Offers detective and mystery writers factual foundations for their characters' amateur sleuthing.
Did you ever want your protagonist to make a citizen's arrest, but you didn't know the process? If the answer is yes, then turn to this volume from the Writer's Digest Howdunit series. It has all the information your sleuth needs for busting open the big case, including an overview on Internet hacking and descriptions of how real crime victims have solved their own cases. This book is recommended for mystery fans as well as scribes. I wish I had this back when I was reading those Encyclopedia Brown stories!
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
Some good info:
When I first started reading Amateur Detectives, I felt that it needed much more than it offered, however as I kept reading the book kept getting better and better. As the book starts off, it talks about the history of amateur detectives, which is specifically geared towards detective novelists. I found it fascinating to learn where some very established writers got their inspiration.
The biggest (and best) section of this book talks about state and federal weapon regulations. It talks about concealed... more info
A vague analysis on amateur detectives:
Elaine Raco Chase and Anne Wingate base the premise of this book as helpful based on the "one-must-do-one's-own-reading" premise; of the mystery novels we like, in order to write one of our own with believable characters and an interesting plotline. Although I totally agree with this suggestion, I can say this is hardly news for any serious writer of any genre. It is so how we are presented with a very extensive list of suggested reading, where all types of amateur detectives display their wit and wisdom... more info
Spend your money on novels.:
If you've read enough mystery novels to be considering writing one, nothing in this book will be new to you. The authors basically offer examples of what has already been done with amateur detectives, which can be useful in its way, but it's no substitute for doing the reading yourself.
In addition, the book has a distracting number of typos and spelling errors; for example, the authors--or editors--can't seem to decide whether Frederic Brown's first name should have a "k" at the end or not, so they spell... more info
This book is wonderful!:
I am a beginner mystery writer & was unsure as to how my amateur sleuth would solve crimes. I have searched local bookstores for a book like this & am so glad I found it! The authors have done a remarkable job with their research and I am very appreciative. This book is a wealth of information that I won't only use in writing, but also in my personal life. I plan on buying all of the Howdunit Series because this one has been so informative. I now have an "edge" on creating a believable sleuth with... more info
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