Book Review: The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

THE SECRET ADVERSARY
Writer: Agatha Christie
Challenge: Mystery and Suspense Challenge 2011
Challenge: 2011 E-Book Challenge
Challenge: Vintage Mystery Challenge
Kindle: here
Genre: Mystery/Adventure

How I read it: Kindle

Synopsis: Set in 1919, young couple Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Cowley form a partnership, hiring themselves out as ''young adventurers''. Their first case, however, is more of an adventure than they expect - working to find documents that, if they were known to the general public, would fuel a communist revolution in Britain.

My Thoughts: I love Tommy and Tuppence and this is the start of their many adventures together. The beginning, opens on a sinking ship and the adventure continues throughout. I've choose to read the books in order of publication and this is a great second book.

There were a few things I wished happened more:
(1) I wish Tommy and Tuppence spend more time together in the book. I would have liked to see them in action together.
(2) I wish there were more suspects. Normally the villain is one of many but in this book, it's clearly down to two.
Spoiler Alert! (3) The way the book ended bothered me. The villain (a super villain - the greatest mastermind in in the world) gets caught so easily. And when he's caught, he becomes a coward.

But, other then that, you won't be disappointed from this FREE book.

Do The Write Thing!

Margot Kinberg at Confessions of a Mystery Novelist is starting up a charity to raise money for Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake relief. If you donate, you are entered to win books. But really, that shouldn't be the only reason... Check it out!

Picture source: here

Blog Changes!

Yup, your eyes are not deciving you - I'm changing the layout and features of my blog to make it more reader friendly.

Unfortunately, Blogger's HTML feature is not working today and so I'm stuck. However, I'll work on it over the weekend and be back Monday!

Hmmm, well since I'm working on it, is there anything you want to see changed?

Status Seekers vs Storytellers

Yesterday I received the book The Fire in Fiction from the lovely Margo Benson and the first thing the book addressed was the reason we write: for status or story? or a combination of the two?

There's a part of me that wants millions of people to read my book and love it. In fact, my next book has vampires with blades, Jane Austen and a self-discovery trip Europe with recipes - how can I go wrong? 

But, then there's the reclusive storyteller in me -- holding a cup of coffee -- in constant search of knowledge to bloviate at readers like at fuliguline making everyone want to run and hide in their rabbit holes.

I'm incredibly impatient (an annoying habit) and I don't wait until my novel is truly ready before I try to get it in the hands of editors, agent, publishers and readers. This is status seeking behavior - and it can be dangerous. Publishers don't spend a lot of money on unpublished authors and instead of perfecting the craft and the manuscript, status seekers just keep sending their manuscript out and getting annoyed at the results.

However, I'm one of the fortunate people who hear voices (although an interesting quirk, I'm not crazy) and seeking publication is vital but doesn't keep my interest. Soon I'm writing again. Trying improve my craft to write the best novels possible - I aim to entertain.

So, in the end, I'm a bit of both. I try to push the status seeking behavior down and focus on the storytelling.

Why do you write?

Also, I may have revealed something about me that isn’t strictly true, can you guess what it is?

Bloviate - to speak pompously

Fuliguline - a. pertaining to or like a sea duck; belonging to sea duck family of birds.

This is part of Rach Write's Crusader Challenge - check it out!

Mystery Writer's Guide to Forensic Science - Collecting Evidence II

Over the next few weeks, we're going to be discussing the collection of evidence at a crime scene. I've decided to list things to collect and how to collect them alphabetically. This week in the alphabet of crime collection, we will be examining letters: (Note: When writing this post I was suffering from a wicked migraine, so, if you notice anything that doesn't seem right, let me know.)

A & B

Ammunition

• The ammunition and/or magazine should be placed in a paper envelope or bag. 
• Any boxes of similar ammunition found in a suspect's possession should also be placed in a paper container and sent to the crime lab. 
• Casings and/or bullets found at the crime scene should be packaged separately and placed in paper envelopes or small cardboard pillboxes.
• Never mark ammunition - label container.
• Wash projectiles and air dry if removed during autopsy. 

