The Perfect Crime in Mystery Writing by Teresa Inge

Mystery writing has long fascinated readers with its complex plots, intricate characters, and an air of suspense that keeps one guessing until the final chapter. The concept of the "perfect crime" stands out among the many themes explored in this genre. This notion—often defined by a seemingly flawless criminal act—has captivated writers and readers. What is it about the perfect crime that resonates so deeply, and how can it be utilized in mystery writing?

Between Good and Evil

At its core, the perfect crime embodies intrigue, cleverness, and ethical dilemmas. Authors are drawn to this theme for its inherent drama and complex characters. Readers are fascinated by the perpetrator's meticulous planning skills and cold detachment to evade capture. This complexity can prompt readers to engage with the criminal, often blurring the lines between good and evil.

Classic Example

A classic example is Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue. In this story, the crime appears unsolvable due to its bizarre circumstances, yet through the keen observation of C. Auguste Dupin, the truth is revealed. The narrative highlights the tension between the intellect needed to commit a perfect crime and the analytical skills needed to unravel it. This structure enhances the thrill of the story and engages readers in applying their own analysis.

Red Herrings

In modern mystery writing, the perfect crime sets the stage for unexpected twists. Writers employ red herrings—clues designed to mislead readers. The anticipation of discovering how a seemingly perfect plan unravels keeps readers engrossed. For instance, in Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, the crime is not just a single act but a series of planned murders that build suspense. Each murder aligns with a moral lesson, making the reader contemplate justice and retribution.

Cat & Mouse

Additionally, law enforcement plays a crucial role in solving the riddle of the crime. Their journey is a battle of wits against the perpetrator. The detective’s shortcomings magnify the tension and overall uncertainty. This heightens suspense and adds depth to the characters, as readers become invested in their successes and failures.

In conclusion, the perfect crime is a rich motif in mystery writing, intertwining morality and intellect. Whether the crime is solved or remains shrouded in mystery, it’s the unexpected twists and revelations—that captivate the imagination of readers.

WHAT I NEEDED TO LEARN IN LIFE, I LEARNED FROM MY CHIHUAHUAS By: Kimberly R. Thorn

Annabelle 

What I Needed to Learn in Life, I Learned from My Chihuahuas

 By: Kimberly R. Thorn

1.     Mexican cuisine is the greatest of all time.

2.     All other cuisine is good, as long as you’re hungry and are in a pinch.

3.     Dynamite comes in very small packages.

4.     If life hands you blankets, take a nap.

5.     If life doesn’t happen to hand you blankets, it’s okay, just steal them.

6.     Winter is made for hibernating.

7.     100°F weather is the perfect temperature.

8.     If it has teeth and shows them to you, it WILL bite.

9.     Waking someone who is sleeping is hazardous to your health.

10.  Tiny IS mighty.

11.  To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. 

12.  To dominate, you seek out the biggest guy, swagger up to him, tap his foot with your foot and when he bends down to get into your face, you bite his nose.

13.  Then hold on for dear life while he screams, flailing as he tries to remove you from his sore and possibly broken nose.

14.  Your bite needs to be much bigger than your bark.

15.  When you’re mad at your mama, sit with you dad and watch baseball while giving your mama the evil side eye, at least until bedtime.

16.  Peanuts, popcorn and Cracker Jacks are not just for consumption during the 7^th inning stretch.

17.  Every female should have a huge wardrobe of clothes, shoes, coats, purses, jewelry and accessories at her whim.  (and whatever else she wishes to wear).

18.  Always dress well and appropriate for every occasion. 

19.  Faux fur, jewels, glitter and rhinestones ARE appropriate for every occasion.

20.  Always arrive in style, like you’re ready to walk the red carpet, darling.

21.  Be excited to and go visit your Grandma and Grandpa whenever you can.

22.  If you want ice cream, just eat it.

23. Don't feel guilty about anything. 

24.  What’s done is done. 

25.  Do not dwell in the past.

26.  Why walk anywhere when you can ride everywhere?

27.  If you do have to walk, walk with an entourage.  It shows you are important.

28.  Everyone should share their food with you.  It’s a universal, unwritten law.

29.  Keep everyone guessing by growling at them once in a while.

30.  Just be cute, no one can dare to resist.

                       In memory of my angel, Annabelle and in honor of my current baby, Paris.

