In many ways, writing the second book is easier. You know your sleuth quite well—her personality, how she thinks and acts and relates to people. You’ve established the setting, the tone of the series, and know some of the secondary characters.
But writing second book in a series presents a challenge. For me, it means exploring new territory that includes a deeper understanding of my sleuth’s character and love life. In Murder the Tey Way, my sleuth Lexie Driscoll is living in a new neighborhood and meeting a new roster of friends and suspects. Of course, her best friends Rosie and Hal, make a few appearances. Her relationships with world-renown architect Allistair West and homicide detective Brian Donovan undergo changes that affect her life significantly.
A second book is a great time to introduce important but distant characters related to one’s sleuth. Lexie’s sister Gayle, whom she hasn’t seen in years, appears at Lexie’s doorstep. Gayle’s been running away from a dangerous situation. The possibility that someone is chasing her to kill her is a very real. A man lies dead in Lexie’s backyard the morning after Gayle arrives, and Lexie fears her sister has murdered him before he could kill her.
Like all the books in the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club mysteries, the various members have secrets and venal weaknesses that may lead to murder Secret identities, doing business with criminals are a few of the elements in Murder the Tey Way. Lexie sleuths as she leads discussions about Josephine Tey and some of her wonderful novels.
Murder the Tey Way is available as an e-book on Amazon for $2.99: http://tinyurl.com/n6z973o
13 comments:
Sounds like a great series, but I've never been able to understand how people can write several books about the same character without getting bored. I always want something new. From the popularity of series, however, it looks like I'm all by myself. Wishing your new book and your series great sales!
Susan, also known as Janis Susan
Hi Susan,
I write a few series. love my sleuths and enjoy writing new books featuring them. I feel each book takes me deeper into the understanding of my sleuth's character. Writing a few series keeps me from getting bored. My sleuths, while all women, are of different ages and temperament.
I write two series (although one is a trilogy) and the characters have lived in my mind for so long that I feel they are real. Murder the Tey Way is a great book not only for Tey fans but also for those of us who love The Golden Age of Mystery.
Go for it!
I love reading series mysteries! Yours sounds great. Congrats on the new novel, Marilyn.
Pat,
Thanks so much for your kind words about Murder the Tey Way.:)
Murgen,
Glad your stopped by.
Jacqueline,
Thanks for your good wishes.
Marilyn -- You've mentioned some of what I experienced as I constructed the second in my Penny Summers Mystery series, "The Body in the Brantleigh Glen." Now it's under revision and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that OTP may want to see it -- especially if "Katelyn's Killer" does well. It's to be published next April!
Visit www.PennySummersMysteries.com top read the first chapter of either.
Sincerely, John Gordon
John,
Good luck to you!
That's a good point, bringing in relatives in the second book. I'm just finishing up a second one also. I agree you do have to change up some things in the second book--it can't be just another copy of the first one. The challenge is fun!
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