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You Can Write a Mystery
Provides advice, examples, and exercises on the process of writing a mystery novel
124 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 24, 2021
As I’ve accidentally started to write a mystery, I thought I might as well read a book on how it’s done to see if I’m doing it all wrong. I have to say this is a rather good guide actually. It goes through starting the mystery, hiding the clues, red herrings, playing fair with the reader and so on. Most of it sounds like a good advice. There are a few things I think have more to do with Roberts own preference, than anything else.
For example, when she talks about cliches to avoid she mentions never using an stupid policemen as one such. Now, I’m not saying that one should use cliches at all, but this one is used quite extensively in the Father Brown TV series as the character Inspector Gerry Mallory is so devoid of any talent in his chosen profession that he would hardly be able to find the real killer even if he stood outside the police station with a sign saying “I did it”. That is a show is quite popular, and personally I like it, so I can’t agree that this cliche doesn’t work. He plays a certain role in the narrative, both as the challenge for the real detective, Father Brown, but also as the comic relief.
Apart from minor things like that, I think most of this is pretty interesting, and sound advice. And I may look into again as the writing of my little mystery progresses.
For example, when she talks about cliches to avoid she mentions never using an stupid policemen as one such. Now, I’m not saying that one should use cliches at all, but this one is used quite extensively in the Father Brown TV series as the character Inspector Gerry Mallory is so devoid of any talent in his chosen profession that he would hardly be able to find the real killer even if he stood outside the police station with a sign saying “I did it”. That is a show is quite popular, and personally I like it, so I can’t agree that this cliche doesn’t work. He plays a certain role in the narrative, both as the challenge for the real detective, Father Brown, but also as the comic relief.
Apart from minor things like that, I think most of this is pretty interesting, and sound advice. And I may look into again as the writing of my little mystery progresses.
September 24, 2017
Good pointers included:
• Play fair. If your sleuth knows something, let the reader know it at the same time.
• If your sleuth is an amateur, justify their involvement by making the police disinterested or misguided (but not stupid jerks).
• Create characters who stood to benefit from the victim's death. Roberts likes to make each of them lie.
• Amateur sleuths may become involved in the mystery because of a MacGuffin, an artifact that pulls them into the case but turns out not to be the main issue. Resolve the MacGuffin situation before resolving the main mystery.
• Use false leads that your sleuth has to track down.
• You can disprove a sleuth's working theory by introducing a second corpse.
• Have each chapter frame a clue.
• Bury clues by using misdirection in a series of flashier information.
• Maintain a list of the clues you've planted.
The book also included general tips for writers for dealing with the "middle muddle," describing turning points through dramatization, how to end chapters, proper crime novel length, and style. The book also included amusing snippets of fictional sisters who dump a dead body behind the rosebushes.
Sometimes the blending of the generic writing tips and the specific mystery writing tips didn't quite gel. The e-book version had format rendering issues. Overall? The book was helpful/ok!
• Play fair. If your sleuth knows something, let the reader know it at the same time.
• If your sleuth is an amateur, justify their involvement by making the police disinterested or misguided (but not stupid jerks).
• Create characters who stood to benefit from the victim's death. Roberts likes to make each of them lie.
• Amateur sleuths may become involved in the mystery because of a MacGuffin, an artifact that pulls them into the case but turns out not to be the main issue. Resolve the MacGuffin situation before resolving the main mystery.
• Use false leads that your sleuth has to track down.
• You can disprove a sleuth's working theory by introducing a second corpse.
• Have each chapter frame a clue.
• Bury clues by using misdirection in a series of flashier information.
• Maintain a list of the clues you've planted.
The book also included general tips for writers for dealing with the "middle muddle," describing turning points through dramatization, how to end chapters, proper crime novel length, and style. The book also included amusing snippets of fictional sisters who dump a dead body behind the rosebushes.
Sometimes the blending of the generic writing tips and the specific mystery writing tips didn't quite gel. The e-book version had format rendering issues. Overall? The book was helpful/ok!