Paris

U.S. PRESIDENTS AND THEIR CATS! by Yvonne Saxon

 

 Of all the pets that have come with Presidents to the White House, I believe the cats have stolen the show! Martin Van Buren's tigers really did until Congress made him give them to a zoo, and Coolidge's lion cubs for a time, but the real stars were the domestic cats!

The first president to have a cat in the White House was Abraham Lincoln. Because the Lincolns left their dog in Springfield, Illinois when they moved to Washington, Secretary of State William Seward gave them two cats. Tabby and Dixie took up residence in August of 1861. Mary Todd Lincoln, when asked by a reporter about Lincoln's hobbies, commented with one word: cats. Lincoln was said to have quipped once that Dixie was smarter than all the members of his cabinet!

Rutherford B. Hayes and First Lady Lucy Hayes were given a Siamese cat in 1878 by the American Consul in Bangkok. Siam, according to records, was the first Siamese cat in the United States. Unfortunately she fell ill within nine months, and even though the President's personal physician was called in, his treatment of fish, oysters, cream, duck, and chicken didn't help, and she didn't recover.

Perfect Starts by Maria Hudgins

 

My favorite English mystery writer is Peter Lovesey so I was saddened by his recent announcement that his newest novel, Against the Grain, would be his last. His first was the prize-winning Wobble to Death, and it was published 50 years ago! Wow! He will at least continue writing short stories and I look forward to reading them. It was his novel, The Vault, that first taught me the value of a great opening line.

"Some weird objects are handed in at Bath Police Station."

I don't know about you, but I cannot stop there. Like what? What sort of weird object? Is he going to give me an example? He had better, because I feel like I HAVE to know! It can't be a gun because it's a police station and a gun would not be a weird thing to hand in there. A purse? That's not weird either. A set of false teeth? Weird, but why would you take them to a police station? I have to know more.

I read further, of course, and learn that a man wearing the uniform of a guide at the city's main tourist attraction, the famous Roman Baths, is standing in line at the front desk and holding a pizza box with a lump in it. The lid won't go all the way down.

What's in the box? I'll pause while you think about that.

I read on until I found out what was in the box but by that time I was hooked. I had to read the rest of the story.

Another Lovesey story--and I can't remember its name--starts with the single word, "Naked?" I thought about how I couldn't stop reading there and was inspired to start my first Dotsy Lamb Travel Mystery, set in Italy, with "Strip-search?" It worked. A lot of people read the book.

First lines are important. First lines in a mystery are especially important because there are so many mysteries out there. The writer is facing stiff competition. Nobody has to read past the first line if they don't want to. You have to make them want to. Here are some of my favorites:

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier. This line is often quoted as a great first sentence.

"I have done this before." Poirot's Last Case, Agatha Christie

"Death is my beat." The Poet, Michael Connelly

"Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write." A Judgement in Stone, Ruth Rendell. 

A first line like this one, or the one from The Vault can be used to spark the reader's curiosity or it can be used to set the mood for the whole story. It can help the reader decide if he wants to spend a few hours living in the world you have invented.

What about you? Have you ever been captivated by the first word or a first line that grabbed you and made you read the whole thing? When was the last time you felt like Tom Cruise when he said, "You had me at Hello?"

I'd love to hear your answer. Leave me a comment.

COASTAL CRIMES 2: DEATH TAKES A VACATION By Mystery by the Sea Authors

 

 March 10, 2025 (Monday) 7pm Est – Zoom Meeting – Session open to the public

Topic: Coastal Crimes : Death Takes a Vacation anthology. Come hear the authors discuss their story location, characters, and story inspiration on a moderated panel.

