How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries : The Art and Adventure of Sleuthing Through the Past
This book presents an overview of the entire process of writing historical mysteries. It covers subjects from research, plotting, and language through to marketing and publicity. It is written in a straightforward style, and each chapter is subdivided into easy-to-digest segments for those who want to dip into various topics, all of which are indexed in the comprehensive table of contents. Emerson includes plenty of examples and advice from mystery writers, and a detailed case study of the writing process for one of her own Face Down mysteries. Through it all, as the subtitle suggests, she manages to convey the thrill (or compulsion?) that keeps writers going, paycheck or no. I actually had to remind myself to write a review of this book, as I was so busy putting it to use. It is an excellent introduction for writers starting out in the genre as well as a handy reference guide and encouragement for the more experienced.
