As told from the viewpoints of the writer, editor, and critic, Robert Bloch, Lawrence Block, Charlotte MacLeod, Margaret Maron, Bill Pronzini, and others present an inside look at the world of mystery fiction. Overview covers everything from psychological suspense to PI novels to traditional mysteries. Over 300 illus.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Gorman and his team of editors provide a breezy compendium of nearly anything a mystery fan might find of interest. Sections on every type and subtype of crime and mystery writing are spiced by interviews with writers, booksellers, and editors. One section is devoted to regional writers/detectives from the Midwest, the South, New York, Chicago, and other points of the compass. Sprinkled throughout are lists of recommended titles and favorite books, and there are even descriptions of conventions, fans, fanzines, pulps, mystery magazines, and mystery bookstores (with a lengthy list for visiting or writing). The quality of the writing is uneven: some essays are delightfully witty and insightful, while others are simply narrative lists of books and authors in a genre. Considering the modest price, however, you'll want to buy two copies: one for patrons and one for the reader's adviser.
- Denise Johnson, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, Ill.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Denise Johnson, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, Ill.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
The latest in a long line of chatty demi-reference books for crime mavens (cf. Steinbrunner and Penzler's Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection, Barzun and Taylor's Catalogue of Crime, Dilys Winn's Murder Ink) is as irresistible as its forebears. Its 128 essays and lists, mostly of a few pages or less, cover everything, or almost everything, from regional mysteries (despite no mention of S.K. Epperson's Kansas gothics) to such subgenres as cozies, dark suspense, gay detectives, TV mysteries, and true crime (though there's nothing about courtroom drama, perhaps for legal reasons). Most of the name- brand authors (H.R.F. Keating, Joan Hess, Lawrence Block, Stephen King, Douglas G. Greene, etc., etc.) write with affectionate, often casual mastery; and though no collection this big or broad can hope to maintain a uniform standard throughout--historical glimpses of Doubleday's Crime Club imprint and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine are disappointingly perfunctory--fans impatient with the authors' occasionally cheerleading tone (``If you can't find a Texas author's book to suit your taste, you just aren't trying hard enough'') can find fresh vistas by turning a page, especially if they land on one of editor Breen's useful thumbnail sketches of a subgenre or one of the editors' endlessly arguable lists (``The Ten Most Underrated Mystery Writers,'' ``25 Notable Noir Novels,'' ``50 Great Gold Medal Crime Classics''). Despite inevitable blemishes: a truly indispensable volume. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic volume of the mystery genre!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Fine Art of Murder: The Mystery Reader's Indispensable Companion (Hardcover)
This book is a one-volume look at mystery fiction in almost all of its forms. It is a compilation of interviews, essays, articles, and lists as presented by writers, editors, critics, and booksellers. There are ample photos, many taken from movies which were made from mystery stories. Remember the lurid and exotic book covers from the 50's? Well, there's photos of some of the more popular covers. Each chapter is begun with reproductions of archaic depictions of mayhem. There are articles about apparently well-known and well-regarded authors that I have never heard of, and I consider myself, not an authority, but at least well-read and as such, familiar with many of the less popular ones. I know I was very pleased to learn of several new authors that I plan to add to my ever-growing list. This is a fact-filled book and is a welcome addition to any mystery reader's library. It can provide hours of satisfying browsing. The articles and essays are excellent and informative, well written, and offer opinions on various aspects of mystery stories, writers, and the genre in general. For instance, the well-known mystery writer, Lawrence Block, offers a superlative dissertation on the definition of hard-boiled and cozy mystery stories. The introduction by Jon Breen is a veritable history of mystery stories. As you probably know, the origins of the modern detective story is usually traced back to Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1840's). Did you also know that the detective in that story, C. Auguste Dupin, appeared in another two tales by Poe? The school of romantic suspense owes its beginnings to gothic novelists like Ann Radcliffe with her "The Mysteries of Udolpho" (1794), Horace Walpole with "The Castle of Otranto" (1765), and Matthew Gregory Lewis with "The Monk" (1796). The chapter headings include American Mysteries which has Mysteries of New York, Mysteries of Los Angeles, Mysteries of Chicago, .......Small Towns, New England. Chapter 2 is entitled Traditional Mysteries and includes cozies, cat and dog stories, and an excellent essay on John Dickson Carr and the locked room mystery. Chapter 3 is about the Black detective, and Chapter 4 covers Religious Mysteries. In Chapter 5 the Private Eye Mysteries are discussed and Chapter 6 is about Gay Mysteries. Chapter 7 talks about British Mysteries and offers up the information that Jonathan Gash (Lovejoy series) and Mike Ripley (Angel series) just happen to live in the same small village in England. Chapter 8 is about Dark Suspense and Chapter 9 discusses Women's Suspense stories. Chapter 10 describes Police Procedurals while Chapter 11 outlines the Hard-Boiled Mysteries. Chapter 12 discusses Thrillers and other chapters cover Young Adult Mysteries, True Crime, Television Mysteries, Comic Books, Nostalgia, Organizations, and Mystery Bookstores Throughout the book are "Best of" lists compiled by various writers, editors, critics. I have visited a couple of these bookstores and if both are indicative of the others then any are worth a visit. I found comfortable, stuffed armchairs strategically located in small nooks, with a small table and lamp nearby, inviting the browser to sit awhile and skim a few lines. The pervading atmosphere was one of hominess and a warm hearth. Definitely inviting. So "The Fine Art of Murder" is heartily recommended as an addition to the reader's library, whether a mystery fan or not. It is entertaining as well as informative.
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