C.W. Hawes's Blog, page 7
July 11, 2023
Book Review: Best Served Cold
First there was a high profile up and coming NASCAR driver. Shot and killed at close range.
Now the victim is an up and coming high profile pro basketball star.
Private detective Tony Razzolito (a.k.a. The Razzman) isn’t concerned about the latest death until his friend, Captain Rita O’Connor of homicide, asks him to help on the case.
The only problem for Tony is he has to work with his nemesis Detective John Cahill.
Once again, Joe Congel delivers a well wrought whodunit that kept me guessing all the way to the surprise ending.
I’ve read all of the Tony Razzolito mysteries. And they just keep getting better and better. A good thing getting better is a very good thing.
What I like best about Congel’s stories are his characters. They have personality. They are three dimensional. They pop off the page because they are real people.
Characters make fiction sing. We remember memorable characters. Rarely do we remember a plot.
As Ray Bradbury advised writers: create your characters, let them do their thing, and there’s your story.
And Joe Congel lets his characters do their thing. In doing so, a story is created that carries us along from beginning to end. We are right there living the story along with the characters. That’s the work of a master storyteller. And Congel is a master.
While Best Served Cold is laced with loads of humor, the story itself is dark. It is a vengeance tale reminiscent of Jacobean theater. Bloody and unrelenting. It’s a good thing the humor is there – it relieves the darkness of the mystery.
Best Served Cold is the fourth book in The Razzman Mystery Crime files. I’m already waiting for number five.
Pick up your copy of Best Served Cold on Amazon.
And if you haven’t read the other Razzman mysteries, you can find them on Amazon, too.
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes
Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!
Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!
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The post Book Review: Best Served Cold first appeared on CW Hawes.
July 4, 2023
Review: Men Lying Dead in a Field
Someone is killing psychologists. Is Dr. Michael Kurelek next?
Men Lying Dead in a Field opens with Mike Kurelek, psychology professor at Burnet College, surprised to find his father in Magnolia Bluff after the old man had spent the last year fighting in the Ukraine helping the Ukrainians repel the Russian invaders.
While Mike’s dad, who was a sniper, is waiting for clearance from the State Department to stay in the US, psychologists start showing up dead in a field outside of town.
Mike is worried perhaps his PTSD suffering father has something to do with the deaths and tries to keep him hidden from the police.
When Reece Sovern, Magnolia Bluff’s police investigator asks for Mike’s help, Mike soon discovers there is something even more nefarious at work.
Mysteries are always difficult to review, at least for me, because I don’t want to reveal too much — lest I give away the story.
Suffice it to say, Richard Schwindt has given us another exciting mystery thriller to enjoy.
Richard is an accomplished writer of fiction and non-fiction. His work ranges from psychological and relational self-help, to satire, to mysteries, to literary fiction, and to the paranormal.
Men Lying Dead in a Field is at once laugh out funny and a poignant story of the horrors of war.
This is an engaging book. One you truly don’t want to miss.
Pick up your copy on
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes
Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!
Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!
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The post Review: Men Lying Dead in a Field first appeared on CW Hawes.
June 27, 2023
My Interview with Ivo Lettercast
Today, I’m re-sharing my interview with Ivo Lettercast on Indie Author Connection from 2 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ270hyXppY
I talk a bit about my philosophy regarding what it means to be a writer and I perform a reading from my cosmic horror novella Nightmare in Agate Bay.
The interview was great fun, so I thought I’d dust it off and share it again. I hope you enjoy it.
If you want to sign up for my VIP Horror Readers Club, click or tap this link to BookFunnel: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/aj2s8x1slq
You’ll get a free and exclusive copy of “The Feeder”! It’s not available in stores.
The Pierce Mostyn Paranormal Investigations are a blast to write, and readers like them too: “Had me waiting on tentacle-hooks. …a charming, easy to read, creep-fest!”
You can get a copy of Nightmare in Agate Bay on Amazon.
Hope you enjoy the interview. Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes
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The post My Interview with Ivo Lettercast first appeared on CW Hawes.
