The third and final book of my Art Center Mysteries just came out, and it is designed to end a three-book set. I’d never designed a series with a specific length before, and these three books create an entire story that begins with Death in a Pale Hue, continues through Death in a Bygone Hue, and concludes with Death in a Ghostly Hue. All three have a protagonist, Jill Madison, an oil painter who returns home to her small Midwest town of Apple Grove to run an art center named for her famous sculptor mother. Each book follows her family—she has two polar-opposite brothers—and each has a theme. Family, second chances, and forgiveness are the three themes. So far, so good. But despite this attention to organization, I had the age-old problem of where to start each of these books. “The place to start” is a tough decision, and authors get better at answering this as they practice their craft.
A great start needs to keep the reader reading. A “hook” is what does that. A writer must design an early event that will disturb the main character’s universe. In mystery publisher parlance, “have the dead body drop as soon as possible.” So, if not a body, at least disturb the universe. Let’s consider the humble hook for now.
Here are the hooks in my trilogy, without any spoilers, of course.
Death in a Pale Hue introduces the Madison family, but when it opens, Jill is rushing across town in the back seat of a police car. She’s just started her job as the executive director of the Adele Marsden Center for the Arts, and someone has stolen a priceless statue created by Jill’s mother. How did they get in? Why didn’t the alarm work? Does the insurance cover the whole cost of such an important piece of artwork? Will Jill be fired from her job? While we are contemplating these questions along with Jill, workers come to do renovation work and find a body buried in the basement. Worse yet, it was someone Jill knew…well.
Have I hooked you yet?
My editor is always saying “don’t wait until chapter four or five to drop the body.” I pleased her enormously when the dead body appeared in chapter one of Death in a Bygone Hue. The reader has met Judge Ron Spivey in Book One, and remembers he is a retired judge who is treasurer of the art center board. More importantly, he is an old family friend and mentor to Jill. When she goes to his house for their scheduled lunch, she finds him dead on his office floor. Talk about a shock! Everyone loved Judge Spivey, well everyone but the last person who saw him alive. And we soon find out he left his children out of the will for his enormous estate and named Jill and the art center instead. This immediately puts a target on Jill’s back, because if she doesn’t survive the probate period, his nasty children will reap the millions.
Now, are you hooked?
Finally, the newest and last book of the trilogy, Death in a Ghostly Hue. Throughout the series, the Madison parents are a lingering presence. Seven years earlier, they died in a car crash with a man who was driving drunk. The three adult Madison children have struggled to put their lives back together in the wake of that tragedy. In chapter one, who should return home after seven years in prison but the very man who killed them? He shows up at Jill’s art center and informs her he plans to stay in Apple Grove. It’s his home. Quinn Parsons not only killed the Madison parents in this accident, but also one of his friends, and he put another friend in a wheelchair for life.
Would you like to take any bets on how long he lasts with so many people who aren’t thinking about forgiveness?
One of my earliest lessons as a writer was to learn when and where to start my story. In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” T.S. Eliot asked: “Do I dare disturb the universe?”
Heck yes, if you’re a mystery writer. And do it soon.
Susan is kindly giving away a paperback copy of the newest book to a lucky commenter (US only). She will check names and comments through August 7 for the giveaway. In your comment, please include your email address.
Her books can be purchased at:
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/3du9vh5c
Bookshop.org https://tinyurl.com/mvvsmdbk
Susan Van Kirk is a Midwest writer, living in downstate Illinois. Her writings include the Endurance Mysteries, a smalltown series republished by Harlequin Worldwide Mystery. A Death at Tippitt Pond is a standalone mystery. Her Art Center series includes Death in a Pale Hue, Death in a Bygone Hue, and Death in a Ghostly Hue. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and is Past President of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Her website and blog are at http://www.susanvankirk.com .