March 23, 2023
Better than I thought it would be.
August 16, 2017
I struggle with nonfiction. It is sad but true. This is a great book that covers not only the basics of writing a mystery, but the basics of writing any fiction book. And it handles that huge task in around 120 pages! What more could you ask for? It was well written, concise, and the tips were perfect for the budding author. And yet it took me somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 weeks for me to finish it! Something about nonfiction just doesn't hold my attention, even when it is a topic I'm interested in, it is well done, and gets straight to the point. I find my mind wandering after half a page, or even after a paragraph or two. It was ridiculous. I've encountered this before with other books and had suspicions that the books were boring or the content was off, but this is empirical evidence that it is all me. This was a great book and I recommend it highly. I also need to get some medication or something...
June 21, 2015
This is a fair introduction to the subject, but I'm glad I have a few other books that go more in-depth. The writing here is easy to read and understand, and there are some pretty good tips. The thing is that much of this reads more like a general introduction to novel writing rather than something focused specifically on writing mysteries. I wish there had been a bit more specific advice and less general stuff - I don't really feel that the brief chapter on writer's groups was needed, for example. Still, for something I got from the library and read fairly quickly, it's not bad. I can't strongly recommend it, but reading this isn't going to hurt either.
January 10, 2024
“You can write a Mystery” by Gillian Roberts. I took this book out for my friend who write mysteries (as a joke). It turned out to be a good read. The book has great points - ground rules for critique writing groups, how to design your sleuth, the 7 C’s: characters, conflict, causality, complications, change, crisis, closure. How to hide clues and exploit red herrings, research techniques, how to develop a style, tone, construct a killer. The chapter of the book is about finishing your manuscript and finding a market for it. Though reading your book and recording it, is a great tip.
“Put your book on tape. Read the entire book into a tape recorder. Then, take a deep breath and listen to it. Apply the “gut test”: if something in your belly squirms, either upon hearing it or late at night in retrospect, trust your gut. Work on that part.”
To me writing shouldn’t always be about making money. It’s the enjoyment writing for one self.
“Put your book on tape. Read the entire book into a tape recorder. Then, take a deep breath and listen to it. Apply the “gut test”: if something in your belly squirms, either upon hearing it or late at night in retrospect, trust your gut. Work on that part.”
To me writing shouldn’t always be about making money. It’s the enjoyment writing for one self.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2019
A good book on writing will not only leave you feeling empowered to write but will also leave you feeling in awe of the secrets that were revealed.
That is exactly what Roberts did in this book. If you've ever wondered how mystery writers do it, how they lead you on a story that simultaneously gives you all the answers and hides them from you, this book is what you're looking for. Not only does she explain some of the tricks mystery writers use to keep you from noticing the important information in front of you, but she also takes you on a step by step outline of what makes a mystery novel good--how the suspense works, how to keep growing suspense, and how, in the end, the mystery needs to be solved to leave the reader feeling fulfilled.
That is exactly what Roberts did in this book. If you've ever wondered how mystery writers do it, how they lead you on a story that simultaneously gives you all the answers and hides them from you, this book is what you're looking for. Not only does she explain some of the tricks mystery writers use to keep you from noticing the important information in front of you, but she also takes you on a step by step outline of what makes a mystery novel good--how the suspense works, how to keep growing suspense, and how, in the end, the mystery needs to be solved to leave the reader feeling fulfilled.
September 25, 2025
I could just almost give this book the rare (for me) five-star rating. Almost. For the person, like me, who's giving some occasional thought to the possibility of maybe someday writing a mystery novel, this book provides a number of helpful tips, and it does so clearly and concisely, in a quick, engaging style. The cover actually put me off a little and lowered my expectations. For a book about writing a mystery, I'm not sure what would've made a better cover, but this looked to me like something that'd be sold at the Dollar Tree--and that's too bad, because the contents were so much better than that.