June 20, 2023
Men Lying Dead in a Field
Richard Schwindt is no stranger to writing fabulous fiction. And he’s definitely no stranger to writing marvelous mysteries.
Magnolia Bluff Crime ChroniclesMen Lying Dead in a Field is his second contribution to the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series. His first book, The Shine from a Girl in the Lake, is an exciting serial killer mystery thriller and is available on Amazon.
Men Lying Dead in a Field is available on Amazon and is only 99¢ for a limited time.
Get
Men Lying in a Field
Today
Dr. Michael Kurelek is caught unawares when his father appears in Magnolia Bluff, just released from sniper duty in Ukraine.
When a stranger turns up dead shortly after, shot through the heart in a field outside of town, Mike needs to act.
His investigation will place him in the sights of a deadly adversary. Everyone has a secret, but someone is killing psychologists, and Michael Kurelek could be next on the list.
I’m looking forward to reading this ASAP. It’s going to be one heck of a mystery thriller.
Richard SchwindtIf you haven’t read the fiction of Richard Schwindt, you are in for a treat. He brings to his storytelling a unique psychological insight that is based on his many years working as a social worker and as a therapist.
You can find all of his fiction and non-fiction on Amazon.
And a good place to start is with The Death in Sioux Lookout Trilogy. These are great mysteries you really don’t want to miss.
The Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series now numbers 14 books. And more are coming. One each month.
You can start the series with Men Lying Dead in a Field, or, if you want to start at the beginning, you can do so with Death Wears a Crimson Hat.
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes
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June 6, 2023
Death in Small Town America
Now that is a title for a blogpost! It is also the focal point for the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles — where the happening place is the town cemetery.
Magnolia BluffWhat makes the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series unique is that the books are written by a group of authors known as the Underground Authors.
Each author writes a mystery set in Magnolia Bluff, Texas. The author has his or her own cast of characters, and may draw on the characters and places created by the other authors.
Over time we have built and peopled a living town in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Well, it certainly seems real to us and our readers.
And in two weeks Book 14, Men Lying Dead in a Field, goes live. You can pre-order Richard Schwindt’s book right now on Amazon.
Another addition to the life and times of Texas’s most famous (or infamous) small town.
How It StartedBack in 2021, I was at a virtual writers conference and it was there that I learned of the multi-author series concept.
On the heels of the successful launch of our short story anthology, Beyond the Sea, I brought the multi-author series concept to my fellow Underground Authors.
After numerous emails, nine of us decided to give the idea a try. And thus Magnolia Bluff was born.
We had so much fun in 2022, we decided to continue the series in 2023. And now we have 12 authors all set to continue the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles in 2024.
For myself, I will say that not in my wildest dreams did I imagine the series would take off, let alone be a success.
Part of the success, I think, is due to the absolutely awesome covers created by Crispian Thurlborn of Wyldwood Books.
His imagination is phenomenal and his drive to create the perfect cover for your book is unrelenting. He isn’t satisfied with less than the best.
The Series to Date
Summer is upon us. Now is the time to not only take an actual vacation, but take a virtual one as well. Magnolia Bluff. The perfect vacation of the mind. Just watch your back.
Here are the books in series order. Click or tap on the title for a description and buy link.
Death Wears a Crimson Hat by CW Hawes
Eulogy in Black and White by Caleb Pirtle III
The Great Peanut Butter Conspiracy by Cindy Davis
You Won’t Know How… Or When by James R Callan
The Flower Enigma by Breakfield & Burkey
The Shine From a Girl in the Lake by Richard Schwindt
The Dewey Decimal Dilemma by Linda Pirtle
JUSTICE by Kelly Marshall
Born and Bred Texan by Jinx Schwartz
The Dog Gone Diamond Dilemma by Linda Pirtle
When Bad Things Happen to Good Mice by Cindy Davis
Only the Good Die Young by Cindy Davis
Who Killed Lilly Paine? by KD McNiven
Men Lying Dead in a Field by Richard Schwindt
There they are: the 14 books to date in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. And more are on the way! Enjoy!