Bite Marks

(on skin)

• They should be photographed using an ABFO No. 2 Scale with normal lighting conditions, side lighting, UV light, and alternate light sources. Color slide and print film as well as black and white film should be used.
• Older bitemarks which are no longer visible on the skin may sometimes be visualized and photographed using UV light and alternate light sources.
• If the bitemark has left an impression then maybe a cast can be made of it. 
• Casts and photographs of the suspect's teeth and maybe the victim's teeth will be needed for comparison. 
• Wipe the area with a piece of cotton, moistened with distilled water, air dry, then place in plastic tube. 

(on perishable items)

• Photograph and cast mark. Place cast in rigid plastic container.

(on suspect)

• Photograph teeth.
• Obtain saliva using sterile cotton gauze, air dry and package.
• Cast teeth of suspect.

Blood

(on absorbent material)

• Cut material and air dry.
• Package it in a paper bag or envelope and send it to the lab. 
• If the object cannot be transported, then either use fingerprint tape and lift it like a fingerprint and place the tape on a lift back.
• Scrape the stain into a paper packet and package it in a paper envelope.
• Or absorb the stain onto 1/2" long threads moistened with distilled water. The threads must be air dried before permanently packaging. For transportation purposes and to prevent cross contamination, the threads may be placed into a plastic container for no more than two hours. 

(on nonabsorbent material - wet)

• For large volumes, spoon or suck up with disposable pipette liquid blood and package. For small, rub a small piece of cotton through the stain.

(on nonabsorbent material - dry)

• For large volumes, scalpel scrap into small rigid plastic container. For small, rub a small piece of previously moistened (distilled water) cotton through the stain.

Bloodstain pattern 

• Use large format camera, 6x6 cm minimum.
• Photograph scene with black and white and color film.
• Take overview of stains at 90 degrees from each subject.
• Take close up views with measuring tape.
• Take blood samples.

Sources: http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/evidenc3.html
(2) Encyclopedia of Forensic Science
Picture sources: here, here

Book Review: Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf

Jacob's Room
Writer: Virginia Woolf
Challenge: 2011 E-Book Challenge
Paperback: here
Kindle: here
Genre: Literary Fiction

How I read it: Kindle

Synopsis: Impressionistic novel by Virginia Woolf, published in 1922. Experimental in form, it centers on the character of Jacob Flanders, a lonely young man unable to synthesize his love of classical culture with the chaotic reality of contemporary society, notably the turbulence of World War I. The novel is an examination of character development and the meaning of a life by means of a series of brief impressions and conversations, stream of consciousness, internal monologue, and Jacob's letters to his mother. In zealous pursuit of classicism, Jacob studies the ancients at Cambridge and travels to Greece. He either idealizes or ignores the women who admire him. At the end of the novel all that remains of Jacob's life are scattered objects in an abandoned room.

My Thoughts: By all standards, Virginia Woolf is a HORRIBLE writer. But, oh how I wish I wrote like her. I've said this before when reading Woolf, read aloud. It's like butter on the tongue.

I don't think new writers could write like Woolf and get picked up by a publisher, but someday, I'm going to write in the style of Woolf and gosh darn-it, you'll love it! Don't read this book if you're looking for good plot development or any structure, read this book because you should. Don't expect - feel. Like a cup of tea and biscuits enjoy without expectation.

Here's an example of why I love Woolf's writing:

Then Jacob was left there, in the shallow arm-chair, alone with Masham? Anderson? Simeon? Oh, it was Simeon. The others had all gone.

 Jacob's Room on SEX:

Jacob's Room on LIFE:

Jacob's Room on BOOKS:

It is the same with books. What do we seek through millions of pages? Still hopefully turning the pages -- oh, here is Jacob's Room.

Writing Advice From A Professional Newby

I've started another new blog feature... (nah, not really). This is just crap that entered my head whilst I was in the shower.

So here it is:

Don't try writing two or more novels at once!

Yup, that's it. I've tried over the last few months to do this because the ideas pop into my head with each new cup of coffee. However, for me, there's a certain mulling period that occurs before each new writing session and that time I spend mulling takes up more hours than I have during the day.

I can't just flip the switch and enter another world. I've got no wardrobe in a secret attic room that I can enter and never age (though I think I want one for my next anniversary - husband, are you reading this!?)

So, one book at a time it is. Hmm, unless one of you fine blog readers have come up with a swell way to accomplish this feat... spill the beans!

