The Technique of the Mystery Story


Lu par LibriVox Volunteers

(3.9 stars; 5 reviews)

For one, I have never been one of those who apologize for my frank and never-ending delight in mystery stories. Their mazes have led me unwearied through miles of printed pages, and if only the problem has been worth while, and its pursuit has led along surprising ways, past shuddery thickets and over fearsome bridges, my soul has returned to sober affairs refreshed and content. In a word, here is a remarkable volume which shows us how the wheels go round, not by dogmatic statement, but by an amazing breadth and variety of citation and quotation, showing not only what great mystery writers have thought of their art, but illustrating by apposite examples how they secured their effects. - Summary by J. Berg Esenwein, editor of The Writer’s Library published by The Home Correspondence School, from Introduction (11 hr 15 min)

Chapitres

Introduction 7:14 Lu par Lynn Lee
The Eternal Curious 17:01 Lu par TomDavisBeal
The Literature of Mystery 20:39 Lu par TomDavisBeal
The History of Mystery 9:34 Lu par Sonia
Ghost Stories 23:16 Lu par Timothy Ferguson
Riddle Stories 10:53 Lu par Larry Wilson
Detective Stories 42:16 Lu par Christine Lehman
The Detective 46:45 Lu par Douglas Taylor
Deduction 31:12 Lu par Douglas Taylor
Applied Principles 24:52 Lu par Douglas Taylor
The Rationale of Ratiocination 56:42 Lu par pattymarie
Close Observation 25:42 Lu par sawasawaya
Other Detectives of Fiction 22:42 Lu par acousticwave
Portraits 40:03 Lu par Joseph Tabler
Devious Devices 18:31 Lu par acousticwave
Footprints and Fingerprints 35:32 Lu par acousticwave
More Devices 23:33 Lu par realisticspeakers
Fake Devices 23:41 Lu par acousticwave
Murder in General 27:45 Lu par Availle
Persons in the Story 21:35 Lu par acousticwave
The Handling of the Crime 9:08 Lu par Sonia
The Motive 3:52 Lu par Sonia
Evidence 39:39 Lu par Sonia
Structure 24:43 Lu par acousticwave
Plots 28:26 Lu par Scotty Smith
Further Advices 17:44 Lu par HenryElliott
Final Advices 22:34 Lu par MacKenzie Nikol Greenwood

Critiques

Must Read for Mystery Fans


(5 stars)

Prolific mystery author Caroline Wells wrote this insightful and methodical examination of the genre late in her productive and very successful career. The book Is a terrific resource for fans interested in what makes some stories work better than others and the techniques used by different authors in different ways. I especially enjoyed quotes and details from stories penned by authors whose work I had never read and now plan . to


(3.5 stars)

interesting, enjoyed the investigation into where many of the great writers got their techniques. wish it had less on the detective books and more on other types of mystery.