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes
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May 30, 2023
The Sketch
My love affair with the sketch goes back many years to my reading of Adventures in Contentment by David Grayson.
At first puzzled by the seeming lack of direction the author took in his book, I suddenly realized the “novel” I was reading was, in fact, a collection of vignettes, or sketches, and each one produced a mood of contentment.
I was enthralled with the skill of the author in making each chapter a chance for us to become satisfied with life.
From the Adventures, I went on to discover other writers of sketches: such as Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Anthony Trollope.
A sketch is at base a mood evoking descriptive piece of writing.
Perhaps we can think of it as the verbal equivalent of the musical tone poem. Or as a painting in words.
One of the best discussions of the form I’ve found is in a blog post from 2007 on the Siris blog, simply entitled “Literary Sketch”. Do check it out.
The sketch is a literary form that has no plot to it, although there may be movement in the piece. Through the description of the scene, a mood is evoked and that is its strength: to use the power of words to evoke feeling and to perhaps stir us to our very core.
There is a Japanese literary form developed by Basho called haibun, a linking form of prose and haiku, which is very similar to the sketch.
Basho composed his travel journals in haibun, as well as writing stand alone atmospheric pieces and essays in the form. I love haibun. It is a brilliant dance of prose and poetry.
Sketches were very popular in the 1800s. They were like a photograph, as it were, that let the reader participate in a scene or an activity.
Writers, if you haven’t tried your hand at the sketch I encourage you to do so. They make excellent blogposts. Short, emotive pieces that will leave your readers happy, sad, motivated — however you want them to feel. And it that feeling is the power of the writing. Perhaps more powerful than if you just dumped a bunch of facts or opinions on them.
Readers, sketches are great for our busy lives. They are usually short. They can be read quickly and will leave you with a verbal picture of someplace you’ve never been and you get to share the feelings of the author.
If you haven’t tried the sketch, either writing one or reading one, I encourage you to do so. A well written sketch is prose poetry at its finest.
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes
Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!
Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!
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The post The Sketch first appeared on CW Hawes.
May 23, 2023
The Sherlock Holmes Mystery Formula
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not invent the mystery genre. That honor goes to Edgar Allan Poe.
But Doyle did make the nascent genre extraordinarily popular. Once Sherlock Holmes caught on with the public, there were dozens of imitators all vying for attention.
The Sherlock Holmes Mystery Formula
The formula that Doyle created for his genius sleuth endures to this day. It’s the formula all traditional mysteries follow. With stylistic variations, of course.
Here’s Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes Mystery Formula:
We meet the detective at home or in his office and learn that he is a genius.The client enters, tells the detective a tale of woe, and the detective decides to take the case.The detective hunts for clues to solve the murder (or other crime, if the story isn’t a murder mystery).The detective, having gathered enough clues finally knows who did it, and either catches the killer himself, or tells the police how the murder was done.The significance of the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Formula is that the story’s focus is on the sleuth and the puzzle he is trying to solve.
Mysteries are Cerebral
At base, mysteries are cerebral, not visceral, reads.
Mysteries are a puzzle. The author is challenging the reader to see if he can figure out who did it before the detective’s great reveal at the end of the book.
By comparison, thrillers are visceral reads. They are packed with emotion. Their goal is to keep you on the edge of your seat, chewing on your nails.
Thrills and Spills
That doesn’t mean there can’t be thrills in a mystery, because there certainly are thrills. Often plenty of them. Car chases. Kidnappings. Shootouts. And lots more. They just aren’t the main course. The puzzle is.
My own Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mystery series follows, more or less, the Sherlock Holmes formula.
If your reading diet is mainly thrillers, you might find the mystery pacing too leisurely, or sedate. At least initially.
But hang on to your hat, because by the middle of the book things are heating up and heating up fast.
Real People
My Justinia Wright series was patterned after Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin mysteries.
Like Wolfe and Goodwin, sister and brother Tina and Harry Wright are people. They have lives apart from being private investigators.
Chandler gives us little glimpses into the private life of Philip Marlowe. And I can see why the glimpses are brief. Marlowe’s personal life is rather boring. He does play chess, but it’s games out of a book.
