Speaking of Murder: Interviews With the Masters of Mystery and Suspense, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Various (Author), Ed Gorman (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0425161455 | ISBN-13: 978-0425161456 | Edition: Trade pbk. ed

Speaking of Murder offers a unique look into the minds of these masters of the genre as they candidly disclose their ideas, their characters, their early days as writers, and much more. This collection features more than twenty skillfully conducted interviews--nearly all of which appear for the first time in this volume--by other mystery writers and critics, and promises an unusual and fascinating view of both the people and their craft. Speaking of Murder includes interviews with: * Stephen King * Patricia Cornwell * Mary Higgins Clark * Sue Grafton * Mickey Spillane * Anne Perry * Tony Hillerman * Ruth Rendell * Sharyn McCrumb * Joan Hess * Ed McBain * Simon Brett * Elizabeth George * Peter Lovesey * Marcia Muller * Carolyn Hart * Ian Rankin * Elizabeth Peters * Dominick Abel * Bill Pronzini * Minette Walters * John Harvey

Product Details

• Paperback: 245 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade; Trade pbk. ed edition (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425161455
• ISBN-13: 978-0425161456
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,359,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for fans of mystery writers, September 10, 2006

By 

Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Speaking of Murder: Interviews With the Masters of Mystery and Suspense, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

This is a collection of interviews conducted in 1997 and 1998 with 21 writers. It is mainly intended for fans of the writers to give them some insight into the writers' thoughts about their writing. I bought it in order to get a little background on Sue Grafton, as questions keep coming up on her Forum on the Web. It also includes interviews with other popular authors including Marcia Muller, Anne Perry, Patricia Cornwell, Elizabeth Peters, Tony Hillerman, Ian Rankin, Elizabeth George, Mickey Spillane, Ed McMain, and others. The subtitle is Interviews with Masters of Mystery and Suspense. There is a volume 2 published later.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even nonfiction readers will love these series of interviews, April 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Speaking of Murder: Interviews With the Masters of Mystery and Suspense, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

Twenty-one of the most famous mystery writers of the last decades have been interviewed by critics or their peers and assembled into this unique and outstanding collection. Most of the interviews appear in print for the first time. The star caliber of the exchanges is dazzling and includes such luminaries as Ed McBain, Elizabeth George, Mickey Spillane, Mary Higgins Clark, Marcia Miller, and Tony Hillerman, as well as fifteen other superstars.

All the interviews are revealing as little known, but fascinating facts about the interviewees surface. The one recurring theme that all the authors agree on is that writing is a demanding and difficult advocation. Readers, who enjoy stepping behind the scenes, will take great pleasure from this collection.

Harriet Klausner