Description: Get ready to travel to mysterious vacation destinations in Coastal Crimes: Death Takes a Vacation anthology by members of Sisters in Crime, Mystery by the Sea chapter.

The stories are set in and around Virginia. Each of the fourteen stories transports readers across a rich, unique, and deadly landscape in the Coastal Plain of Virginia, North Carolina, and east of I-95. This collection includes vacation getaways from the shores of Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore, and the Outerbanks of North Carolina. So, pack your bags to visit premier destinations filled with mystery, murder, and a coastal view.

Teresa Inge is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Mar 10, 2025, 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://sistersincrime-org.zoom.us/j/5192298030...

Meeting ID: 519 229 8030

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SENDING VALENTINES: AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE by Penny Hutson

Ever wonder how the current Valentine’s Day card-sending craze in the United States got started?

How did we become so obsessed with sending cards in the first place? We have a card for everything these days. They used to be only for special occasions, a few holidays and for getting well. Now, there are cards for retirees, as well as those getting their first job or those simply changing to a new job. We have cards for friends, lovers, and those somewhere in-between. There’s hello, goodbye, sorry, and a whole host of other messages we used to write in letters to people, or we called them on the telephone and told them. Amazingly, we can even buy blank cards to write our own messages!

And no other holiday, aside from Christmas, do we feel the need to give cards more than on Valentine’s Day. Elementary students make them at school for all their classmates, parents, siblings, and other family members.

So, how did all this get started? Well, you can thank or blame (depending on your view) the current obsession of giving Valentines cards on the Victorians or at least, in part, for setting the stage. In the 1830’s, the London stationary firm of Joseph Addenbrooke discovered how to make paper that looked like lace. They used it to embellish practically everything, including what was soon to become all the rage in Victorian culture – Valentine cards with cutouts of hearts, cupids, flowers, and of course, lace paper.

Then, in 1847, a young woman named Esther Howland created the very first American paper Valentine card after receiving a commercially made English one from a friend. Esther’s father, who was a stationer, had supplied her with the special lace paper to make them. However, it was her traveling salesman brother who came back with an order for five thousand, after showing them to his customers on the road.

Esther wasted no time. She and a few friends began the first assembly-line production of American made commercial valentines in a spare room of their house. These creations were so popular, despite their high price, that in 1880 she sold her business to the George C. Whitney Company (an American Valentine competitor) for over $100,000.

Miss Howland is now credited with being the “Mother of the American Valentine.” So, whether you love or hate the tradition, perhaps she is the one truly responsible for our national infatuation.

ADVICE TO AUTHORS: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW, AND... By Michael Rigg

No doubt you’ve heard advice for authors to “write what you know.” I also follow this related suggestion: “write what you want to know.” For me, that means that I write stories set where I live, i.e., Virginia Beach and its environs. And, it also means that I write stories set in New Orleans, which I visit as often as I can, strictly for “research,” of course.

Despite recent events, New Orleans is probably best known for Mardi Gras. Well, it’s that time of year again. But Mardi Gras is not just a date. Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French. In addition to referring to a specific date (March 4th, this year), "Fat Tuesday" represents an entire season of Carnival celebration. Every year, Mardi Gras season begins on Twelfth Night, which is January 6. Twelfth Night represents the Christian holy day of the Epiphany. The season, which represents a time of celebration before Christian Lent, lasts until Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras Day, is March 4, 2025.

On January 6th, the merriment begins with the Krewe of Joan of Arc, a walking parade through the French Quarter, and three "parades" along various streetcar lines—Phunny Phorty Phellows,  Funky Uptown Krewe, and the Societe Des Champs Elysees (French accents omitted). For more about parade routes and schedules, check out this website:

https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/.../www.../parades/ 

In the meantime, Laissez le Bon Temps Rouler—Let the Good Times Roll!