The first genre we are covering in my Adult Reading Interests class is Mysteries! I've always enjoyed mysteries, but never really put much thought into the characteristics of what defines the genre. So, what defines a mystery novel? Here are some key characteristics:
- a crime
- an investigation of the crime
- an investigator
- solving the crime
- the criminal being brought to justice
There are many types of mysteries including police procedurals, courtroom dramas and even cozy mysteries! If you are a mystery reader, you may enjoy some of these websites to find other authors:
The book I read for this assignment was Kate White's If looks Could Kill. Here is my report on it:
White, Kate. If Looks Could Kill. New York: Warner, 2002. ISBN: 0-446-53023-9
White, Kate. If Looks Could Kill. New York: Warner, 2002. ISBN: 0-446-53023-9
True Crime writer and New Yorker Bailey Weggins freelances for a woman’s magazine called Gloss. She and her boss, Cat, find Cat’s nanny murdered from what looks like a deadly poisoning. Cat asks Bailey to try and conduct her own investigation and gather clues in addition to the police investigation. As Bailey talks to the many suspects, it begins to look as though Cat was the one who was supposed to be murdered. Bailey tries to find out if this is truly the case or if it’s a decoy to hide the fact someone really wanted the nanny dead. That makes Cat herself a suspect and as her investigation heats up, Bailey experiences a series of scary events like a break-in, hang up calls and even a poisoning of her own until she finally solves the case-before the police do.
This book has many of the traditional characteristics of what the textbook, "The Readers Advisory Guide to genre Fiction" by Joyce Saricks, considers a mystery novel. First, the book revolves around solving the murder of the poisoned nanny. Bailey interviews various suspects, collecting information and clues and tries to piece it all together. Secondly, Bailey is the “amateur detective,” a characteristic described in this week’s lesson, and her life is a main focus of the story. This book also has two distinct settings, a key characteristic mentioned in this week’s mystery lesson and in the textbook. The story mostly takes place in the glamorous New York City magazine world, but also on the sketchy New York streets and alleys, and in the quiet and sometimes dangerous New York countryside.
I have read two of Kate White’s stand-alone novels, Hush and The Sixes and thoroughly enjoyed them. I had never read any of the Bailey Weggins series and I did find If Looks Could Kill to be a fun, engaging read. However, the idea of Bailey writing true crime for Gloss, (loosely based on Cosmopolitan magazine, where author Kate White is editor in chief?) and solving crimes on the side was a bit ridiculous. The glamour of working at Gloss as a freelance writer and solving crimes on the side seemed a bit silly, yet the author does pull it off for the most part. It was only until the plot begins to look like the murderer is out to get women’s magazine editors did it get a bit far fetched, but then the author draws the reader back in and the ending is satisfying. The characters in the book are interesting, mainly the love/hate relationship between Bailey and her boss (Cat), Bailey’s love interests and Bailey’s relationship with her gay elderly friend Landon.
I think women who also like chick lit would enjoy this title. In addition to the mystery characteristics, much of the novel focuses on a divorced thirty something woman trying to make her way as a writer in New York City. The book has the glamour of working at a woman's magazine and also illustrates Bailey’s struggles to find a suitable man as a single divorced woman.
Let me know what mysteries you are reading and what authors you enjoy! Happy reading!
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