Top Ten Literary Detectives

My Top Ten Literary Detectives

When I was younger, I read daily. My mother hated to find me with my nose in a book. She’d stand right over me and yell, and I wouldn’t hear a thing. I was lost in the story -- a new world. Reading was my escape.

I credit my fourth-grade teacher with my love for books because she introduced me to the library and the gift of a library card. Before that, though, I’d read newspapers and magazines: anything and everything I came across. My older brother had a collection of science fiction paperbacks, and Ray Bradbury was a favorite. In other words, I read everything in sight. Even now, I consume words at an amazing speed.

Today, my ability to escape to other worlds, other times, and other lives is still a gift of peace.

My top ten literary detectives are listed below in no particular order: Seriously, how do you choose a favorite? 

Please note - I did choose some by their TV/Movie persona. It matched perfectly to the character I saw. Even though the book came first.

1.       Nancy Drew --- Created by Carolyn Keene

2.       Judy Bolton --- Created by Margaret Sutton

3.       Mike Hammer --- Created by Mickey Spillane

4.       Hercule Poirot --- Created by Agatha Christie

5.       Nick & Nora Charles --- Created by Dashiell Hammett

6.       Miss Marple --- Created by Agatha Christie

7.       Sherlock Holmes & Watson --- Created by -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

8.       C. Auguste Dupin --- Created by Edgar Allan Poe

9.       Eve Dallas --- Created by J D Robb

10.     V. I. Warshawski --- Created by Sarah Paretsky

Do you have a favorite?

The Murder, Just Because Tour continues:

Today I'll be: 

April 13        Christine Rains – Writer – Review & Excerpt
                     Alex J. Cavanaugh – Guest Post -Top Ten Murder Movie List

And then:

April 15          Elizabeth Seckman, Author Guest Post - Heaven on Earth

April 17          Writer’s Gambit – Q & A & Excerpt

April 20          Tara Tyler Talks – Interview

                      H.R. Sinclair – Guest Post - How to Write a Thriller 

April 24          Write with Fey – Guest Post - Evil Exists

April 27          Just Jemi – Q & A 

April 29          Thoughts in Progress – Review

May 1             Celticlady’s Reviews – Feature

Creating a Serial Killer

Creating a Serial Killer

Who is Stowy Jenkins?

If you didn't know his killing background, you'd meet a handsome, charismatic man. Born in West Virginia, he's a transplant to Alaska, but he hates cold weather. Stowy owns his own computer design company and is an avid hunter and taxidermist. He lives with his mother but has a private cabin in the woods. He loves his toys, vehicles, hunting paraphernalia, and, especially, his killing tools.

In The Snowman, Stowy is convinced his killing is art, but once caught, the world imprisons him instead of appreciating him or his art. In Murder, Just Because, it’s ten years later, and Stowy Jenkins has escaped prison. His resentment has built, and his brutality has escalated. Revenge is his goal.

But why does he kill? Where did this man and his motives come from?

Obviously, from my imagination, but he's not wholly unique. His body count may be astronomical, and it is, but here in America, we had Henry Lee Lucas, the most prolific serial killer of all time with at least 350 deaths attributed to him and the possibility that the number could be as high as 600.

Stowy's charismatic persona helped him lure most of his victims to their death. Just as the handsome killer Ted Bundy did before his death by electric chair. However, Stowy took after Gary Ridgway in that he preferred a willing sexual partner, the prostitute, a person ready to climb into his truck.

Stowy's admiration and desire for blood were influenced by The Vampire of Sacramento, Richard Trenton Chase. Richard used to drink the blood of his victims and blend their body parts with soft drinks to make his favorite “milkshake” and was a known necrophiliac.

However, I set Stowy's underlying motivation for his desire to kill, at the feet of his abusive mother. A lifetime of sexual abuse by his own loving mother warped his sense of self and love.

If you're looking to create a notorious serial killer, do your research and know your antagonist from birth. I've found that whatever you can imagine, someone else already has, and the worst part of that statement--they exist and are ten times worse than anything you envisioned.

***

Photo by Reza Hasannia on Unsplash

Murder, Just Because - Tour Schedule

April 1            Denise Covey – Guest Post - Writing Your Real Life Experiences Into Your Novel
                        Mythical Books – Q & A with the Author & Excerpt

                              Rockin’ Book Reviews – Feature

April 2            Constantine – Feature

April 6            Mystery Writing is Murder – Guest Post How I Wrote My Mystery
                               Spunk on A Stick – Feature

April 7            Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews – Q & A
April 8            The Warrior Muse – Feature
                        Random Thoughts –  Feature

April 10          I Think Therefore I Yam - Susan Flett Swiderski - Interview With A Monster
                        Ellen Jacobson Author – Q & A 

April 13          Christine Rains – Writer – Review & Excerpt
                              Alex J. Cavanaugh – Guest Post -Top Ten Murder Movie List

April 15          Elizabeth Seckman, Author Guest Post - Heaven on Earth

April 17          Writer’s Gambit – Q & A & Excerpt

April 20          Tara Tyler Talks – Interview

                        H.R. Sinclair – Guest Post - How to Write a Thriller 

April 24          Write with Fey – Guest Post - Evil Exists

April 27          Just Jemi – Q & A 

April 29          Thoughts in Progress – Review

May 1             Celticlady’s Reviews – Feature

Amazon

Smashwords

The Tour Starts Today!

Murder, Just Because

Tour Schedule

April 1            Denise Covey – Guest Post - Writing Your Real-Life Experience Into                                                                                 Your Novel
                        Mythical Books – Q & A with the Author & Excerpt

                        Rockin’ Book Reviews – Feature

April 2            Constantine – Feature
                                       

April 6            Mystery Writing is Murder – Guest Post How I Wrote My Mystery

                        Spunk on A Stick – Feature

April 7            Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews – Q & A

April 8            The Warrior Muse – Feature

                        Random Thoughts –  Feature

April 10          I Think Therefore I Yam - Susan Flett Swiderski - Interview With A Monster

                       Ellen Jacobson Author – Q & A

April 13          Christine Rains – Writer – Review & Excerpt

                        Alex J. Cavanaugh – Guest Post -Top Ten Murder Movie List

April 15          Elizabeth Seckman, Author Guest Post - Heaven on Earth

April 17          Writer’s Gambit – Q & A & Excerpt

April 20          Tara Tyler Talks – Interview

                        H.R. Sinclair – Guest Post - How to Write a Thriller 

                      

April 24          Write with Fey – Guest Post - Evil Exists

April 27          Just Jemi – Q & A

April 29          Thoughts in Progress – Review

May 1             Celticlady’s Reviews – Feature

Amazon

Smashwords

AND

There's a new challenge!

WEP - April Challenge

Antique Vase!

https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/

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