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As the author of 36 books, Kathy Lynn Emerson knows something about writing a successful historical mystery novel. What she shares in her latest nonfiction guide, HOW TO WRITE KILLER HISTORICAL MYSTERIES, is a treasure trove of secrets to put any would-be author on the road to success. Her clear writing style and well chosen examples provide ample practical advice for anyone interested in the genre of historical mysteries. She uses her own writing and that of other well known authors to illustrate her points about time and place, characters, and plotting. She lays out the pitfalls and shows how to balance the historical with contemporary to create a winning readable style. Emerson's book is not a beginning writer’s manual. It assumes that the would-be author already has a grasp of how to write; instead, she focuses on those specifics that can make or break the fragile historical mystery novel. She emphasizes research, yet alerts the reader to overstuffing or information dumping. Instead she illustrates how "a few carefully chosen descriptive details" can transport readers to another place and time. Her store of examples, plucked from the leading novels of the most memorable historical mystery authors writing today, reinforce her words of wisdom and linger with the reader. Her well-balanced book takes on all the easy traps that can stop historical mystery fans in their reading tracks: anachronisms, stilted language, difficult names, unfamiliar words. She shows how to incorporate just the right historical tone while maintaining the essence of the story. She demonstrates how to use a few well chosen words (identifiable by context) to create the proper historical milieu. To her credit, she shares not only her writing successes but also her own mistakes. All of this would be more than enough useful information for aspiring authors, but Emerson does not stop there. Just as she bids would-be authors to do their own extensive research before undertaking their historical mysteries, so too has she prepared well for writing this book. Her advice continues on to the ins and outs of the publishing world, including how to make contacts with interested publishers, what sort of financial incentives first-time authors might expect, how to use the Internet and mystery conferences to the greatest advantage, and much more. This wealth of information is a gold mine for anyone interested in the world of historical mysteries, whether he or she is a would-be author or not. Finally, she provides one of the best bonuses at the end of her work: an appendix that contains an extensive bibliography of historical mystery writers and their works, listing both specific novels and series characteristics. Whether writing about Regency England, the world of Shogun Japan, or the Old West, readers will find what they are looking for here. In addition, Emerson includes a short bibliography of books, articles, and Internet sites for further reader help. Despite this abundance of riches, Emerson takes her own advice. She maintains an easy reading style, never overwhelming the aspiring writer, but instead gently coaxing in the right direction, with a savory hint or two along the way.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, April 2008
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