Fiction readers love mystery and romance. Putting the two together, as romantic suspense authors like Nora Roberts do, is a way to the top of the bestseller lists. With two themes to weave into the story, it's not hard for a skilled writer to keep the reader in thrall. It's fun to wonder if the romantic lead is the hero or the villain. The best stories keep the tension going until the end, which is hard to do without sacrificing the integrity of plot and characters.
This is a new segment in the mass-produced romances that used to be called 'bodice rippers'. The main theme, which shows up practically on page one, is the strong attraction between a beautiful young girl and a generic male character. The recent twist is to have the inevitable misunderstanding complicated by a mystery. It does make things more interesting than the old boy-meets-girl, girl-runs-away plot.
Novelists with the stature of Nora Roberts offer their readers well-crafted stories. Characters are believable; in fact, they may become more real to fans than real-life public figures or celebrities. Roberts creates characters, plots, and settings that are so compelling that readers eagerly follow her trilogies and series. She never adds sketchy passages that serve only to advance the plot.
Roberts was a romance writer for years before starting a series about a New York city policewoman. For the 'In Death' novels, Nora uses a pseudonym, J. D. Roberts. Although crime moves the plot, the true story lies in the relationship between the detective and her husband.
Combining romance and mystery is nothing new for popular novelists. Dorothy L. Sayers set her immortal hero, Peter Whimsey, a difficult path to domestic bliss when she had him fall for a woman charged with murdering her lover. Peter's Helen is full of remorse for bad life choices and also fiercely independent, so Peter can't just ride in on his white horse and sweep her away. First of all he has to find the real murderer, just to get her out of goal where he can pursue her properly.
Police are favorite characters, but this doesn't eliminate the romantic angle. Martha Grimes writes the saga of Richard Jury, a melancholy detective whose desire for love is frustrated over and over. Devoted readers enjoy Jury's cleverness and his relationships with co-workers, friends, acquaintances, lovers, and a mysterious Londoner who may or may not have committed the crime Jury suspects him of.
Dick Francis wrote thrillers based on steeplechase racing in England. One character is a private investigator, but others are architects, pilots, stud farm owners, and the like. These heroes encounter terrifying bad guys, but many fall in love in the midst of murder and mayhem. Sometimes the ins and out of love follow a character through more than one novel.
There's no need for readers to sacrifice their love of good writing when they look for mystery and romance. Many fine writers create memorable characters. It is not unusual to have a bestseller show up in the cinema and on television, . Millions of readers carry these men and women around in their heads and their hearts, little wisps of fantasy that liven up everyday doldrums.
This is a new segment in the mass-produced romances that used to be called 'bodice rippers'. The main theme, which shows up practically on page one, is the strong attraction between a beautiful young girl and a generic male character. The recent twist is to have the inevitable misunderstanding complicated by a mystery. It does make things more interesting than the old boy-meets-girl, girl-runs-away plot.
Novelists with the stature of Nora Roberts offer their readers well-crafted stories. Characters are believable; in fact, they may become more real to fans than real-life public figures or celebrities. Roberts creates characters, plots, and settings that are so compelling that readers eagerly follow her trilogies and series. She never adds sketchy passages that serve only to advance the plot.
Roberts was a romance writer for years before starting a series about a New York city policewoman. For the 'In Death' novels, Nora uses a pseudonym, J. D. Roberts. Although crime moves the plot, the true story lies in the relationship between the detective and her husband.
Combining romance and mystery is nothing new for popular novelists. Dorothy L. Sayers set her immortal hero, Peter Whimsey, a difficult path to domestic bliss when she had him fall for a woman charged with murdering her lover. Peter's Helen is full of remorse for bad life choices and also fiercely independent, so Peter can't just ride in on his white horse and sweep her away. First of all he has to find the real murderer, just to get her out of goal where he can pursue her properly.
Police are favorite characters, but this doesn't eliminate the romantic angle. Martha Grimes writes the saga of Richard Jury, a melancholy detective whose desire for love is frustrated over and over. Devoted readers enjoy Jury's cleverness and his relationships with co-workers, friends, acquaintances, lovers, and a mysterious Londoner who may or may not have committed the crime Jury suspects him of.
Dick Francis wrote thrillers based on steeplechase racing in England. One character is a private investigator, but others are architects, pilots, stud farm owners, and the like. These heroes encounter terrifying bad guys, but many fall in love in the midst of murder and mayhem. Sometimes the ins and out of love follow a character through more than one novel.
There's no need for readers to sacrifice their love of good writing when they look for mystery and romance. Many fine writers create memorable characters. It is not unusual to have a bestseller show up in the cinema and on television, . Millions of readers carry these men and women around in their heads and their hearts, little wisps of fantasy that liven up everyday doldrums.
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