candace robb
walking the Mean Streets of Medieval York
Category: The Crime Series
Owen Archer’s Vulnerability
Early in my writing career, a fellow panelist at a book fair declared that the marriage of the main character meant death to a crime series. To her mind, sexual tension was essential, and once a couple married that was gone. Another panelist agreed.… Continue Reading “Owen Archer’s Vulnerability”
Summertime and the living is [un]easy…yet we’re reading crime novels
In anxious times, crime novels engage us and reassure us. Seems crazy, doesn’t it? A murderer is loose on the streets. We watch the sleuth(s), the more familiar the better, sort out the clues as they race against time to prevent more deaths. Although… Continue Reading “Summertime and the living is [un]easy…yet we’re reading crime novels”
Series vs Standalone
As a reader, if you asked whether I favor books in series or standalone books I’d say I have no preference. However, as a writer I much prefer working on books in series. The following is a glimpse into what I’ve learned about myself… Continue Reading “Series vs Standalone”
More Thoughts on Detective Fiction
I have been reading and thinking about PD James’s little book, Talking About Detective Fiction (Knopf 2009) while putting together a proposal for a new crime series. I feel as if she’s been my companion through this process, my reactions to her observations revealing… Continue Reading “More Thoughts on Detective Fiction”
Evolving Characters in a Series
As I line up a cast of characters with whom I will live for years to come if this new series is a go, I am paying close attention to what seem to be my rules of thumb for a mystery series. I’ve also… Continue Reading “Evolving Characters in a Series”
candace robb 