Welcome back to Opening a Mystery, where I hope to share my love for mystery stories and novels with you. Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Tim Suddeth and I’m a crime fiction fan, reader, and writer. Whether it’s a mystery, a thriller, a spy caper, or a police procedural, count me in for wanting to join in the adventure.
I’ve loved reading ever since I was just a gleam in my mother’s eye. Okay, that may be a little much. But I can remember lying on the carpet hidden behind a chair in our living room, reading a book. It would take me to an English countryside or to the streets of someplace called London or Boston or Los Angeles or to McGee’s boat docked at Bahia Nar Marina. I went right alongside the hero or heroine tracking the bad guy on streets where danger could be found around any corner. Most of the subtleties of the stories went over my head. But I knew that, in the end, the bad guys were going to get what they had coming. And I’d be celebrating with the winners.
For more than fifty years, I’ve continued to love reading mysteries. I’ve been introduced to a multitude of writers who created awe-inspiring settings and memorable characters. They took me on wild adventures but always got me home safely. Usually. I enjoyed their stories so much that when I decided to try my hand at writing, it was a no-brainer that my stories would be mysteries/thrillers. Now, I’ve learned that a puzzling mystery doesn’t just happen. It’s an art and a craft, that in the hands of someone gifted can be pure pleasure.
Since 2020, I’ve shared my discovery of authors both classic and current, the various genres, engaging protagonists, and impressions of many of my favorite books on Opening a Mystery. As with everyone else, over the years, there have been many changes. If you’ve been following this blog, you’ve seen that I haven’t kept up my part of the bargain. The last few entries have consisted of mainly award finalists and winners. While I value the awards for introducing us to new authors and different types of stories, I don’t want this blog to be just be a list of winners. (Of course, I can think of worse things to be.)
Many blogs focus on crime fiction, and I know I can’t compete with their knowledge or production. CrimeReads, Killer Nashville, and Stop Your Killing Me are just a couple of the blogs I’d suggest you follow if you want to learn about the world of mysteries. (And maybe a list of those will become a future post.) But for Opening a Mystery, I would like for us to gather in a little nook of the web to share my discoveries in this art form we love.
Let me re-invite you to join me on my journey through the crime fiction world. I’ll tell you about the people I meet (both real and fictional) and the books I read. Looking at my history, there’s little danger of me flooding your inbox. But there is a strong possibility we’ll find a book you’ll enjoy or a new writer you’ll find encouraging. (Check out my post on Tess Gerritsen to hear how close she came to quitting before creating the Rizzoli and Isles series.)
So, strap on your seatbelt and grab a mug of your favorite beverage. We have a thrilling ride ahead of us.
Please feel free to leave a comment.