August 18, 2023
This book offers lots of great strategies for the novice mystery writer such as myself. Roberts also provides plenty of good general advice for beginner and advanced beginner writers (which you can skim or ignore if, like me, you've already read your fair share of writing books). She supports her concepts with succinct, concrete examples from a wide range of mysteries, including a judicious number from her own series. A very unpretentious, clear, and helpful guide! (Oh, I read the 2013 edition, which might be very different from original, 1999 edition.)
September 19, 2021
An excellent primer for writing a mystery novel, most of which is applicable to genre novels in general. Robert’s advice is specific and succinct, often illustrated by passages from the novels of well-known authors. Her depth of coverage is balanced—not lengthy enough to bore, not too brief to be deficient. Recommended for beginning writers and a useful refresher for those with some experience.
May 26, 2022
Really useful advice
This author knows of what she speaks. I find the later diction choice chapters to be a most useful elbow in the ribs for anyone who figures that they are done with a manuscript. It could be updated with modern plotting software like Plottr but good advice never ages. Buy this book.
This author knows of what she speaks. I find the later diction choice chapters to be a most useful elbow in the ribs for anyone who figures that they are done with a manuscript. It could be updated with modern plotting software like Plottr but good advice never ages. Buy this book.
November 9, 2017
Great tips. Geared for mysteries but covers other novels also. Using revealing examples.
January 5, 2018
I found this book very helpful and easy to understand.
February 10, 2023
Accessible, informative, encouraging. Everything you want in a writing instruction book.
February 10, 2014
In You Can Write a Mystery, award-winning author Gillian Roberts gives aspiring crime writers practical advice on how to produce a marketable mystery novel. Included is everything from "The 15 commandments for mystery writers" to instructions on how to pick your detective and how to decide which kind of story is for you--a cozy or police procedural; a spy thriller or romantic suspense? There are also the seven Cs that good books should never do without--characters, conflict, causality, complications, change, crisis, and closure. She gives tips on how to hide the clues (in plain sight) and how to make those red herrings tempting enough to distract. There are pointers on research techniques and helpful hints on how to develop a manageable writing work ethic, find your style and voice, and construct a killer plot line.
Roberts if very generous with her advice and extremely helpful to the writer wanna-be (that would be me!). Reading the book makes me anxious to get back to my (very) rough draft and see if I can't get myself from wanna-be to full-fledged author. Wish me luck!
First posted on my blog .
Roberts if very generous with her advice and extremely helpful to the writer wanna-be (that would be me!). Reading the book makes me anxious to get back to my (very) rough draft and see if I can't get myself from wanna-be to full-fledged author. Wish me luck!
First posted on my blog .
September 18, 2009
I'll preface this review that I am already a writer of science fiction and picked it up to learn a different genre.
This book has lots of excellent advice and even better it is under 200 pages. I have found that books over 200 pages either are full of filler or have too much information to assimilate in one reading.
The book is very different from other books on writing written for the writers' workshop crowd. It is not for the person who wants to write "literature." It is about writing for publication in mystery, suspense, and thriller markets, therefore it does not dwell on the mechanics of writing the perfect sentence and paragraph nor how to bare your soul. It is about structuring a competent mystery.
My favorite things from this book is an excellent form to use for character sketches and another checklist for the editing process. Other little tidbits are great if you are unfamiliar with writing mysteries, like leave a clue in every chapter.
This book has lots of excellent advice and even better it is under 200 pages. I have found that books over 200 pages either are full of filler or have too much information to assimilate in one reading.
The book is very different from other books on writing written for the writers' workshop crowd. It is not for the person who wants to write "literature." It is about writing for publication in mystery, suspense, and thriller markets, therefore it does not dwell on the mechanics of writing the perfect sentence and paragraph nor how to bare your soul. It is about structuring a competent mystery.
My favorite things from this book is an excellent form to use for character sketches and another checklist for the editing process. Other little tidbits are great if you are unfamiliar with writing mysteries, like leave a clue in every chapter.
