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