The Elements of Mystery Fiction

Of all the books on writing mysteries - and there are many - this is one of the only written by a real master of the craft (with the exception, perhaps, of Patricia Highsmith's book). Tapply neither talks down to the reader nor does he go over the reader's head. This nuts-and-bolts book looks at the main issues involved in writing mysteries clearly and concisely.Covering the usual areas - character, plot, point of view, setting, etc. - Tapply gives an honest, frank appraisal of what works for him and others. While it is possible that having read other books on writing in general and mysteries in particular made me more receptive to this book, Tapply's tone is friendly and reassuring. This may be the best book on the subject.

I've looked at a lot of books on writing mysteries, and most of them are full of general advice on writing novels, with little that is specific to the genre of mysteries. This book is different -- it is cram-packed with specific advice on how to plot a compelling mystery. Even the chapters devoted to elements common to all novels are approached in a way that is specific to mystery novels. For instance, in the chapter on point-of-view, Tapply discusses how to make POV choices that will best serve the elements of mystery. Similarly, in the chapter on structure, he discusses how to structure the story in such a way that tension continues to build, and so on. I highly recommend this book to anyone who writes, or aspires to write, any kind of mystery story.

This type of book is usually a bit of a disappointment, but my wife (budding writer) and I (eternal critic) liked it more than we expected. There isn't much on plotting, which was disappointing, but there is tons of commentary on who the main character can be and why they are on their quest of investigation. There's a late chapter by Philip Craig on his experience writing his Martha's Vineyard mysteries that is not exactly instructive, but utterly fascinating.

This book is well done and easy to understand if you are looking to write Mysteries. He lays it all out to make the writer feel like nothing is imposssible to write. Definitely recommend this book.

I am a moderately successful writer. This book by Tapply is incredibly useful. I hadn't written mystery stories before and his explanations are clear and complete.

I lead a book discussion group and I'm always looking for books that give me more information listing the details used in writing a mystery novel. I found this book filled with ideas and suggestions.

I found the advice very helpful!

Tapply knows whereof he speaks. Been a fan from the beginning. The Elements are spot-on and stated clearly. Strongly recommended.