Mysteries that Matter is a phrase that came into my head years ago, when I thought about the kinds of books I love to read and endeavor to write. In this monthly newsletter, I share thoughts about mysteries I’m reading, mysteries I’ve enjoyed in the past (including childhood favorites!), the craft and process of mystery writing (from tracking down ideas to polishing for publication), and real-life mysteries that spark my curiosity. I also investigate books that might not be marketed as mysteries, but contain mysterious elements nevertheless.
I’m kind of obsessed with mysteries. I’ve published six of them — for children, teens and adults — and I’ve worked with numerous mystery writers as an editor and a book coach. I started reading mysteries as a child when I first discovered my mother’s stack of Nancy Drews in a corner of my grandparents’ haunted attic. Over the years, I’ve taught mystery writing classes and published articles about the genre. You’d think I’d have this whole mystery thing figured out. But I’m still learning!
With mysteries, there’s always something more to discover. Despite familiar conventions, they can still surprise, whether we are readers connecting the dots alongside fictional detectives, or writers puzzling our way out of plot holes.
Do some mystery novels matter more than others? To be clear, I believe all mysteries matter. Mysteries provide opportunities to understand people and the choices they make. They are expressly concerned with human values and ethics. Good typically prevails over evil, crimes usually have consequences, and a sense of justice or balance is restored.
But some mysteries inspire us to engage more deeply with the world and think more closely about ecology, climate, equality, social justice, history, psychology, philosophy, and more. They cause us to consider a new perspective, or take action to combat an injustice. These mysteries, I am certain, can help change the world. And that matters.
I’m eager to find more mysteries with this extra layer of significance and to learn more about how writers think and work. To that end, I’ll be interviewing other authors as a recurring feature in this newsletter.
I am curious . . . what mysteries are you drawn to, on the page and in the world? What stories do you seek to uncover? What mysteries matter to you?
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A bit more about me . . .
I’m the author of six mysteries for readers of all ages.
Trouble at Turtle Pond (2022) and The Owl Prowl Mystery (coming 2024, both from Fitzroy Books / Regal House) are middle grade eco-mysteries about the Backyard Rangers, a team of self-appointed young rangers who solve wildlife crimes in their neighborhood. Trouble at Turtle Pond was a Nature Generation Green Earth Book Award Honor Book and a Massachusetts Book Awards “Must-Read.”
False Idols is a serialized, collaboratively-written novel for adults, published on Realm.fm (including in enhanced audio format) and in paperback by Adaptive Books. It’s a high-stakes mystery / thriller about smuggled antiquities, set in Cairo’s glittering art world.
Tokyo Heist, Latitude Zero, and Blue Voyage (all published by Viking / Penguin Random House) are international mysteries featuring globetrotting teen sleuths.
I also work as a freelance editor and a book coach. I help writers demystify their mysteries, make clear decisions on the page, and finish their books with confidence.
Main website - more about my books