Thanks for your wonderful feature and giveaway. This compelling mystery is unique and intriguing. It sounds enthralling and real since it involves family, crime, retribution and forgiveness. In life it is difficult to reconcile being forgiving and hard to overlook many transgressions. This series would be a real treasure to enjoy. Best wishes.
Thanks so much, Anne. This trilogy has three themes: family, second chances, forgiveness. And you are so right…forgiveness is tough.
Appreciate you stopping by today. Susan’s series manages to integrate all the things you mentioned, but without beating one’s head with those factors. An excellent series.
Susan, appreciate you visiting It’s Not Always a Mystery today. Your insight is invaluable.
Thanks so much, Debra. I’m preparing a talk for a college class that uses forensics and mystery writing. Going back to the start….what I knew when I first began writing has been fun. Starting a book is one of the hard answers. But, as we write more, we figure it out, right?
Wonderful advice, Susan. I’m starting a new book in an existing series as I comment. This is food for thought. No need to enter me in the drawing. I’ve read the series and enjoyed each book.
Kait,
Appreciate your comment today. I’m in the same position as you, and I’ve found Susan’s words quite thought provoking as I wrestle with my opening.
Thanks so much, Kait. I find the beginning of a book to be something that makes me a bit nervous until I figure it out!
To answer the questions you posed in your post above, Susan, a big, huge ‘YES!’ You hooked me each and every time throughout the openings of your ‘HUE’ series. I have only written two manuscripts myself so far (only a first draft for the second one, and I’m in the process of outlining a third right now). Both of the times I’ve written a book, the opening scene came to me at some point during the process. Maybe it’s more accurate to say that it invaded me and took over my brain. I HAD to write them. Fortunately, in both of these manuscripts, the body is dropped with the first few pages, so I have met your editor’s wishes ( ;
This was a great post that I’m sure will stick with me moving forward. It will be particularly helpful if someday an opening scene for a book doesn’t just come. Thank you.
PS: Please don’t pick me for the giveaway, as I’m already the proud owner of DEATH IN A GHOSTLY HUE ( ;
Pamela,
When that first scene comes, like magic, you know it works. But, until you get there…..
Thanks so much, Pamela. It’s kind of like watching a movie, isn’t it? Sometimes you can see that scene in your head. I’m happy to hear you’re making so much progress on your writing. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much, Pamela. It’s kind of like watching a movie, isn’t it? Sometimes you can see that scene in your head. I’m happy to hear you’re making so much progress on your writing. Keep up the good work!
I love reading mysteries. Thanks for offering this contest! lindaherold999@gmail.com
Absolutely! I have always loved mysteries, so now I get to read and write them. Thanks for stopping by!
Sounds like an interesting series. Would love to give it a try. smarchisello@hotmail.com
It is a very good series. Well developed characters.
Thanks, Sharon. I’ve had a lot of fun writing this series.
Thanks for the insights, Susan and Debra! Opening scenes are hard.
Kassandra,
People talk about the muddle in the middle, but if an author doesn’t get the opening right, the reader will never reach the muddle.
Fortunately, I have an editor shaking her finger at me if I don’t start it right, so that is a good incentive to do so! It takes a lot of thought to come up with the beginning. So true.
You nail it, Susan. Great information. And for the record, your stories hook me every time and the title of this piece alone hooked me. Thanks!
Forgot to add – leave me out of the giveaway. I’ve read Death in a Ghostly Hue and loved it.
Agree :).
Thanks, Molly. I appreciate your kind comments. I’m glad we are running parallel tracks with ghosts these days. What shall we do next?
That’s so true. Starting with too much background has me putting the book down.
Kathleen,
Because I always keep more than one book in play, it ends up being the one that sits as I start something else.
You are so right, Kathleen. I learned in a writing class that using a colored marker and highlighting background in the first 50 pages shows you if you have too much. Too much, you need to take out what isn’t yet necessary. I only add enough so you know who the characters are…briefly.
The winner of Susan’s book giveaway is Sharon Marchisello.