I have been reading and enjoying mysteries since I was a young child with my first Nancy Drew books.  I still look to mysteries as favorite reads.  It's not always the "whodunnit" but often the characters, settings and joys of following a series that draw me in.


Whenever I read a mystery, I take a look at the page about the author.  Sometimes I wish I knew more though about what makes a favorite writer tick.  If you feel that way too, this is a fun book to dip into in any order that you like.


This title from the Mystery Writers of America posed a question to authors; they were asked to write about a mystery in their own life, however they defined that. As a result here are writings by Sulari Gentill, Ausma Zahanat Khan, Rhys Bowen, Jacqueline Winspear, Tasha Alexander, and Anne Perry, just to name my own favorites.  (Reviews for these authors are on my blog).


What a treat!  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.


#PrivateInvestigations #NetGalley

An interesting collection of essays by mystery writers - some eye opening points made, but some of the essays felt a little lacking. A mixed read for me.

Mystery writers writing about their own personal mysteries, how meta can you get? Victoria Zackhelm set out to find out just that by recruiting twenty authors (some well-known, some not so well-known) to write about mysteries in their own lives, i.e. what intrigues, baffles, dismays, and intrigues them. Each author brings their own take on what makes a mystery, so be prepared to ricochet about this concept!

Sulari Gentill writes about her discovery of an unknown relative. Hallie Ephron dives into ghosts and mediums. Jeffrey Deaver brings the reader along on his quest to be a writer. For Cara Black, the mystery is Paris. Connie May Fowler riffs on motherhood. Martin Limon contemplates the U. S. Army and Korea. William Kent Krueger whispers about mothers and expectations. Asuma Zehanat Khan reminisces about origins. Kristen Lepionka is startled with a haunted apartment in Columbus (OH). Lynn Cahoon explores the mysteries of love and relationships. Rhys Bowen conflates World War II and her writings. Rachel Howzell Hall wanders through the surprises her body has for her. Steph Cha encounters stalkers! Jacqueline Winspear remembers war and her family. Tasha Alexander philosophizes on what attracts readers to mysteries. Carole Nelson Douglas winds cat smuggling and Nancy Drew into a career. Caroline Leavitt has the case of the missing voice. Charles Todd immerses himself in the milieu of the Great War. Robert Dugoni muses on how to reach the reader's heart. Anne Perry closes the book with why she wishes to be a writer.

So what does the reader get out of these varied essays? A small sense of what makes these particular writers put pen to paper and write!

I love mysteries, thrillers and crime novels, fiction and non fiction so, I was excited to receive this title for review from NetGalley and Perseus Books.
I found this book to be an interesting look "behind the curtain" into how authors use their experiences and how they write the novels they do.
I think one of the reasons for my enjoyment is I naturally related to some of my favorite authors who were included in this collection of essays.
If you would like to see how and why some authors do what they do, try this collection. You might even find a new author to check out.

A collection of essays about the real lives of mystery writes.Personal essays about situations they have found themselves involved in.Very interesting read.#netgalley#persusbooks

This book is a collection of essays from various mystery authors about the biggest mysteries they've experienced in their lifetimes. I found some of the essays to be interesting, but most were rather dull. I was excited about the premise of this book, but didn't feel like my expectations were met.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

An interesting peek at the real lives of mystery writers! I liked some of the pieces a lot but some were very poorly done. A real mixed bag.

An interesting and well-curated selection of essays on writing mysteries, crime, war, etc. from some of the best in the crime-writing world. Readers will enjoy hearing from their favorite writers, and maybe discover new ones as well.