Today's Daily Blog showcase is on the left - historical mystery author Deanna Raybourn. She writes the wonderful Lady Julia Grey series set in 1880s England. There are two books thus far, SILENT IN THE GRAVE (2007) and SILENT IN THE SANCTUARY (2008). Her third book, SILENT ON THE MOOR comes out in March and I can hardly wait. This blog gives a glimpse into her personal life and looks to be updated daily (rare but fantastic).
Historical mysteries tend to not be hard core like noir (though there's a whole subgenre of books that claim the title for marketing purposes). Nor, do I think that they qualify as cosy. Cosies, to me, include recipes, magic, or crafts and feature an amateur sleuth such as a housewife or single chick. Some histmysts having an amateur sleuth, because frequently, professional crime solvers didn't really exist per se in these time periods. But often the sleuths are professionals in some sense for their times: bailiffs, Abbesses, apothecaries, spies, knights, Bow Street runners, lawyers, etc.
The main point of a historical mystery is the historical setting. That may be pedantic but it's true nonetheless. How the sleuth in each novel solves the crime within the perimeters of their time period is what makes a good story from a bad. Historical mysteries usually can't rely on fingerprints let alone any CSI or phones, or computers, etc. They gather evidence, yes, but mostly follow clues by networking -- talking from person to person -- using their wits. Though not a mainstream popular subgenre of crime fiction, those that are fans are, well, not rabid but loyal (?) What word am I looking for? And there are many many series out there in many different time periods. Roman is huge, medieval, Victorian, and on and on...
I was thinking the other day about New Year's Eve. Growing up, I spent a lot of New Year's Eve nights babysitting. And tv always played the same movies, year after year. This was before cable really exploded, so late 70s/early 80s. Casablanca, Top Hat, Showboat. Always.
I called the employment agency today of the job I applied for at the beginning of December but doesn't close until tomorrow to make sure they had my contact info. Maybe I'll hear something next week. Web Manager/Marketing. Otherwise, I'll be starting all over again. I don't have anything else out there pending; if I haven't heard from some then I'm assuming the answer was "no." There is a Billings nonprofit position listed again and it would be interesting except I have heard that the boss is psycho from someone who works there and whom I trust implicitly. Would a job be worth going back to [another] bad boss? Right now, I have to say no but it's been 2-1/2 months of unemployment. Can't go on too much longer without more income, I would say.
I'm back to auditioning my next read again. Some choices from my library books include the next in series for me of Deborah Crombie, same for author Kate Sedley, new-to-me author Michael Cox, the WWII-set book by Ariana Franklin, and the debut one, CAMBRIDGE BLUES. There's also a romance book in the pile. I know, I know, I don't really read that category though there are a few authors who are worthy (I found some while doing research for my Crime & Passion Bookstore I wanted to open before I discovered while working on my MBA that it wouldn't make money). (It was RESEARCH!!). This book that shall remain nameless was in the daily emails of book excerpts and I read the five days of it and now I have to find out what happens. It's silly, I know it will be but the emails did their purpose, didn't they? Hrmph. So there it is. There are also many from my personal TBR (Gregory, Kerr, Morton, new histmyst) I'd like to get to but library books always jump the queue.
I've got bedding laundry going and should vacuum up and down today. Will walk Tug in a couple hours. Got to do something useful today. :)
Much love,
PK the Bookeemonster
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