Famous Detectives of The Written Word

We all love a good mystery, the thrill of a “who done it” and the pursuit of the bad guy by the clever detective! With so many mystery books to choose from it may be hard to pick a favorite, but there’s no denying the place history holds for some of the best loved characters of all time. Here are five of the most famous detectives from the world of books.

Sherlock Holmes. Arguably the most famous fictional detective of all time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation enjoys enduring popularity, not only through the plethora of novels he’s written but through countless adaptations in film and television.

Hercule Poirot. Agatha Christie is a master of mystery, and her famed Belgian detective has been the feature in over 30 books and 50 short stories, with several film and television portrayals of his own.

Miss Marple. Another Agatha Christie creation, Miss Marple is a brilliant detective who has cracked many a case with her sharp mind and wide ranging experience.

Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown. One of the most famous of the kid detectives, Donald J. Sobol’s Encyclopedia Brown thrills and entertains kids of all ages through 29 novels.

Batman. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, it’s easy to forget in the world of super-powered beings that Batman is in fact a detective, whose initial appearances came in the pages of Detective Comics.

Looking for more mystery reads? Visit our online library at www.pirfly.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audio books, music, and more.

Helpful Tips for Mystery Writers

Penning a great mystery will be the least mysterious aspect of your novel when you follow these helpful tips:

The big reveal should be a surprise to everyone but you. Who did it? Why did they do it? How did they do it? Your readers should be guessing with every turn of the page, but you shouldn’t be. Have every detail of your villain’s plot planned out before even putting pen to paper, and writing the novel will be an absolute breeze.

Every suspect should be suspicious. Perhaps the prime suspect didn’t commit the murder or steal the diamond, but that certainly doesn’t mean they’re innocent, and none of the other suspects should be either. If every suspect is lying about something, your sleuth will certainly have some work to do, and your readers will certainly sop up every word of it.

Detectives can’t be right all the time. In fact, sometimes they can be catastrophically wrong, and their erroneous deductions and decisions may even lead to more death and destruction. Fear not, however, there is a cause for all this chaos, as it makes for a far more compelling read than the perfect hero getting everything right and saving the day on the first try.

Armed with these tips you’ll be writing a great mystery in no time, and as your plot progresses you may just come up with some tips of your own. Happy writing!

Looking for a deep dive into the world of mystery? Visit our online library at www.pirfly.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more, accessible anytime from your favorite devices.

Thrills and Chills for your Next Read

With so many incredible thrillers in the world of literature, it may be tricky to decide which one to read next. Here are three suggestions for your next read that are sure to thrill!

Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup. When playboy Vivek “Vicky” Rai is murdered at his own party, investigative journalist Arun Advani interrogates six very different suspects with very different motives. This is Swarup’s second novel, the first being the immensely successful New York Times Bestseller Q&A, adapted into the major motion picture hit Slumdog Millionaire.

The Woman in the Window: A Novel by A.J. Finn. A new take on an old theme: A crime witnessed from a window and a protagonist trapped in her apartment due to her agoraphobia. Soon to be a major motion picture, and one of the best-selling books of 2018 (for good reason.)

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith. If you think The Cuckoo’s Calling may show some similarities to something you’ve already read and love, you’re not alone. Robert Galbraith is in fact the pen name of none other than beloved Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. The first in her Cormoran Strike series, The Cuckoo’s Calling brings us into the world of war veteran and private investigator Cormoran Strike as he investigates the suicide of famous actress Lula Landry.

Looking for more action, suspense, and mystery? Visit our online library at www.pirfly.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more, accessible anytime from your favorite devices.

Four Reasons to Read Mysteries

With countless titles available from classic to contemporary, mystery novels are an essential part of the literary world. When on the hunt for your next read, mystery might be just the genre for you. Here are four great reasons to make your next read a mystery novel.

A great escape! Odds are the right mystery will have the power to transport you into another world, one so far removed from the daily details of life that you’ll have no choice but to immerse yourself into the unknown, and no desire to do anything else!

Everyone loves a good puzzle. Mystery novels are much like a good puzzle, slowly but surely pieces of the puzzle are collected one at a time until a picture starts to form, and we all know the feeling of excitement that can bring!

The power of deduction. You may not be Sherlock Holmes just yet, but the more you read the more your brain develops the critical thinking skills that come from reading a good mystery novel.

The everyday hero. We love our heroes to be relatable, and more often than not the hero of a good mystery novel doesn’t have any super strength or magical powers, they’re people just like us, who save the day with nothing more than the power of deduction.

Ready to begin your deep dive into the world of mystery? Visit our online library at www.pirfly.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more, available anytime on your favorite devices.

Great Modern Re-imaginings Of Sherlock Holmes

We all know the famous stories and the famous duo of Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes, but are you familiar with these brilliant takes on those old classics? There have been so many stories that are almost indirectly Sherlock Holmes stories, such is the brilliance of Arthur Conan Doyle’s character. And even more than attempt to channel that brilliance in ways that put a fresh new spin on it. These are some of the finest examples of that.

A Study In Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

This gender reversal cleverly repositions the Sherlock Holmes character to examine how societal roles can often undermine brilliant women. It centers around Charlotte Holmes, a brilliant female detective struggling to advance her career until she adopts the “Sherlock” persona. These themes continue throughout the cast of ancillary characters she meets, all whilst the narrative and setting doesn't veer from vintage Holmes. It’s a clever reimagining that shows how a few small tweaks can fundamentally alter a narrative and strikes a deft balance between homage and originality.

A Study In Honor by Claire O’Dell

By contrast, Claire O’Dell’s A Study In Honor shows how far you can go in putting a unique spin on a story whilst still maintaining the spirit and style of the original. Transporting the fundamental framework of the Sherlock Holmes stories to a futuristic sci-fi setting, and centering it around a pair of queer black women in the middle of a New Civil War allows for a re-examination of race, gender, and sexuality all whilst telling a complex and cleverly plotted mystery.

No matter what mystery you’re trying to unravel, a classic tale or a modern twist, there is a wide range of mystery eBooks and audiobooks to be found over at www.pirfly.com.