  Mystery
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Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. ~ Rachel Carson
Who wants to be an accessory?... For you can have love, a dime a dozen, but if it isn’t topped with respect, it isn’t worth the dime. ~ Carole Landis
Every life has death and every light has shadow. Be content to stand in the light and let the shadow fall where it will. ~ Mary Stewart, The Hollow Hills (The Arthurian Saga, Book 2) |
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Highlighting famous mystery authors in this newsletter has become trendy and I want to join in the fun.
Agatha Christie is my absolute favorite mystery author, but she's been covered a few times already. Another author featured in my top ten list might not be as well known, yet she also impacted the world of mystery novels. Another Brit, Mary Stewart was one of the first authors to intertwine mystery and romance. Her books are a bit formulaic, but her stories have an innate sense of magic and intrigue about them.
Although Stewart has written over twenty bestselling novels, most of which are written from a heroine's perspective, I was surprised to find that her characters are not listed in tomes such as, Mystery Women: An Encyclopedia of Leading Women Characters in Mystery Fiction and The Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery. I feel that Stewart is too often showcased as romance when, in fact, almost all of her stories center around murder, attempted murder, and/or theft. At the least, her books should be categorized as romance suspense.
For those of you who have not picked up a Stewart novel, or those of you who do enjoy her works and wish to compare notes, here are three of my favorite mystery picks of hers:
Nine Coaches Waiting
An English governess in employ at a French chateau comes to realize that her nine-year old charge's life is in danger - - and it is possibly his guardians (who are also her employers!) who are out to get him.
What I liked best about this book: The feeling of dark foreboding that permeates the pages - - it matches how I felt when reading the Grace Poole bits of Jane Eyre or when I attempted to puzzle out Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue for the first time.
The Ivy Tree
A young woman attempts to impersonate a missing heiress and soon finds out that someone wants the heiress dead.
What I liked best about this book: The lovely twist at the end.
This Rough Magic
An unemployed actress vacationing on the island of Corfu realizes that "something wicked this way comes" as she and a dolphin are shot at on a private beach. While meeting many colorful characters, such as a photographer, a brooding musician, and a retired thespian who spouts Shakesperian quotes, the heroine tries to unravel the mystery behind two murders.
What I liked best about this book: The braveness of the heroine and the Shakesperian quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter and that sometimes emerge from the characters themselves.
QUESTIONS FOR YOU:
What are your thoughts on Mary Stewart? Have you read any of her books before? If you haven't, would you consider reading one now? If you have, do you agree that the above three novels should be classified as mysteries?
Well, "what's past is prologue" - read on, readers! |
There is nothing either good or bad,
But thinking makes it so.
Hamlet, II:2
The ONLY Mary Stewart referenced piece I could find on Writing.com. Before I wrote this newsletter, of course...
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#1214765 by Not Available. |
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If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.
Julius Caesar -- Act III, Sc. II
nomlet  :
Good idea with the geocaching. Reminds me of the book Masquerade which sparked a treasure hunt for a jeweled rabbit in 1979. That hunt featured fraud, trickery and betrayal in addition to puzzles and mystery. Good stuff. I'm a little surprised there hasn't been a made-for-TV movie version. I'll have to check out your geocaching link. Thanks!
Perhaps you will write the movie script?  Thanks for your thoughts, nomlet.
DB Cooper :
Anyone familiar with Greg Isles? His book "Mortal Fear" started out really good and went straght down hill. I was so disappointed.
I have not read this, and it sounds like a good thing that I have not picked up this particular book!
IdaLin :
Geocaching sounds fascinating.
An interesting mystery story could include clues to a body or maybe even a live kidnap victim (less gruesome) in the cache with instructions for how to get the next clue.
Or an eccentric millionaire gives out geocached clues in his will for a mysterious inheritance, so no one knows what it is until someone successfully follows all the clues.
Interesting story ideas - thanks for sharing!
Maria Mize  :
Thanks for sharing these:
Not all those who wander are lost. - J.R.R. Tolkein
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is a society where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but nature more. - Lord Byron
Glad you liked them!
spidey  :
Great newsletter! I love geocaching! I always tell newbies to visit the website (www.geocaching.com) and enter their zip code. They're always surprised to see how many geocaches are very close to their own homes!
There are a lot of geocaches that have riddles and puzzles to solve, too. They're getting more and more complicated than the simple ones where you just find the coordinates to a container. Lots of fun and a good mystery, too!
You have made me even more eager to try this geocaching thing out. I tried my zip code and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of nearby caches.  |
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Mystery: January 16, 2008 Issue [#2177]
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