Amusement in Mathematics

One thing I love about Kindle are the free books and one book I recently acquired is Amusement in Mathematics by Henry Ernest Dudeney (a Public Domain Book). Inside are hundreds of cool mathematical problems. On occasion (like when my internet is acting up), I'll leave some up. Feel free to take a crack at them. The following week I'll leave post the answers.

Writing for Others... and Richard Armitage

Whilst visiting my family in Canada this past December, my sister and I had a North and South marathon. (Below is a pic from the movie for you to drool over... and when you're done, keep reading.)

The reason I bring this up (and it was in no way solely to stare at Armitage) is because we started talking about great books NOT YET made into film. In fact, two of my sister's favorite novels have never been on screen...well, at least not in a long time. One is Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham and the other... well, the other I've decided to work on. I mean, how many versions of Pride and Prejudice do we have to see before we are convinced we captured Jane Austen? Let's get new films out, folks!

Anyway...

As writers, there are certain lines we HATE to hear from our family:

What are you writing?

Why don't you get a real job?

I thought about writing once...

I've written something, can you look at it?

Hey, you should write...

Well, my sister said the last line to me and as usual, I smiled and stored the thought with 'climbing Everest' or 'holidaying in Iraq.' But then I went home. What a gift it would be to write something for someone. So, I guess I just might un-store the thought. 

Have you ever thought about writing something on request? For someone you loved?

Mystery Writer's Guide to Forensic Science - Collecting Evidence I

Over the next few weeks, we're going to be discussing the collection of evidence at a crime scene. In part one, we're going  to be discussing:

Documenting the Crime Scene (UK):

Processing the crime scene needs to be done in a thorough manner so that an accurate record is available for presentation as evidence. There are four ways this can be done:

Photographic and Video Evidence: This should be done before evidence and the body are moved.

Notes, Sketches and Plans: Photographs may not always depict spatial relationships between objects; sketches are used to supplement photographs. Sketches can more easily depict the overall layout of the scene and the relationships between objects. Investigators usually complete hand-drawn, rough sketches while at the crime scene. These sketches contain all the necessary information for the investigator to subsequently complete a finalized version.

Types of sketches may include:

# Entire Scene - Complete Scene With Measurements

# Bird's-Eye View – Overhead View of The Scene

# Elevation Sketch

# Cross Projection Sketch

# Three Dimensional Sketch

Computer reconstruction: For courtroom presentation, hand drawn sketches may be converted using computerized programs such as computer aided design (CAD), which provide a dynamic, professional appearance.

Sources: Crime Scene Documentation Information
Encyclopedia of Forensic Science
Photos taken from TV SHOW: Silent Witness

Book Review: The Prairie Grass Murders by Patricia Stoltey

First of all, I want to thank Margo Kelly for hosting a cool contest. And I won! I won a writing book - The Fire in Fiction - and can't wait to receive it. Thank you, Margo!

The Prairie Grass Murders
Writer: Patricia Stoltey
Challenge: Mystery and Suspense Challenge 2011
Challenge: 2011 E-Book Challenge
Audio: here
Kindle: here
Genre: Mystery/Suspense

How I read it: Kindle

Synopsis: Sylvia Thorn, a Circuit Court judge in Palm Beach County, Florida, takes an unexpected trip to her hometown of Sangamon City, Illinois, when her older brother, Willie Grisseljon, is confined to a county hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
A Vietnam vet with lingering side effects from the war, Willie finds a body while he's on vacation. When he tries to report his discovery to a deputy sheriff, he is locked up as a vagrant with delusions. Willie insists on returning to the site where the body is hidden before notifying the sheriff.
Soon he and Sylvia discover clues about the murdered businessman, his wife, a tenant farmer, concealed Indian artifacts, and uprooted stands of prairie grass that may help the sexy sheriff find the murderer.

My Thoughts: I didn't know what to expect from this novel. I knew it was written by a fellow blogger and that the mystery took place on a prairie... or prairie-ish setting. There was a part of me that feared large chunks of description - and there was plenty of it. However, not enough to skip. I actually felt like the author wanted the reader to see what the characters saw. It was kinda nice. Besides, the description was placed between action and plenty of dialogue.

Even though the characters were older, there were some amazing action scenes. The mystery is good and you'll want to read the next book in the series.

