Mysteries, Mysteries Everywhere by Vivian Zabel

Mysteries come in all shapes, sizes, level of violence, and degree of suspense. Mysteries have had so manly titles or labels attached over the years. Many people have tried to classify the genre -- basically the mystery or crime story.

Essentially, detective fiction, crime fiction, thrillers, mysteries all have been used to describe, or try to describe the genre.

Let's look at some the sub-genres for mysteries (remember that all "experts" don't always agree on the classifications, but this give us an idea):

Straight Mysteries are character driven. Action happens to center around a crime.

Puzzle Mysteries or the classic detective involves a problem and the writer "toys" with reader, matching wits with clever detectives.

Novel of Pursuit often involves espionage. The protagonist getting out of a situation is the foundation of the writing. Action, terror, often technology, methods of pursuit, as well as entrapment or capture are more important than internal motivation and psychology of characters - plot driven, rather than character-driven. This sub-genre has several sub-genres:
Spy Novel
Man-on-the-Run Mystery
Metaphysical Mystery - Gothic or occult in nature
Doomsday Mystery - threat is global

Hard-boiled Mysteries are adventure stories focused on the exploits of the protagonist, such as a private detective of nearly super-hero status.

Whodunit Mysteries are character-driven mysteries where the solution of the crime comes as a surprise to the reader, but the detectives or more featured more than the deductive process.
Sub-genres of this mystery include the following:
Caper Mystery - reader is knows the perpetrator and all details of crime.
Cozy Mystery - an amateur detective solves a mystery, usually without graphic violence.
Romantic Suspense Mystery
Period Mystery - takes place in the past
Western Mystery - has a western setting
Police Procedural Mystery
Private Eye Mystery
Camp Mystery - of any sub-genre presenting in a comical way.

Finally we have Thrillers, characterized by fast pace, frequent action, and resourceful heroes. Suspense, red herrings, and cliffhangers are found often. Sub-genres include many variations of the thriller concept.

I hope you enjoyed our foray into types of mysteries.

Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
Midnight Hours
Prairie Dog Cowboy

Ellery Queen: An Alias For an Alias and an Alias

by Anne Carter

Ha! What’s that supposed to mean, you ask? The name Ellery Queen conjures different meanings to different people. For some, it is the 1940’s radio program that comes to mind (find some of these episodes at RadioLovers.com) For others, it’s the various incarnations of the television series, starring Richard Hart, Lee Bowman, Hugh Marlowe, George Nader, Lee Philips, and probably best remembered, Jim Hutton as the fictional sleuth. Films followed, with Peter Lawford and Ralph Bellamy joining the long list of actors portraying Queen.

Reading fans will be quick to mention that the Ellery Queen novels, first of which was The Roman Hat Mystery published in 1929, preceded all the radio, television and movies starring the popular detective, his father (Inspector Richard Queen) and his assistant, Sergeant Velie. Then there was Ellery Queen Magazine (published by Dell Magazines, Penny Publications), a host of comic books and even jigsaw puzzles bearing the Queen moniker.

But who is Ellery Queen? The character name was also the alias for the two American cousins responsible for penning the novels and creating the image of the puzzle-solving protag. And it is humorous to note that each of the men had aliases of their own: Daniel (David) Nathan, also known as Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manford (Emanuel) Lepofksy went by Manfred Bennington Lee (1905-1971).

Read more about the illustrious career of Ellery Queen at Wikipedia, and this eclectic site chronicling the detective-hero. You can find out more about the magazine here.

Anne Carter is the author of paranormal romantic mystery, POINT SURRENDER. Visit her at Beacon Street Books, and at the Word From Beacon Street.

Where it All Started--For Me by Anne Carter

The cover of the book depicted three young men in a motor boat navigating rough waters at the base of a cliff; beyond them, a single figure pilots a row boat, and all seem affected by a house above them on the edge of the cliff.

The book, of course, is The House on the Cliff, the second in the Hardy Boys Mystery series, and I was probably eleven years old when I read it. First published in 1927, this children’s novel sold 1.7 million copies by 2001, and is ranked 72nd on Publishers Weekly’s All Time Bestselling Children’s Book List.

What many find interesting today about these time-honored books is the fact that author of record, Franklin W. Dixon, existed only on the by-line of each novel. Dixon was not just a pen name for some unknown author, it was a name created to veil various ghostwriters who would pen the 190 titles in the series. The first, and the one to define the style and nuances of the characters, was Leslie McFarlane, who later discussed the early books in his autobiography, Ghost of the Hardy Boys. McFarlane hated the stories, despised writing them but desperately needed the paltry fee he was paid per title. Here is an excellent article on McFarlane’s life and stint as Franklin W. Dixon.

Because of the early era in which they were written, and to keep the books appealing to more modern audiences, the first 38 titles were revised beginning in 1959. Racial stereotypes were re-visited, storylines tweaked, minor details updated in a process that took 15 years to accomplish.

It is interesting to note that during the evolution of the series, likely due to the variety of ghostwriters involved, many inconsistencies have been discovered in the storyline details, much to the chagrin (and likely, the delight of some) of its readers. Today’s editors would shudder at the thought of a character’s name (i.e., Mrs. Hardy’s) changing from one book to another (Laura vs. Mildred) or even minor details such as whether Mr. Hardy’s airplane is a single or twin-engine model.

What attracted me to the series was the televised version aired by the Mickey Mouse Club during the late 50’s, where as a youngster I delighted in watching Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk portraying the handsome, youthful sleuths. An animated version followed in the late 60’s, and in 1977 the boys once again debuted on the small screen with Parker Stevenson and teen heartthrob Shaun Cassidy stepping into the roles of Frank and Joe on The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries”.

Hardy Boys aficionados will note that the series was followed by many additional spin-offs, comic books and mini-series of modern titles. Lawsuits have ensued between publishers (see Grosset & Dunlap, Simon & Schuster and Stratemeyer Syndicate, the original creator of the franchise), covers have been changed, and the series’ have been translated into at least 25 different languages.

Despite the updating of the series, the stories are considered outmoded alongside most of today's top-listed children's novels. However, their popularity endures, as children will always enjoy mysteries wherein they can see the possibilities of themselves participating.