RESOURCES FOR CRIME WRITERS - BOOKS

by Jodie Renner, freelance editor

To continue my series on resources for crime writers, here's a list of craft and other resource books for writers of thrillers, mysteries, and other crime fiction. For a list of organizations, conferences, and some blogs related to crime fiction, see my recent post, Some Great Resources for Crime Fiction Writers and Readers.


BOOKS ON WRITING THRILLERS, MYSTERIES, AND OTHER CRIME FICTION:

“HOW TO WRITE A THRILLER,” from Amazon, list with links:

How to Write a Damn Good Thriller: A Step-by-Step Guide for Novelists and Screenwriters by James N. Frey (2010) (Average 4 stars, 12 customer reviews)

Elements of Fiction Writing - Conflict and Suspense by James Scott Bell (2012) (av. 4.5 stars, 12 customer reviews)

Writing a Killer Thriller (An Editor's Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction) by Jodie Renner (2012)
(av. 5 stars, 19 customer reviews)

Writing the Thriller by Trish Macdonald Skillman (2000) (av. 4.5 stars, 13 customer reviews)  

The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing by Michelle Spring and Laurie R. King (Oct 2, 2012)

Write a Bestselling Thriller: A Teach Yourself Creative Writing Guide by Matthew Branton (Feb 15, 2013)

How to Write a Thriller by Scott Mariani (2007) (av. 4 stars, 4 customer reviews)

Writing the Thriller Film: The Terror Within (Michael Wiese Productions) by Neill D. Hicks (2002)
(av. 4 stars, 10 customer reviews)

Writing for Emotional Impact: Advanced Dramatic Techniques to Attract, Engage, and Fascinate the Reader from Beginning to End by Karl Iglesias (2011) (av. 4.5 stars, 46 customer reviews)

Writing a Thriller by André Jute (1987) (av. 4 stars, 2 customer reviews)


“HOW TO WRITE A MYSTERY NOVEL,” from Amazon, list with links:

How to Write a Damn Good Mystery: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide from Inspiration to Finished Manuscript by James N. Frey (Feb 12, 2004) (Average 4 stars, 27 customer reviews)


Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel by Hallie Ephron (2005) (av. 4.5 stars, 22 customer reviews)

Don't Murder Your Mystery [Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction Book] by Chris Roerden (2006)
(av. 4.5 stars, 41 customer reviews)

Writing Mysteries by Sue Grafton (2002) (av. 4.5 stars, 15 customer reviews)

The Elements of Mystery Fiction: Writing the Modern Whodunit by William G Tapply (2006)
(av. 5 stars, 5 customer reviews).

How to Write a Mystery by Larry Beinhart (1996) (av. 4.5 stars, 13 customer reviews)

How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries: The Art and Adventure of Sleuthing Through the Past by Kathy Lynn Emerson (2008) (av. 4.5 stars, 9 customer reviews)

Youdunit Whodunit! How to Write Mysteries by Nicola Furlong (2009) (5 stars, 2 customer reviews)

Mystery Writing in a Nutshell by John McAleer, Andrew McAleer and Edward D. Hoch (2007)
(Av. 5 stars, 5 customer reviews)

How to Write Killer Fiction: The Funhouse of Mystery & the Roller Coaster of Suspense by Carolyn Wheat (2003) (av. 45. Stars, 34 customer reviews)

How to Write a Dick: A Guide for Writing Fictional Sleuths from a Couple of Real-Life Sleuths by Shaun Kaufman and Colleen Collins (2011) 

Breaking Into The Mystery Short Story Market: It's No Crime! by Brendan DuBois (2011)

Write Good or Die by Scott Nicholson, Gayle Lynds, Kevin J. Anderson and M.J. Rose (2010) (av. 4 stars, 41 customer reviews)


“WRITING CRIME FICTION,” from Amazon, list with links:

Police Procedure and Investigation: A Guide for Writers (Howdunit) by Lee Lofland (2007)
(av. 5 stars, 26 customer reviews)

Writing Crime Fiction by Naomi Hirahara, Max Allan Collins, Stephen Gallagher and Dave Zeltserman (2012) (av. 5 stars, 5 customer reviews)

The Crime Interviews Volume One: Best-selling Authors Talk About Writing Crime Fiction by Len Wanner and Louise Welsh (2012) (av. 5 stars, 9 customer reviews)

Crime Writing Tips For Beginners by Kelvin Jones (May 3, 2012)

The Crime Interviews Volume Three: Best-selling Authors Talk About Writing Crime Fiction by Len Wanner and William McIlvanney (Sep 7, 2012)

Meet a Jerk, Get to Work, How to Write Villains and the Occasional Hero by Jaqueline Girdner and Ronald Hudson - Fotolia.com (2011) (av. 4 stars, 7 reviews)


More Forensics and Fiction: Crime Writers Morbidly Curious Questions Expertly Answered (Murder and Mayhem) by Douglas P. Lyle (2012) (av. 4.5 stars, 3 customer reviews)