Smart E-book Buying

Yesterday, we talked about e-book pricing and many debated buying cheaper books because of (1) the lack of editing and (2) the fear of substandard quality.

So what are some things to look for when buying an e-book?

(1) Look for PUBLISHER in the PRODUCT DETAILS section of the AMAZON page - compare the first photo with the second. The first comes from a self-published book and the second from a John Grisham novel.

(1)

(2)

(2)READ THE REVIEWS - Even when searching for books on my Kindle, I often read the reviews. The review below was from a book sold for $0.99.

Click to enlarge.

(3)TRY IT OUT! - Usually, you can at least download a chapter of each book.

And remember, not every best seller is over $5.00.

E-book Price Matters: Here's the Proof

I know I've discussed this topic before but Robin Spano recently tallied up all the numbers from her recent sales. For nine days in the past months, she lowered the price of her e-book. I think if there's one thing I gleamed - lower the price for an e-book below $5.00 for at least a promotional period. I often buy books under $5.00 and read them. Anyway, don't listen to me, the results speak for themselves. There is the results in Robin's words:

Last December, ECW Press and I ran an experiment. For one week, they dropped the price of my mystery novel to $1.99 (ebook versions only).

They ran this experiment mostly to indulge me. My gut said – and still says – that the industry standard price of $10 for an ebook is too high. My proposed ideal ebook price was $4.99. I think that's a fairer price (relative to print books), and I think people would buy more ebooks if they were cheaper.

ECW Press disagreed, but they ran the experiment anyway. They're an innovative press – they're interested in experiments; they're interested in what the book buying public has to say. They're also good to their writers – I had a question, and they were willing to help me answer it.

So for one week, Dead Politician Society was $1.99 on iBooks, Kobo, and Kindle.

During the Experiment

The blogosphere was amazing. Word caught on, and lots of people helped me spread it. Comment sections were alive with debate and support, and these bloggers were kind enough to host me as I talked about the challenge in its various stages along the way.

The Results

(If you hate math, skip ahead to the numbers in bold.)

Kobo – no change
Kindle – sold 35x as many books as the rest of the month combined
iBooks – sold twice as many books as the rest of the month combined

Adding actual book sales from all 3 sites, 5.5 times as many books sold during the promotion period as they did in the rest of the month. Since the promotion period got inadvertently extended to cover 9 days (both Kindle and iBooks had the price lower for an extra day on either side) here's the math I'm going with:

5.5 times as many books in 30% of the month = 18.33 times as many books per day, on average
$1.99 per book as opposed to $10.99 = 18% of the regular price in revenue
18 times as many books x 18% of the revenue = 3.3 x the revenue of a normal week

* I should note that because of the blurry edges of the experiment dates, we were forced to do some estimating re: Kindle and iBook sales. We think we got it right, but if we made any errors it's in favor of the lower price.

The Interpretation

Me: Awesome. More people are reading the book (which is great for a new writer – I care way more about readership than sales). And if sales dollars are up, even better – no skin off the publisher's back. My conclusion is easy – price matters, and lower is better.

ECW: We think people are buying the books because of the promotion, and not because of the price. We really don't know what the e-book market looks like, but we know a few things: Market surveys show that most readers agree that $10 is a fair price. A lower price doesn't get us very good placement on the sites. Under $7 is not sustainable for publishing books in any medium.

Other Factors Brought Into The Discussion

* Dead Politician Society was recommended by the CBC Mystery Panel as a holiday read. Immediately afterwards, Canadian sales spiked noticeably for a few weeks. Both ebooks and paperbacks sold at about five times their normal rate – for an increase in sales revenue of 5 times the norm (more than during the experiment). (Point in ECW's favor: promotion, not price driving sales.)

* Statistics show that books bought for under $5 are far less likely to ever be read. (Point in ECW's favor: Since the whole goal is increased readership, that negates the benefit of selling more books.)

* Lower pricing can devalue a book. If the industry standard price for an ebook was lower, that would be one thing. But to lower the price of Dead Politician Society to half while other new releases are being sold in the $10 range could make it look like it was cheap for a reason, thus deterring potential sales/readers. (Nobody's point – this is speculation.)

* The blogosphere really got behind this challenge. People were excited to help me prove my point. (Point in my favor: A lot of readers find ebook pricing unreasonably high across the industry, and they voted with their wallets and word of mouth.)

