Murder Most Foul by JoAnne Myers ISBN: 9781612357201
Published by Melange Books on 2008-10
Genres: General, Murder, True Crime
Pages: 352
Goodreads
When two dismembered torsos wash up on the banks of the local river in the small industrial town of Pleasant Valley, residents are horrified. Between contradicting statements, police ineptitude, lust, lies, manipulation, incest, the motorcycle gang The Devil’s Disciples, crooked cops, and a botched crime scene, everyone becomes a suspect.
The young beautiful Jackie Reeves, a registered nurse, believes the killer is a man from her past. She contacts the dangerously handsome FBI Agent Walker Harmon. An arrest is made, but Harmon and Jackie believe an innocent man is being railroaded by local cops. Determined to find the truth, before anymore killings, Agent Harmon and Jackie are forced to run a gauntlet of deep trouble and turmoil, which marks them for death.
Hello Mary, it is great to be back. I will be awarding two lucky people who comment each a paperback or PDF of their choice. The choices are: Murder Most Foul, Wicked Intentions, Twisted Love, The Crime of the Century, Flagitious, Loves, Myths, and Monsters, or Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between.
Leave a comment and a winner will be chosen June 6.
Tips on How To Write Mystery
Before writing a word, take some time to jot down key story points. As you’re writing, the story will want to take on a life of its own. Having a handy reference of key points will help keep your story on track and you from pulling your hair out. A list of key points is also helpful when outlining the story plot. You may very well find that the story begins to unfold as you’re writing down the key points. If this happens…let it! Write down any ideas or details that come to you, they’ll come in handy later.
Some key points to consider are; what is the mystery? This is the underlying theme to the entire story so be as in-depth as possible (has there been a murder or a theft or a kidnapping? If so, how and where was it committed?).
Hunt for the culprit. Every good story has at least one antagonist, but what steps must the hero or heroine take to find him/her? How will the villain evade the hero? How is the mystery solved? In mystery writing there are a lot of twists and turns. Write down your initial thoughts for plot twists, red herrings to throw the readers off the trail of the true villain, and of course the final stages of how the good guy will prevail…or does he? You need to decide whether or not the hero or the villain wins in the end. Many hero’s die trying to solve their case. Many are involved in physical altercations with other characters. You must decide how many altercations, the number of characters involved, and what weapons if any are used. It is not a good idea to only engage your characters with fist fighting. Throw in some knives, chains, falling from windows, or my favorite, a poisoning, and other nasty assaults.
Every great story has well rounded characters. We read fiction because we want to be entertained and develop a connection with the characters. Outlining items such as personality traits, physical features, and quirks can help bring your characters to life; a speech impediment, or limp, or a nervous twitch.
For the Protagonist, decide the name, age, where does he/she live, does he/she have a family or pets, what is their driving goal for taking on this particular case? Is the hero a police officer, a person sworn to honesty, pride, and valor. Or is the good guy a private detective being paid to find a certain someone. Or your main character could be a parent or sibling searching for a missing loved one.
For the Antagonist, decide the name, age, where does he/she live, is there an underlying reason for being the antagonist? Perhaps this person is a career criminal. On the other hand, maybe he/she is a good person that suffered an unjust and turned to crime out of bitterness and despair.
Then you have your support characters, who are the color of the story. They provide depth to the story whether good or bad. A support character could be as simple as a loud mouth hot dog vendor standing on a street corner or as in-depth as the villain’s partner in crime. In writing a mystery story, support characters can take on a life of their own with the reader, so make them interesting. Just because they are labeled support characters does not mean they are any less important than the main characters.
Next is the location of the story. When and where is the story set? These two key elements are what bring your story to life. Mystery story writing is a broad genre and could be set in any time period and in any place. When working with actual locations it is a good idea to do research on the location first. Readers want to feel as though they are there with the characters, so being able to accurately describe a location is vital. Time periods are no exception. If the story is set in 1940’s New Orleans, the reader will want to see their surroundings, not just be told the story is taking place in a speakeasy or church. Be descriptive!
A mystery story is not a story without a solid well thought out plot. Some things to consider when developing the story plot: What is the driving force of the mystery? To solve a murder, or rescue a kidnap victim? What does the villain do to thwart the hero? Does the villain get his goons on the hero? Is the hero being set up by the villain and now he is being hunted by police. What other obstacles get in the way of solving the mystery?
One of the most important elements of writing a mystery story is suspense. Giving away too much too soon will bore the reader. It is best if the suspense is sprinkled throughout the story; bring the mystery to light within the first few chapters, then as the story progresses add a clue here and there without revealing the outcome until the final chapter. Do not be afraid to add a “red herring” or false clue, within the stories context. Readers love nothing better than to think they have everything figured out only to find in the end they were mistaken the entire time.
