Customer Reviews

Teach Yourself Writing Crime Fiction

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This book is one of many self help books available from "Teach Yourself." In addition to this writing book there are other writing books on writing novels, poetry, and books for children. In all there are over 200 titles.

I bought this book with the idea of learning about writing techniques, and there are a number of good tips on writing detective fiction. However, the author Lesley Grant-Adams presents an excellent introduction to the whole crime-detective genre. She discusses all the different types of crime fiction. Based on that alone it is worth the price of the book. At the end of each chapter she lists many crime authors with some added notes.

Even if you are not interested in writing, you will find many tips and discover many insights into crime fiction.

The book is short, just 193 pages; but, most chapters have a reading lists along with the discussions.

Some example chapters are:

- To begin at the beginning.
- Ways and means
- A good idea at the time, and
- The vocation of unhappiness.

Altogether, she has 11 chapters. She discusses other styles including James Cain, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, and Elmore Leonard, plus many more.

This is a short but interesting guide. Incidentally, the author has a at least 16 novels in print, and had a fellowship at Cambridge.

this book was very useful in suggestions and placed some things in a different light with regarding, crime fiction.