Tina and Harry, on the other hand, have interesting lives — and I share their lives with you. They are, after all, real people. At least I think they are.
So the lives of my detectives get intertwined with the mystery to provide a seamless window into the world of Tina and Harry Wright, and the people and critters they care about.
Get in on the Fun
If you like books about people, if you like Wordle or other puzzles, then you’ll like the world of Tina and Harry Wright.
You can find all of the many cases in the Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mystery series on Amazon.
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes
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The post The Sherlock Holmes Mystery Formula first appeared on CW Hawes.
May 16, 2023
Who Killed Lilly Paine?
This Saturday, May 20th, the newest Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles book drops.
Who Killed Lilly Paine?
by
KD McNiven
And you can pre-order it right now on Amazon.
KD McNivenMcNiven is no stranger to Action-Adventure Thrillers, Police Procedural Thrillers, and Science Fiction Thrillers.
Now she adds the Mystery Thriller to her repertoire.
KD is one of three new additions to the Underground Authors. She brings experience and talent to the table, to give us a new look at the goings on in Magnolia Bluff, Texas.
What’s It All About?Who Killed Lilly Paine? is the 13th book in the exciting multi-author Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series.
The book revolves around two foci: the death of teenager Lilly Paine, and Deputy Detective Maddy Dawson’s re-acclimation to her home town of Magnolia Bluff. And neither one is going to be easy.
The murder is complex and the murderer elusive.
Maddy’s return home is more of an escape from a bad situation in her previous job in Nevada, than it is a joyous home coming.
During the course of the story, Maddy not only has to deal with her personal demons and self-doubts, but also the threats on her life as she slowly closes in on the killer.
Who Killed Lilly Paine? is an emotive thrill read, as well as a puzzler of a whodunit. A good addition to the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles.
Where Can You Get It?Who Killed Lilly Paine? is on pre-order right now on Amazon. The book’s official launch date is May 20th. Reserve your copy today!
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes
Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!
Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!
Share This!
The post Who Killed Lilly Paine? first appeared on CW Hawes.
May 9, 2023
I’ll Buy Anything They Write
Last week I shared with you 10 of my favorite fictional characters.
Today, I thought I’d share with you 13 of my favorite fictioneers. Contemporary writers who I find so very satisfying I’ll buy anything they write.
So here’s a shoutout to my Dazzling (Baker’s) Dozen.
Crispian ThurlbornThis guy can write. Weird. Fantasy. He can do so with dark wry humor. He can slowburn his way to your fear button. He can lead you down a strange and dreamy road to terror. He’s just plain good. One of my top 5 favs.
Find him on Amazon.
Richard SchwindtSchwindt writes hilarious satire; occult detective stories laced with dark humor; poignant, introspective whodunits; humorous paranormal adventures; and fabulous literary quality short stories.
He will make you think, laugh, and cry. And that’s a pretty doggone good combo.
Find him on Amazon.
Caleb Pirtle IIIPirtle writes non-fiction by the bucket load. I’m not a non-fic guy, but I can tell you, from what I’ve read, he can spin a good yarn even writing non-fic. Doesn’t matter if he’s writing a biography of a person or a town, it will be an interesting story.
But it’s in his fiction where I think he shines. Pirtle makes the past (his favorite place to be) or the present come alive. And the people you meet in the pages of his books are just as real as your next door neighbor.
Pirtle will make you feel the heat and humidity. He’ll make you feel the hope and the despair. He will make you stop and ponder a bit of wisdom one of his people just said. He’ll make you laugh. And he’ll make you cry. He’s a magician with the written word.
I’d probably buy his grocery list. They don’t come any better than Caleb Pirtle.
Catch him on Amazon.
Joe CongelI like well-drawn, realistic characters, who move through a realistic story. I appreciate a story that is told well. And Joe Congel does this with panache.
He writes contemporary PI novels with a hardboiled feel. And he peoples his realistic tales with well-drawn, realistic characters.
Introduce yourself to Joe Congel. You’re in for a treat.
Check him out on Amazon.
