Sleuth: Gail Bowen on Writing Mysteries

A smart, practical, and often funny guide for those who aspire to write mysteries, Sleuth reveals the secrets behind the curtain from a bestselling and award-winning master of the genre. Gail Bowen shows how to map out a plot, how to plant page-turning clues, how to develop fully-rounded characters, and how to create the scene of the crime. She also looks at the psyche, the power of story, and cultural appropriation, allowing writers to communicate the truth about the human condition. Digging into the works of Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, Sara Paretsky, Ian Rankin, Louise Penny and a score of others, Bowen explores all the possibilities the mystery genre offers writers with a story to tell.

Reviews of Sleuth: Gail Bowen on Writing Mysteries

Bowen's slim, useful guide expertly takes writers through the craft of writing mystery fiction…. She takes pains to stress that there is no magic spell to creating a great mystery; it's a process that she follows for every single book but remains fascinated by. – Publishers Weekly