The final few chapters of the story should hold the climax of the conflict and resolution between the hero and villain, including how all of the clues scattered throughout the story cumulatively solves the mystery. A good conclusion gives the reader a sense of closure in finding out how the hero solved the mystery. Remember that not all mysteries have to be completely solved or have a “happy” ending. If you are writing a series of stories, the villain may get away at the end of story #1 with the hero using clues from story #1 to track down the villain in story #2. In mystery story writing, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
Excerpt:
Unbeknown to the killer, his actions set off a chain of events that turned Pleasant Valley upside down, terrified some into moving elsewhere, and left everyone asking, “Why?”
Someone not living in the county, but also disturbed by the carnage was F.B.I Special Agent Walker Harmon, from Columbus. The type person capable of committing such savagery weighed heavily on the mind of the thirty-four year old bachelor who promptly contacted Sheriff Brown.
“It is imperative we meet and discuss my suspicions of Terry Jenkins,” Harmon urged.
“What the hell is goin’ on? What could you guys from Columbus have to say about Terry Jenkins?” Sheriff Brown asked angrily.
“Sheriff, I received a copy of the psychological profile performed by a State University Criminologist concerning the murders. The profile exactly matches Terry Jenkins.”
Snapping at the Federal Agent, the sheriff said. “I also received that psychological profile and, in my opinion, it fits a lot of people in this hick town, most especially Vernon James. I have my men on the case, and we’re gettin’ closer to solvin’ this crime.”
“Sheriff Brown!” Harmon beseeched. “We must join forces. Can you divulge the caliber of the bullets killing the victims?”
“No, I can not!” he said. “That information is privileged to only case personnel. I will not divulge it to anyone, not even a big city detective like you.” He then abruptly hung up on the agent.
Reviews for “Murder Most Foul”
- 5 ***** BTS Magazine-December 2013 Issue 17- Reviewer Marie Haney
Review: The author recreates the scenes with dramatic fashion, adding characters that are so realistic; it feels like you’re living the moment right along with them. She is a wonderful storyteller, paying attention to every intricate detail and leaving you hanging onto every word. If you’re a fan of crime thrillers, this book will definitely not disappoint!
- Goodreads author James gives “Murder Most Foul” 5***** on March 2013
Review: What can I say about this book? I absolutely loved it. It is one of those books that when you start it is very hard to put down. Everything is very descriptive and exciting it will always keep your interest peaked for more. Maybe the only way it could be better for me is reading it aloud to others around a campfire. It is a wonderfull read. Well done JoAnne Myers, well done.
- Goodreads author Emily Capeles gives “Murder Most Foul” 4 **** on June 2013
I have been a lon
g-time resident of southeastern Ohio, and worked in the blue-collar industry most of my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I canvas paint.
When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, and volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, Savvy Authors, Coffee Time Romance, Paranormal Romance Guild, True Romance Studios, National Writers Association, the Hocking Hill’s Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the
Author News: Murder Most Foul has been transformed into a screenplay so that I may offer it to production companies for a film project. Wish me luck.
Sounds like a great read.
Hello Nancy, thank you for stopping by and commenting. I really appreciate it.
Well, I learned something today – fla·gi·tious
adjective fla·gi·tious \flə-ˈji-shəs\
marked by scandalous crime or vice : villainous
Origin of FLAGITIOUS
Middle English flagicious, from Latin flagitiosus, from flagitium shameful thing
First Known Use: 14th century
Thanks Joanne & Merriam-Webster!
Hello Tracee, thank you for commenting. When I researched the word Flagitious, I discovered that it meant ‘most evil’, and I felt description fit my story lines. All the best to you.
A very informative and interesting post. Thanks for this great feature and giveway.
Hello Anne, thank you for stopping by and commenting. I really appreciate it.
Very interesting. Lots of good information. I would love to rad one of your books.
Hello Linda, thank you for the nice comment. All the best to you also.
I enjoyed the excerpt. Sounds like a great read.
Hello Rita, thank you for stopping by and commenting. All the best to you.
I enjoyed reading sound interesting. Thank you for sharing on here.
Hello Elizabeth, I am pleased you enjoyed my post. Thank you for commenting.
I’ve juts started writing some short stories and found the tips most helpful. Thanks for sharing and for this chance to win one of these fun books.
Hello Laura, I am pleased you enjoyed my post. thank you for commenting.
Thank you for offering so many good books to choose from to the winner of this contest. Good luck on a possible film for the book Murder Most Foul! It would be a movie I’d definitely want to see.
Hello Loretta, thank you for the kind words. All the best to you.
Oooooh, Murder Most Foul sounds really good! I think it would make a good play or movie. You also gave us some wonderful tips on writing. I love it when authors give advice. Thank you for that. And thanks for giving me the chance to win a copy of your book! I’d love to read it.
Hello Vivian, thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. All the best to you also.
Well I can definitely say I learned something new today in the word Flagitious. I love the dictionary feature on my kindle as well as the dictionary app for just those reasons.
thanks for sharing!
Hello, thank you for stopping by and commenting. All the best to you also.