The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing by Rosemary Herbert, Catherine Aird, John M. Reilly and Susan Oleksiw (1999) (av. 4 stars, 4 customer reviews)

Crime Fiction (The New Critical Idiom) by John Scaggs (2005) (5 stars, 1 customer review)

Writing a Killer Thriller (An Editor's Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction) by Jodie Renner (2012)
(av. 5 stars, 18 customer reviews)

The Writer's Complete Crime Reference Book by Martin Roth (1993) (av. 5 stars, 5 customer reviews)

The Cambridge Companion to American Crime Fiction (Cambridge Companions to Literature) by Catherine Ross Nickerson (2010) (3 stars, 1 customer review)

The Crime Writer's Reference Guide: 1001 Tips for Writing the Perfect Murder by Martin Roth (2003) (av. 4 stars, 10 customer reviews)

Now Write! Mysteries: Suspense, Crime, Thriller, and Other Mystery Fiction Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers by Sherry Ellis and Laurie Lamson (2011) (4.5 stars, 7 customer reviews)

The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz (2007) (av. 4 stars, 34 customer reviews)

Forensics For Dummies by Douglas P. Lyle (2004) (av. 4.5 stars, 15 reviews)

Howdunit Forensics by D. P. Lyle (2008) (av. 5 stars, 12 reviews)

The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing by Michelle Spring and Laurie R. King (Oct. 2012) (no reviews yet).

Body Trauma: A Writer's Guide to Wounds and Injuries (Get It Write) by David W. Page (2006) (Av. 3.5 stars, 12 customer reviews)

Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction by Patricia Highsmith (2001) (av. 3.5 stars, 21 customer reviews)

The Criminal Mind by Katherine Ramsland (2002) (av. 3.5 stars, 5 customer reviews)

The Crime Writer's Handbook (Allison & Busby Writers' Guides) by Douglas Wynn (2004)
(5 stars, 1 customer review)

Teach Yourself Writing Crime Fiction by Lesley Adamson (2003) (Av. 4 stars, 2 customer reviews)

Crime Writers Reference Guide by Martin Roth (2003) (Av. 4 stars, 10 customer reviews)

The Crime Interviews Volume Two: Best-selling Authors Talk About Writing Crime Fiction by Len Wanner and Ian Rankin (2012) (5 stars, 1 customer review)

FBI Handbook of Crime Scene Forensics by Federal Bureau of Investigation (2012)

The Investigation of Crime by William T. Forbes (2008)

(5 stars, 1 customer review)
Writing Crime Novels by John Paxton Sheriff (2001)

Writing Bestselling True Crime and Suspense: Break into the Exciting and Profitable Field of Book, Screenplay, and Television (Writing Guides) by Tom Byrnes (1997) (av. 4.5 stars, 2 customer reviews)

Writing Crime and Suspense Fiction: And Getting Published (Teach Yourself Series) by Lesley Grant-Adamson (1996)

How to Write Crime by Marele Day (Sep 1996) (Av. 3 stars, 2 customer reviews)

How to Write True Crime That Sells by Gera-Lind Kolarik and Delores Kennedy (1993)

Writing Crime Fiction (Writing Handbooks) by Henry Reymond Fitzwalter Keating (1994)
(5 stars, 1 customer review)

Scene of the Crime: A Writer's Guide to Crime Scene Investigation (Howdunit Series) by Anne Wingate (1992) (av. 4.5 stars, 14 customer reviews)

Amateur Detectives: A Writer's Guide to How Private Citizens Solve Criminal Cases (Howdunit Writing) by Elaine Raco Chase and Anne Wingate (1996) (av. 3.5 stars, 6 reviews)

Police Procedural: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work (Howdunit) by Russell L. Bintliff (Sep 1993) (av. 3.5 stars, 9 customer reviews)

Armed and Dangerous: A Writer's Guide to Weapons (Howdunit Writing) by Michael Newton (Aug 1990) (av. 3 stars, 9 customer reviews)

Deadly Doses: A Writer's Guide to Poisons (Howdunit Writing) by Serita Deborah Stevens and Anne Klarner (Aug 1990) (av. 4.5 stars, 20 customer reviews)

Also:

BBC: Writing Crime Fiction A master-class held by crime fiction authors Minette Walters and Mark Billingham in March 2004.

Raymond Chandler, The Simple Art of Murder, 1950

Writers and readers: Do you have any good craft or resource books to add, for crime fiction writers? Or any opinions on any of the titles listed here? Any you've found particularly useful? Please let us know in the comments below. Thanks!

Jodie Renner is a freelance editor specializing in thrillers, mysteries, and other fast-paced fiction. Please check out Jodie’s website and blog, or connect with Jodie on Facebook and Twitter: @JodieRennerEd. 

Jodie has published two books to date in her series, An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction: Writing a Killer Thriller, a short e-book, and Style That Sizzles & Pacing for Power, which is available in paperback, as an e-book on Kindle, and in other e-book formats. And you don’t need to own an e-reader to purchase and enjoy e-books. You can download them to your computer, tablet, or smartphone.