Why Mysteries?
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I have been a fan on mysteries since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. I loved all the 70s Saturday morning cartoons where the amateur sleuths solved the crimes and capers…”The Funky Phantom,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” “Speed Buggy,” “The Pink Panther.” The list is long. These were definitely my gateway mysteries to my current habit.
I read lots of genres, but I always gravitate n to the mystery. It has so many interesting subgenres and has been a reading staple for so many for generations.
Here are my Top 10 reasons…
I love a good puzzle and the opportunity to solve it before the end of the book.
I want to see justice served in the end.
Mysteries are an escape from the craziness of normal life.
Cozy mystery sleuths always have interesting jobs and hobbies. I like to learn new things.
The locations are intriguing. I love take book vacations to all kinds of interesting places.
The amateur sleuths are fun. They prove that every-day people can solve crimes. (As a kid, I loved that Nancy Drew was a teenager with a car who could solve crimes before the adults did.)
The mystery genre has so many subgenres that there is something for every taste. I bounce around from sweet and cozy (but deadly) to dark thrillers that keep me up at night.
I love puns, double entendre, and other kinds of wordplay. Mystery writers are masters at multiple meanings, clues, and red herrings.
I am fascinated with technology, pop culture, and science, and they all appear everywhere in this genre.
The community of mystery writers is so amazingly kind and generous with their time and advice. It is such a fabulous group to be a part of. I just came back from the Malice Domestic Conference in Bethesda, MD, and it was a whirlwind weekend full of so many mystery writers and readers.
And that’s why I love mysteries. What would you add to my list?