June 17, 2014
This book was wonderful! My only problem with it is that I don't have time to sit down and let my mystery novel pour out of me, the story in my head made better with the knowledge I have gained from Gillian Roberts.
I've read many inspiring writing books. I've read some terrible writing books. I've read books that made me want to sit down and write. This is one of the best "technique" books I've ever read. It inspired, it challenged, it clarified. It is everything one should hope for in a text specifically meant to explain the art of mystery writing. Be warned: if you don't have a good story or good characters, it isn't magically going to make your writing inspired. At the same time, it will give you the tools you need to take a good story with strong characters and make them that much more real. In addition, her macro and microediting chapters are helpful to writers of any genre.
I loved this book. I'll reread it. After I get started on my mystery series.
I've read many inspiring writing books. I've read some terrible writing books. I've read books that made me want to sit down and write. This is one of the best "technique" books I've ever read. It inspired, it challenged, it clarified. It is everything one should hope for in a text specifically meant to explain the art of mystery writing. Be warned: if you don't have a good story or good characters, it isn't magically going to make your writing inspired. At the same time, it will give you the tools you need to take a good story with strong characters and make them that much more real. In addition, her macro and microediting chapters are helpful to writers of any genre.
I loved this book. I'll reread it. After I get started on my mystery series.
July 15, 2009
This book basically jumped off the shelf when I was volunteering at a local library this week. It's not something I would normally pick up, and perhaps none of the suggestions are particularly earth-shattering, but it strikes a nice balance between fuzzy encouragements and step-by-step instructions. It does well by removing the mystique around the writing process (at least, the mystery writing process) and draws your attention to the formulaic aspects that are present in any good mystery. The chapter on character creation was particularly helpful, I thought.
December 10, 2014
What i really read this book for was the chapters on plot structure and clue deployment, as i'm working on something with a mystery element to the plotting. There are also many other chapters on more general writing advice (how to create complex characters, setting development, finding an agent once you're done, etc) which would be helpful to a beginner but weren't aimed at me as a reader. It's concise and a quick read, and i'd recommend it to aspiring mystery writers, sure.
October 27, 2009
I grabbed this one from the library to use as a reference for this year's NaNoWriMo and read it from cover to cover in two days. I'd give this book 5 stars just for the 15 Commandments for Mystery Writers Who Want to be Published listed at the beginning, but the rest of the book is just as informational.
April 29, 2013
Good for what it's worth: It's a great book that covers essential material on writing mysteries (though most of it applies to other forms of writing as well.) Loved the examples and suggestions. Only negative is that sometimes the short length can over-simplify issues such as a 3-page chapter on marketing.
May 24, 2009
One of those Writer Digest Books guides; a straightforward, thought-provoking guide. Books like this can't teach you how to write, but they can jog your thoughts and help you develop your ideas. I got a lot of benefit out of it.
August 1, 2009
This book, in general, repeats general fiction writing advice, thus it is not a five star book. However, the chapter on hiding clues is quite useful for anyone interested in writing a mystery or crime novel and the author pulls great quotes from other authors on their process as well.
September 15, 2010
This was an easy read, but couldn't hold my attention. Maybe I've read too many "how to" books. She did offer a couple of lists of things to consider when writing a mystery. On the whole, it was same-old, same-old.
June 17, 2008
This book is filled with practical, easy to follow advice about writing in this genre. I like that the author uses concrete examples to support what she's saying.
February 17, 2009
No, I can't. But this is a good step-by-step guide for those would might be able to.
October 18, 2012
This book is pretty basic, but it contains a lot of good info. Great as a refresher.
October 16, 2011
Excellent reference book.
September 27, 2012
Very useful steps and examples. My only other comment is that she has a lot of tables for the exercises, and they don't format right for the Nook, making each table span several pages unreadably.
October 9, 2012
Informative, succinct, highly readable. Packed with information and tips.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews