Some Thoughts About Murderers by Marilyn Levinson

As a mystery author, I get to decide which of my characters will be murdered. I also get to decide who will do the murdering. The big payoff for mystery readers is discovering the killer's identity at the end of the novel. Equally intriguing is learning why he or she committed the crime.

Murderers in traditional and cozy mysteries are not always the most obvious characters. While some are inherently malevolent and carefully plot their misdeeds, others are ordinary except for the reason why they see killing someone as the necessary solution to their problem. 

Why does a character murder? A simple list might be reduced to revenge, jealousy, money, and the fear of being exposed. But unless the murderer's a serial killer or a hired assassin, his or her reason for killing is personal and driven by strong emotions, misguided information, or despair. Or possibly madness. Then there are characters who become murderers through so-called accidents and explain: "I didn't mean to hit him so hard," or "I only meant to teach him a lesson."

Sometimes a character murders for reasons that have roots in the past. The impact of an earlier murder affects the present and another victim is murdered. This occurs in Death Overdue and Checked Out for Murder in my Haunted Library series as well as in Death on Dickens Island.

I make sure that my murderers play an active role in my mysteries. I once stopped reading a well-known author because in one of her books the murderer rarely appeared. Not fair. Readers should have the opportunity to get to know the murderer as well as he reveals himself to the other characters. And he'd better have a darn good reason for killing.

How do you decide who your murderers will be?  

Who Will Live and Who Will Die? by Marilyn Levinson

 Until recently, I've never given much thought to how I select the murder victims in my mysteries. I don't usually go along with the popular cozy trope of killing off the character everyone loves to hate because part of maintaining suspense is keeping readers wondering who will be the first victim. But I will confess I couldn't wait to do away with my most recent murder victim because he has harmed so many innocent people.

There are many reasons why characters become homicide victims. In some of my books, the murder has occurred before page one. The first victim in Death Overdue, the first book in my Haunted Library series, died fifteen years ago, and the second victim is murdered to prevent him from announcing the killer's identity. In Giving Up the Ghost, my ghost Cameron Leeds wants Gabbie Meyerson to find out who murdered him in the previous year.

Very often a murder victim has no idea why she's been targeted. In Death on Dickens Island,  Missy Faraday's killer hears Missy asking questions about her family background and feels threatened enough to murder her. 

Jealousy is often a reason why a killer offs his or her victim. In A Murderer Among Us, Claire Weill has no idea that her killer's in love with her husband. 

Blackmailers sometimes fall prey to their victims. That's what happens to Ilana Reingold in Checked Out for Murder, the fourth Haunted Library book, when she sees the murderer kill someone and tries to blackmail her.

Lastly, some victims are simply unlucky and are murdered by accident. Which is what happens in Murder a la Christie when poor Sylvia Morris drinks the poisoned refreshment meant for someone else.

A final word: I have killed off a few characters I'd grown to love, but I never murder my sleuth or anyone close to her. 

How do you decide who will be murdered in your mysteries?

Some Thoughts About Writing A Cozy Series by Marilyn Levinson

 Writing a series, I've discovered, requires focusing on more than one book at a time. Last month Checked Out for Murder, the fourth book in my Haunted Library series came out. This required months of promotion: Facebook parties, guest blogs, a virtual book tour, etc. At the same time I've been writing and editing Death On the Shelf, the fifth book in the series. And following my agent's instructions, I've started to outline Book Number Six. Then there are the price reductions and unexpected activity involving earlier books that demand my immediate attention. Is it any wonder I occasionally mismatch titles and murder suspects in my head?  

The nice thing about writing a series is that your main characters and setting are already established. I'm very fond of my sleuth Carrie Singleton, Evelyn the ghost, and the others who populate my books. I enjoy writing about their experiences and relationships, and, of course, the mysteries they solve as the series progresses. Carrie works in the Clover Ridge Library. Her life is filled with colleagues, friends and relatives. As head of programs and events, she also has the opportunity to meet new people—very important to a series as each book in a series requires new situations, events, and themes. Personal issues arise as well as problems facing the community—all fodder for a murder mystery. 

 

A cozy series provides readers with well-loved characters, a familiar sense of place, and the knowledge that all will be resolved in the end. At the same time, each book must offer new mysteries and new directions—a challenge to the author and not for the faint of heart.