Elaine Orr: Outstanding Cozy Mystery Author
Notes from Jacquie: I have been a reader of cozy mysteries for many years and am always looking for a new puzzle to unravel. After reading Ocean-Alley-Adventures, I became a fan of both the series and the author. The boxed set, entitled Ocean-Alley-Adventures, is a trilogy which includes the first three books in the Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery series: Appraisal for Murder, Rekindling Motives, and When the Carney Comes to Town.
It was my intention to simply write a traditional review. I soon realized to complete a serious review, I needed to discuss the very important element of writing style contained in the Jolie Gentil series.
Elaine Orr's writing follows the basic communication three c's: clear, concise, and complete. Her words are well-chosen as she builds each character and relates, when required, the character to both the environment and other members of the cast.
She skillfully intertwines the past and present to place each story element in context.
New Jersey's fictional Ocean Alley is the stage on which multiple stories are played. Each book is a stand-alone containing a complete story. It is not necessary, to read each book in sequence because the characters are gently re-introduced without boring redundancy.
It was my intention to simply write a traditional review. I soon realized to complete a serious review, I needed to discuss the very important element of writing style contained in the Jolie Gentil series.
Elaine Orr's writing follows the basic communication three c's: clear, concise, and complete. Her words are well-chosen as she builds each character and relates, when required, the character to both the environment and other members of the cast.
She skillfully intertwines the past and present to place each story element in context.
New Jersey's fictional Ocean Alley is the stage on which multiple stories are played. Each book is a stand-alone containing a complete story. It is not necessary, to read each book in sequence because the characters are gently re-introduced without boring redundancy.
This series will capture the interest of teen age readers and adults alike. Students can easily story-board each plot, as a pre-writing activity, in preparation for writing their own cozy mystery.I asked the author to share with us some helpful hints on mystery writing. Following are some excellent ideas. If any of our followers would like to ask additional questions, please add them in the comment box.
Elaine Orr discusses Mystery Writing
I grew up on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys books, and my mother
introduced me to mystery writers such as Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney by
the time I was eleven or twelve. It was natural for me to write what I read.
There are so many kinds of mysteries.
The Jolie Gentil series is low on gore
and the murder is off stage, so to speak, putting these in the cozy category,
with an amateur sleuth. Whether a writer produces detective stories, CSI-type
thrillers, or cozy mysteries, when the reader finds out who did the deed, it
has to make sense. It doesn't work if the murderer was barely in the book or
(in one I read recently) only referred to until they showed up at the end. It's
also a challenge to plant clues without having so many that the reader guesses
the who in whodunit by the middle of the book. I try to keep readers guessing
by implying motives for several people. Candidly, I think I do character
development better than plot twists, and I do love it when a reviewer says they
were guessing until the end.
Thank You Elaine Orr!
wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozy_mystery Writing a Cozy Mystery
