mysteries

"After a debate that left senior members of the Telegraph's literary staff with pulled hair, black eyes and, in one case, an infected bite, we this week present our list of the 50 great crime writers of all time." I don't necessarily believe that these are the 50 greatest, but I love lists like this cause they give me a source of good books to read.

Margaret Truman Daniel, the president’s daughter who achieved renown in her own right as an author of best-selling biographies and mysteries, died on Tuesday in Chicago. She wrote “Murder in the White House,” about a corrupt secretary of state found strangled in the family quarters of the executive mansion. Other books in the series issued at a rate of one a year.

Mysteries and thrillers are always popular reads but not that easy to write. Whether writing for children or adults, understanding the conventions of this genre will help you get started.

Saddlebums Western Review is still a big fan of Westerns. They interview Brian Garfield, author of Death Wish, The Stepfather, and Hopscotch. “I don’t agree with those who say, “Isn’t it terrible what Hollywood did to your book.” Hollywood hasn’t done anything to my books – the books are right over here on the shelf, untouched.”

I just read the first book of Colin Cotterill's mystery series (The Coroner's Lunch) set in Laos in the mid-1970s and loved it. The 4th book, Anarchy and Old Dogs, is out now, and the New York Times loves that one.

The first hints of what's next for Rowling. I'm betting her first "adult" book will sell well based on the Harry Potter reputation, but if it doesn't deliver sales will quickly tail off with subsequent books.