Tea shop entrepreneur Theodosia Browning has been tapped to host a fancy Limón Tea in a genuine lemon orchard as a rousing kickoff to Charleston Fashion Week. But as fairy lights twinkle and the scent of lemon wafts among the tea tables, the deadly murder of a fashion designer puts the squeeze on things.
As the lemon curd begins to sour, the murdered woman’s daughter begs Theodosia to help find the killer. Tea events and fashion shows must go on, however, which puts Theodosia and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, right in the thick of squabbling business partners, crazed clothing designers, irate film producers, drug deals, and a disastrous Tea Trolley Tour.
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!
How
to Keep Your Readers Guessing
by
Laura Childs, New York Times
Bestselling author of Lemon Curd Killer
Ever seen a James Bond movie? If you’re a fan, then you know that good old Bond is dodging bullets, chasing bad guys, and hitting the Autobahn in his Aston Martin before the credits even roll. As a mystery author – or would-be mystery author – you have the power to do this very same thing. That is, grab your readers by the throat, tickle their imagination, and take them on a roller coaster of a thrill ride. How do you do this? The answer, quite simply, is to keep them guessing.
First off, you drop a dead body right there in chapter one. You’re writing a murder mystery after all, so you need to give your readers a nice juicy murder. Sure, some authors offer pages and pages of build-up, but you want to compel your readers to be startled and intrigued, to want to keep reading.
Second thing, introduce your protagonist. Make him or her a witness to the murder. Scare them, upset them, splash them in blood. Make your protagonist dig deep and want to know who on earth could have murdered this poor soul.
Next thing, liberally sprinkle in a bunch of suspects. Some of these suspects can appear in chapter one, others can make their appearance in subsequent chapters. But all of them need to have a connection to the murder victim. And all of them need to have a motive for killing. We’re talking money, greed, anger, power, and revenge. And remember, the more suspicious your suspects are, the more suspicious your readers will be of them.
Now it’s time to throw in some major roadblocks and blow up your plot. If your protagonist starts to focus on one suspect in particular, kill that suspect off. Now they’ve got a second murder to contend with. And while they’re scratching their head over this, subtly bring your other suspects to the forefront. Now your readers will really be guessing.
Finally, crack the whip on your protagonist. Make it darkest before the dawn, as if this murder will never be solved. Make your protagonist feel that all is lost, but then have then scrape up some willpower, double down, and finally (finally!) solve the murder.
You see? Now you’ve written a pulse-pounding, compelling book that will keep your readers guessing whodunit through all those chapters. Good work!
Love,
Laura Childs
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Author Bio:
Laura Childs is the author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Most have been on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, and has a Chinese Shar-Pei named Lotus.
Find out more at laurachilds.com
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glad you are back, I have missed your blog and your site, may the gremlins cease and desist!, Hugs to you Mary in Ottawa, Canada
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary!
DeleteWelcome back, Lisa! You were missed.
ReplyDeleteOops…I got so excited seeing you’re back, I forgot to sign my post. ;-)
ReplyDeletePat T