Matthew CormackCormack creates some of the best characters to ever step out of the pages of a book. They are totally lifelike.
He is the epitome of Bradbury’s dictum: create your characters, let them do their thing, and there’s your story. And what stories they are.
His books are, quite simply, a cut above.
And you can find them on Amazon.
James VincettMagnificent worldbuilding. Brilliant imagination. Fabulous characters. Incredible stories. These are the hallmarks of the science fiction of James Vincett.
His work is fabulous and I’m first in line to get his next book. I hope it drops soon.
Get his books on Amazon.
Andy GrahamGraham writes some of the best slowburn horror that you can buy. The suspense is oppressive. There are times I have to put the book down in order to catch my breath and get my pulse down.
Graham’s writing is simply top drawer, and you can get his books on Amazon.
Brian Fatah SteeleSteele writes incredibly imaginative modern cosmic horror. A worthy successor to old HPL himself.
I find his imagination unparalleled. He will show you dimensions you can’t even dream of.
His story “Bleak Mathematics”, IMO, is a modern classic.
Find him on Amazon.
John F LeonardI love Leonard’s imagination. He can range from the cosmic to what’s in your pocket. Stuff you just can’t imagine comes out on the page to terrify you, or just plain scare the crap out of you.
He just might be one of the best writers you’ve never heard of. So make your acquaintance. Pronto. On Amazon.
Ray ZacekZacek is good. Plain and simple. Whether it’s biting satire, or terrifying horror, or spooky macabre — Zacek delivers.
His imagination will take you to places you may not in the end want to go. But you know you have to. This guy is one of the best.
Get his books on Amazon.
Garrett DennisDennis’s Storm Ketchum is a truly enjoyable character. Sad to say, though, it looks like the Storm Ketchum series is complete. I hope not. Because Storm is the amateur sleuth par excellence and the supporting cast of characters is amazing.
The stories are as laid back as is Outer Banks island life, which is where the stories take place. Yet, don’t be fooled. Because when excitement is called for, Dennis delivers and you’ll find yourself on the edge of your chair.
I truly hope Mr. Dennis writes more stories of Storm and the Outer Banks. I’m standing in line waiting. On Amazon.
Terry NewmanI love Terry Newman’s Nicely Strongoak — dwarf PI. The mysteries are fun, intriguing, and suspense-filled whodunits. All set in a fantasy world that is not a whole lot different from our own. Great reading you don’t want to miss.
On Amazon.
Jack TylerI think Tyler can write anything. He’s that versatile. Steampunk. Epic fantasy. Occult detective. Humor. Police procedurals. Horror. It’s all there and it’s all good.
Whatever’s next on his list to publish, I’m there to buy it.
Tyler is one of the best writers you probably never heard of. And now you have. Go forth and support this guy.
On Amazon.
On Kindle Vella.
There’s my baker’s dozen of writers whose work I will buy sight unseen and will even wait in line to get.
Check them out. You won’t be sorry.
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes
Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!
Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!
Share This!
The post I’ll Buy Anything They Write first appeared on CW Hawes.
May 2, 2023
Ten Favorite Fictional Characters
Just like real people, we have our favorite fictional people. Characters that resonate with us, just like real people do.
So I thought I’d share with you ten of my favorite fictional characters that are not of my own creation.
Nero Wolfe and Archie GoodwinI was introduced to Rex Stout’s detective team in the summer of 1980. I fell in love with Wolfe and Archie immediately. There are few books that I reread. The Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin mysteries are among those that I do.
My own Justinia and Harry Wright mysteries were inspired by Stout’s characters.
Wolfe and Archie are the timeless dynamic duo.
DCI Tom Barnaby and DS Gavin TroyLike Wolfe and Goodwin, what makes DCI Tom Barnaby and DS Gavin Troy of Midsomer Murders exceptional is the relationship and repartee between the two.
There are certain pairings that just work. The chemistry between the characters makes us laugh or cry. We see them as real. And that’s how it is with Barnaby and Troy. They are real.