The Conclusion

While ECW Press is happy that the experiment went well – it got a bunch of people reading and interested in the book – they don't want to lower the price on a permanent basis.

I'm cool with that. If it was my call, I'd lower the price to $4.99 – mostly because I think keeping prices high isn't good for the industry as a whole, and I love that line from Ghandi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

But I feel like ECW has listened to my questions and given me way more leeway than any big publisher would have. And they're probably making the right call from a business point of view: Lowering the price of my one book (or even their entire list) would not cause the industry to roll over and change their pricing – it would only make their books look less valuable. I understand ECW's decision not to sell their writers short. In fact, I appreciate it. I'm working with a phenomenal team of people who value the written word and will do everything in their power to make it thrive.

Source: Goodreads - The Results are In

Scaring Ourselves to Death

I hate horror films. Perhaps it's my over active imagination. I couldn't even sit on the toilet after watching Jaws because I was afraid a shark would appear in the bowl. (of course, I was ten)

That aside, I still manage to scare myself. How? I write murder mysteries.

As you know, I've just finished the first edits on my manuscript and while I wait for red pen on white to return, I've decided to start the second.

As usual, my mystery opens in the POV of the killer... murdering his victim. And for some reason I found the chapter extremely scary to write. I mean, I know the killer isn't real and no one really dies but it still sends shivers down my spine. How does Stephen King do it?

So, my faithful readers, some tips on how to get through the MURDER SCENES:

1) Don't write in a dark room. Turn on the bloody lights. Unless they are in fact bloody and then I'm not sure you want to see them.
2) Don't write at night. Make sunlight your friend.
3) Don't leave the door to your office open so that your teenager can silently walk up behind you and tap you on the shoulder only to ask for a Q-Tip.
4) Write romances with lots of happy walks in the park and kissing.

Source: By Victor Bezrukov (Port-42) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Mystery Writer's Guide to Forensic Science - Petechial Hemorrhage

We hear the words PETECHIAL HEMORRHAGE used on crime dramas everywhere. What is it? Although it is often shown on telly in the eyes,  it can appear many places on the body. Have you ever had an Indian Rug Burn?

A petechial hemorrhage causes markings known as petechiae - small hemorrhages close to the skin. Or, in the case of the eye, petechiae may be on either the bulb of the eye, or on the lids, or both. They are tiny red to purple spots. Petechiae may also be found on the face, especially the forehead.

Why does petechial hemorrhaging appear in the eyes?

Often due to asphyxia. When a victim is being strangled or suffocated and they try to breathe, increased intravascular pressure causes the small end vessels of the capillaries to rupture. They are not often found in suicidal hanging. Petechiae are not specific for asphyxiation and may occur in sudden natural death.

Source: Visible Proof (disturbing images)
Color Atlas of Forensic Pathology. J. Dix (CRC, 2000) WW

Book Review: Two Little Girls In Blue by Mary Higgins Clark

TWO LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE
Writer: Mary Higgins Clark
Challenge: Queen of Suspense Challenge
Paperback: here
Kindle: here
Genre: Mystery/Suspense

How I read it: Paperback

Synopsis: Before leaving for a black-tie affair in New York City, Margaret and Steve Frawley celebrate the third birthday of their twin girls, Kathy and Kelly, with a party at their new home in Ridgefield, Conn. Later that night, when Margaret can't reach the babysitter, she contacts the Ridgefield police. The frantic couple return home to find the children missing and a ransom note demanding $8 million. Though the Frawleys meet all the conditions, only Kelly turns up in a car along with a dead driver and a suicide note saying that Kathy has died. But Kelly's telepathic messages from her sister keep telling her differently, and Margaret won't give up hope. Even the most skeptical law enforcement officers and the FBI, who pursue suspects from New York to Cape Cod, begin to believe Kelly is on to something. Clues from ordinary people lead to a riveting conclusion.

My Thoughts: I didn't enjoy this Clark as much as I did the first. I think it's because of repeated point-of-view shifts. We had the scene from the children, from those that die. Not that I don't enjoy the POV of children but the constant switching distracted me.

I would have preferred the book if the POV stuck with one or two. It didn't feel suspenseful enough. We knew what would happen in the end and I didn't feel any connection with the bad guys. I didn't understand the justification.