Mysterious Burning Questions

Tired of mysteries with a saggy middle? We've got the solution.

“HOW DO YOU AVOID A SAGGY MIDDLE? I’ve read too many books that drag in the middle until things pick up near the end. (Though I usually have given up on the book before that!) Mysteries are especially bad about having the sleuth or detective go from one person of interest to the next, over and over. How do you keep your books from sagging in the middle?” ~Gina in California

PETER

When Raymond Chandler felt a novel slowing down, he reputedly solved it by making a man burst through the door with a gun. The point is something unexpected revives a somnolent reader’s flagging interest. I’ve adopted the same approach in my Headline Hero mysteries.

So, in The Mother’s Day Mystery, a killer attacks hero Colin Crampton with a forklift truck. In The Beach Party Mystery, a fancy-dressed madman playing a pirate in a tricorn hat, tries to make Colin walk the plank. In The Comedy Club Mystery, Colin fleeing a pair of twin gangsters is delayed by a stripper searching for her missing nipple tassel. You get the idea.

EMMA

Because my stories are character-driven, each interaction between my sleuth and the suspects is rich with tension, personality, and purpose. I’ve built strong, compelling characters who keep the pace moving by raising new questions and deepening the mystery with every conversation. There are no filler scenes or throwaway characters—everyone you meet matters and adds something meaningful to the story.

DUANE

I agree with Peter on Raymond Chandler’s famous quote. In the Grifter’s Daughter, I actually wrote, “A man burst into the room with a gun.” It seemed a good way to start the chapter.

I generally solve the issue with a surprise action scene. In Seriously? Lou gets caught by Nazis and Monk burns down a bar to get him out. In Filthy Rich, a huge man on drugs throws entire sheets of plywood at Lou, then attacks a Studebaker. (The Studebaker won.)

The scenes aren’t exactly essential for the plot, but they’re fun to read – and write.

LYNDA

I like to create closure on one aspect of the mystery about two-thirds of the way through the book. This lifts the storyline and offers some satisfying and informative resolution along the way. (Besides, dumping all the resolution at the end can feel forced, rushed, and/or confusing.) In my latest book, Deep South Trouble, Abit Bradshaw resolves one issue, only to have another one evolve from that and grow into a life-threatening situation.

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