tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041804343600978883.post3488480415629150959..comments2024-03-17T11:59:06.572-05:00Comments on MAKE MINE MYSTERY: Favorite TitlesMorgan Mandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041804343600978883.post-11954112508131804182009-01-17T19:00:00.000-06:002009-01-17T19:00:00.000-06:00Hmmm. I'm often drawn in by interesting titles. Ok...Hmmm. I'm often drawn in by interesting titles. Okay, now that I've said that, I'm running around, looking at my bookcases, trying to come up with examples. Take Martin Cruz Smith. I love the titles "Stalin's Ghost" and "Wolves Eat Dogs" is ... brrr. Chilling. Of course, I'll read his books even if the title says "Phonebook," so maybe this isn't the best data point for you.<BR/>I do like titles where there is an obvious, surface meaning and a "hidden meaning" that reflects the story or its themes.Ann Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13177732952658080784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041804343600978883.post-68771646005836732002009-01-15T13:22:00.000-06:002009-01-15T13:22:00.000-06:00Sometimes titles are TOO clever/cute (some of the ...Sometimes titles are TOO clever/cute (some of the series mysteries) and make my teeth hurt and then I don't want to buy the book. It works both ways, I guess. <BR/><BR/>Anne, I love Full Moon Honeymoon...Dana Fredstihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12802936840624512415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041804343600978883.post-32758986902905747652009-01-14T13:02:00.000-06:002009-01-14T13:02:00.000-06:00Sometimes the blurb is needed to understand the ir...Sometimes the blurb is needed to understand the irony of a title. My favorite example is FULL MOON HONEYMOON by Cheryl Norman. Murder mystery solved by a newlywed amateur sleuth on her honeymoon, booked on a cruise ship where all the other passengers are nudists! (Her groom got a good deal on the ticket!)<BR/><BR/>~AnnePam Riplinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13727387457891576143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041804343600978883.post-63853696251494923482009-01-13T21:16:00.000-06:002009-01-13T21:16:00.000-06:00I'd extend this to all books, not just mysteries. ...I'd extend this to all books, not just mysteries. A good book needs a great title. Or maybe a great book needs a good title. In any case, your post is on the mark, at least for me. A title is very important. It has to capture my attention.Sukohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11893742747135555499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041804343600978883.post-61167165957838267312009-01-13T11:41:00.000-06:002009-01-13T11:41:00.000-06:00The Silence of the Lambs – Thomas Harris is a cool...The Silence of the Lambs – Thomas Harris is a cool one.. Even the book is super cool..Akumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00016334294585009034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041804343600978883.post-47253453107136182802009-01-13T11:12:00.000-06:002009-01-13T11:12:00.000-06:00I agree with Morgan - people start with title &...I agree with Morgan - people start with title & cover and gravitate to the back, then possibly the inside. But unless you are a best selling author, your spine will be all that shows on the book rack, so it's got to grab someone's attention.<BR/><BR/>And the write thrillers rather than mysteries, but the titles of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child's books always seem enticing, especially "The Relic." That one just oozes tension & mystic to me.<BR/><BR/>L. Diane Wolfe<BR/>www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com<BR/>www.spunkonastick.net <BR/>www.thecircleoffriends.netL. Diane Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06425864276166334896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041804343600978883.post-23510965941947580852009-01-13T10:37:00.000-06:002009-01-13T10:37:00.000-06:00Titles and cover art hook people first, then the b...Titles and cover art hook people first, then the back cover blurb and first paragraph take it a step further. If you can get them that far and they like what they see, you've got a sale.<BR/><BR/>Morgan Mandel<BR/>http://morganmandel.blogspot.com<BR/>http://www.morganmandel.com<BR/>http://twitter.com/morganmandelMorgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041804343600978883.post-39260368303033601092009-01-13T10:12:00.000-06:002009-01-13T10:12:00.000-06:00Good point, Mark. I also like irony in a title. An...Good point, Mark. I also like irony in a title. And I also will not buy a book just because of the title - I just meant when browsing the Mystery Books aisles, I tend to be more likely to pick up a book with a title that jumps at me, more so than some of the other genres.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041804343600978883.post-26542228251443635402009-01-13T08:40:00.000-06:002009-01-13T08:40:00.000-06:00A title alone isn't enough to get me to buy the bo...A title alone isn't enough to get me to buy the book. It's not easy distilling the essence of a book into one, two or even five words. As I look over my bookshelf, I see a lot of great books with non-distinctive titles. A few titles stand out, however. I like the ironic twist of Sarah Paretsky's Killing Orders. There's also some nice irony in Robert Crais's Demolition Angel and Vicki Hendricks's Miami Purity. Crais's main character is no angel and Hendricks's is anything but pure. Victor Gischler manages to come up with titles that grab you--Shotgun Opera, Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse, for example.Mark Troyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10746027017657987261noreply@blogger.com