Wilkie Collins) any more intriguing than it is. There are a number of Sherlock Holmes stories which lack a murder. Many other examples from other writers.
ReplyDeleteThanks, John. Sounds like "Secrets in Storyville" is in good company. :)
DeleteI agree that a mystery doesn't have to have a murder. A missing person, a threat -- any number of things can be a mystery. Good post, Pat, and love your book!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marja!
DeleteA mystery without a murder is a great idea, I'm glad you were able to do it in such an interesting fashion. Mind if i borrow it sometime?
ReplyDeleteLOL Of course, Evelyn.
DeleteI'm in agreement. Murder not necessary for great read. Though, there was a time way-back-when that "Mystery" genre implied a murder. I have thought that in long time now. (In fact, in the preface of one of my books, I mention not a murder mystery.)
ReplyDeleteHave should have been "have not" And I proofed, but didn't see until afterwards...sorry.
DeleteYou made me smile, Madeline. How many times have I hit "send" and then realized the error of my ways? The answer: too many! LOL
DeleteBTW, Madeline, I'd like to thank you for your wonderful review of Secrets in Storyville. It's so difficult to get reviews these days - for several reasons - and I sincerely appreciate yours. :)
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