Alan Snyder (TV series Colony)In my opinion, Alan Snyder is the consummate “bad guy”. And it is not so much that he is bad, as that he is completely and totally focused on promoting Alan Snyder.
He does some good things. He does a lot of bad things. But mostly he does what will benefit himself. Regardless of the outcome for others.
If you haven’t seen Colony, give it a watch. The show only lasted three seasons. But I think it is a great SF alien apocalypse story. Unfortunately, the acting is only so-so, save for Snyder’s character. But the show is totally worth watching. A fabulous story and a great bad guy.
Solomon KaneRobert E Howard’s 16th and 17th century. Puritan adventurer is a masterful creation.
Kane is a Christian Puritan, but isn’t overly religious. Although he does have his own very strong moral code.
He is a wanderer. He is the consummate knight errant.
In many ways, he combines the action of Conan with the introspection of Kull.
And although Conan is far more popular, I think Solomon Kane is the superior character.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr John WatsonHolmes and Watson. I first met them sometime during my elementary school years. Sixty or more years ago. And I still find the duo interesting enough to make my favorite list.
The inimitable Holmes and the faithful Watson. Their world is a man’s world. So much so, that every modern re-creation infuses women into the story and gives them a place that Holmes and Watson would never have wanted. They were two men very much at ease with each other. Comrades. And in my opinion, that’s what makes the stories work and makes them so memorable.
Rona (Church Mouse)RH Hale’s Church Mouse is a towering modern gothic novel of incredible power.
It is the story of Rona, who becomes a servant to vampires.
In some ways, Church Mouse is one long character study. But what an exciting and terrifying study it is.
If you haven’t read Church Mouse, you really need to do so. Even if you don’t like vampires, you’ll love Rona.
Church Mouse on Amazon.
Peter (Don’t Dream It’s Over)Matthew Cormack’s Don’t Dream It’s Over is one of the great novels you’ve probably never heard of. Like Church Mouse above.
Also like Church Mouse, Don’t Dream It’s Over is a very long and fascinating character study.
The world as we know it has come to an end. But Peter survived. From his pen we learn what the new world is like. What hopes and dreams remain. And we learn about Peter himself. He is the unlikely hero. The person all of us would like to be.
Even if you don’t like post-apocalyptic novels, you have to read Don’t Dream It’s Over. It truly is a great novel.
Don’t Dream It’s Over on Amazon.
Doc Bannister and Eudora DurantCaleb Pirtle’s series The Boomtown Saga is a magnificent historical novel series. It is literary mystery at its finest.
The books revolve around the intertwining stories of con-artist Doc Bannister and widow Eudora Durant.
These are two of the finest characters I’ve ever met. They are real people who come alive when you open the book. So real in fact, that I may have fallen in love with Eudora.
The Boomtown Saga will transport you back in time and introduce you to two of the most intriguing people you will ever meet. Real or otherwise.
The Boomtown Saga on Amazon.
Philip MarloweI came to Raymond Chandler’s fiction late in life. And I’m glad I did. I’m able to much better appreciate his picturesque prose, Chandlerisms, and the introspection and observations of PI Philip Marlowe.
In many ways, Marlowe is larger than life. And that is okay. It’s his keen observations about life, his feelings for or against people, that make him such an intriguing character.
DraculaAlmost all contemporary vampires are actually spinoffs of the silent film Nosferatu. And when compared to Stoker’s Dracula are very limited creatures.
Bram Stoker’s vampire is a creature of immense paranormal power.
He can walk about in daylight, although his power is diminished.
He can shapeshift to a variety of creatures and can even assume the shape of fog.
He can change his appearance.
His power of mental telepathy and control of people from afar is phenomenal.
His strength is supernatural.
Dracula is a predator of almost unlimited power and abilities and that makes him a true force to be reckoned with.
He is the perfect bad guy because he’s almost indestructible.
And maybe that’s why modern film, TV, and fiction opt to cast their vampires in the form of Nosferatu instead of Stoker’s Dracula.
Dracula, though, is truly better. He’s much more terrifying.
Those are ten of my favorite fictional characters. Drop your 10 in the comments section below.
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
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