Amateur Detectives: A Writer's Guide to How Private Citizens Solve Criminal Cases

Howdunit Series

by Elaine Raco Chase, Anne Wingate

Never before has such specialized information been so thoroughly compiled and easily accessible to writers Each book is written by a professional in their respective field, providing the inside details that writers need to weave a credible -- and salable -- story.

Genres: Writing, Reference, Nonfiction, Research, Mystery

232 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

Elaine Raco Chase is the award-winning author of seventeen paperback novels with over 3 million books in print. She is published in 25 countries and 15 languages.

As a romance writer, Chase has won two sales awards for top romance novels of the year, Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award for romantic suspense, and the Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Award for writing excellence. Her non-fiction debut Amateur Detectives - A Writer's Guide was nominated for the prestigious Agatha Christie Award.

Elaine was past President of Sisters in Crime International, a charter member of Romance Writers of America and a registered lecturer for Poets and Writers.

She currently teaches a variety of writing courses.

Reviews

[Richard Derus]

Rating: 4* of five

Wow. This is a gigantic bolus of information of huge value to any mystery writer wannabe. It's on the dry side. The value is practical, but significant.

[Lisa Kucharski]

So, the copyright on this book is 1996, which means that in the future it would be a great reference for writers wanting to write from this time frame. Reading it in 2017, much of the technology and laws are evolving so the info in the book is not current but it does point out some specific areas to have knowledge about when writing detective fiction.

The book has various "sections." 1. It covers writers from the Golden Age of Detection (1920 to 1945ish) and then writers from (after WW2 to 1990's.) It discusses the detectives and the kinds of stories and crimes etc... so this section is a great way to see what has been done and the variety as well. A good place to find writers that you could read to see how others have handled a story that you are also interested in writing.

2. Second bit covers the qualities that one finds in a sleuth, however this chapter and the last would be best put together, the last chapter is a - let's put together a sleuth writing prompt which is quite fun- actually I find this kind of playing with ideas the most useful thing from this book.

3. Information gathering and laws by state. The bulk of the book is in this section (like 3 or so chapters) where where and how you can get information is covered, then state by state laws regarding citizen's arrest and gun laws, then how to request info from various agencies (FBI etc..) or in this case how you will most likely not get information using the Freedom of Information Act. It covers websites that by now could be changed etc... but again. This section gives a really great snapshot of this time period and what you could or could not do and how information could be gathered.

The last bit is how real people have tried to solve crime. They aren't super smart or can observe the subtly of a raised eyebrow- this work is personal and dogged. Some people were victims and realized that the only one who was going to care about stopping this person was them came up with an idea and followed it. Other's were related to the victim, and in one case- one person was the criminal.

So reading this now, would this help a writer, yes. Mostly because it makes you consider becoming familiar with the reality of what does one face when trying to solve a crime, but not being a police officer. It offers good advice about quirks that are necessary to the genre and how to even come up with new ideas to expand it. So, the information is dated, and can be a bit repetitive (the laws for every state thing was interesting but let's face it there are a lot of states, and then Canada and other territories.) But some of the information makes you also think about all that surrounds events of a crime- the laws, the ability to get information, how to find a way to have your sleuth get access to that info, general knowledge of the laws. So, you can use what you need from this book. I was lucky I found a used copy for cheap.

[Rachel]

I just want to acknowledge some of the negative reviews this book has received:

This is a resource book meaning it is very easy for it to become outdated. Prior to purchasing a resource book, please check the date of publication and don't leave negative reviews simply because you didn't pay attention. This book in particular warns you in just about every chapter to not hold them to what they say because laws change so quickly.

Even though some of the information is outdated, it doesn't change the fact that this is a wealth of writer's information. I'm working on a series set in the early 2000s and this book has provided me with a lot of ideas. I will still have to put in research myself, as with any other resource.

Also this is a resource book, not a how-to manual. The authors expect you to take what they provide and for you to put in effort with the actual creativity.

All resource books require that you take them with a grain of salt.

[Ethan Hulbert]

I was more excited to get this book than I think it warranted. Granted, yes, it's a resource book, and a resource book from the 90s will obviously be out of date 30 years later - that, I expected.

But the subtitle of this book is "A Writer's Guide to How Private Citizens Solve Criminal Cases" and it simply did not deliver on that at all. It had great lists of resources for the time, and a lot of interesting information overall. However, it simply did not give a writer's guide to this subject, in any way, shape, or form.

So... not the worst book for what it was, but it was horribly mistitled for what it actually is.

[Dawn]

It must've been extremely helpful at the time it was written. So much of the legal and technological information is so far out of date now that a large percentage of the book is no longer relevant. The myriad examples of classic and "contemporary" were interesting simply as a resource for further reading but the cozy market has changed SO much since 1996. This book is in desperate need of an update for the 21st century. The exercise at the end was fun.

[Dan Beliveau]

Sadly, I bought this book about 25 years ago - and never read it.
Now, it's horribly out of date, referencing CD-Roms and the Internet as "a new way to do research".

If you look past that, it's filled with the interesting details required to create an amateur detective. Unfortunately, I don't think I learned anything "new" exactly, but it'll be a great reference book when I need some traditional resources for an historical detective.

[Robert Bagnall]

Two stars, not because this is utterly, utterly redundant and out-dated, not wholly because it’s not well written and something of a brain dump, but mainly because the word “Writer’s” in title made me expect a guide to the story structure of the amateur detective novel, the beats, the tropes, the similarities in structures of seemingly very different approaches. But no, nothing doing.

[Krista]

Lots of great tips and tricks for building your mystery and detective, timeless even with changing technology and information. Honestly, though, half the fun was reading the "wildly advanced" tech from the world of 1996. A perfect step back in time if you wanted your mystery to be a cold case.

[T.]

The book is a little out-of-date for today's wannabe writers—there's too much talk about the "information superhighway"—but it has some helpful tidbits in it.

[Jennifer Worrell]

There were some interesting tidbits in here, including scores of famous mystery writers and books organized by theme, so I can look up the ones that have something in common with my own writing. However, a lot is devoted to state-specific information, and the book is from 1996. In twenty years, I bet a lot has changed. However, it provided a guide of where to look for the information I'd need, and gave me ideas for my own WIP.

[Sarah Pottenger]

Seemed like a good one to read and take notes on, since I often use amateur detectives. It had lots of good information.

[J.M.]

Haven't really read this cover to cover because I don't really write whodunits. Lots of good information in here, but doesn't really pertain to me.

[Marjo]

DNF.

I love the idea behind the book, but with 1996 as a publishing date, it is simply no longer a viable reference.

[Sally Kilpatrick]

Interesting info, especially at the beginning and the end. Some of the things in the middle are rather outdated. An updated version would be interesting.

[Jessica]

Gotta love these resource books! They are giving me some great ideas.