Hello, I’m Stewart, Welcome to my Blog!
So, where did this idea come from?
So, as you can see from the name of the site, this is a blog about detective fiction and, assuming that you’re interested in the topic, you’ll probably know that there are likely to be hundreds of blogs about detective or crime fiction! I’m tired of searching them as I try to get my mind round what I want to do here. Having said that, while they’re all very sophisticated in appearance, I haven’t yet found one that’s hooked me and made me spend time working my way through it. So, if I’ve been deterred by how many there are, I still think (probably naively) that there might just be a place for mine. Optimistic, dedicated, stupid, nothing else to do……..who knows but here goes.
To be honest, I’m not sure that I really want to be a blogger. What I really want to be is a successful detective fiction author but it looks pretty hard and there are so many good ones around that I’m realistic enough to know that’s not the way forward. So, this is my alternative and I hope it works!
Something I would say though, as I’ve thought about becoming an author, is that one of the most common things I have read is that you need to capture your audience’s attention in the first page and I’m afraid there’s not one bit of me imagines that I’ve done that yet! But, never mind, I’m going to stick with it, at least for the time being! I just hope that, if I persist with it, you’ll persist with me in the hope that it will become interesting and maybe even a little entertaining. After all, it’s going to be about something you’re interested in or else you wouldn’t have got here in the first place.
What will I be blogging about?
Well, I suppose it goes without saying that my posts are going to be about detective fiction! It’s a subject that is very close to my heart and I spend a lot of my time reading books on the subject. I have done so for many years. But, why do I want to blog about it? I suppose the principal reason is that I would like to share my enjoyment of the genre with others who have a similar interest. I think there are some really great authors out there, many of whom everyone will know but, in addition, I think there are lots that I have discovered who deserve a wider audience. It would also be nice to think that I could introduce people to the genre who have not taken much interest in it before. I’m also hopeful that I will be able to generate some discussion about the subject and, of course, discover authors that I haven’t come across before. If nothing else, I might be able to help people find some holiday reading!
So, that’s the broad idea and now let’s get started! However, before you go to my posts, there is one key thing I want to say and this is maybe the most important thing I’m going to say in describing the blog – I enjoy the vast majority of the books I read and I have great admiration for the authors but, while many of the storylines and plots hook me, my principal enjoyment tends to be reading about and getting to know the characters. I talk about this a lot as the posts evolve and, with a bit of luck, it will gradually become clear what I mean.
I think that most of us have heroes when we’re young and I’ll tell you about some of mine when I say a little about me. In some cases, I liked them because I could identify with them in my fantasy world. Perhaps they had played a major role in my early years but, most relevant, they often played quirky characters very similar to a lot of the people who appear in the books I talk about in the blog. These quirky characters I like reading about are usually smart and have a bit of a sense of humour but they are always tough and able to take care of themselves thanks to time in law enforcement or the forces. Just as an aside, it surprises me that I am still reading stories, which have been published quite recently, with principal characters who did time in Vietnam. They must be getting pretty old now! One other thing that I like about many of these characters is that they are wise-crackers and that adds to my personal enjoyment of them and of the books.
SO, and this is an important point, my focus in the blog is on the characters and their authors rather than on the plots or stories. I guess that might seem a little strange as we read books for the stories, don’t we? Of course, we do and that should go without saying. However, I do find that, in the genre we are looking at in the blog, while the books I talk about are all ‘good reads’, hopefully with twists and surprises, they can be a little formulaic in theme. I wonder if there are perhaps only so many stories we would read about murders, organised crime, serial killers, kidnappings, blackmails, robberies, etc. if it wasn’t for the characters and the particular spin which the authors put on these stories and plots. So, while I hope my posts tell you about the good books I have read and the great twists I have seen and recommend these to you, and while I will increasingly review new books as they come out, I think I try to concentrate more on the characters and authors and the particular traits and idiosyncrasies which they bring to the books. I think that is what is different about this blog and why I hope you will enjoy it.
What do I Mean by Detective Fiction?
One last thing I would say before you move on to the blog and seeing what I have written about the authors, books and characters that are my focus – what exactly is the genre that the blog deals with? What do I mean by ‘detective or crime fiction’?
Well, first of all, I didn’t want to restrict myself too much. My favourite area is US crime fiction featuring cops or private detectives but I don’t stick to it exclusively. I also read thrillers which don’t focus entirely on cops, PIs and criminals but they generally involve some form of crime and detection and I would include terrorism under that broad heading. As I say, I prefer US fiction but there are a number of British and, more specifically, Scottish authors that I also like very much. I principally like modern fiction but I also feature some historical material ranging from Tudor times to the earlier part of the 20th century up to the fifties. For me and for the blog, modern fiction begins in the 1970s and the genre covers crime fiction and thrillers at a more general level. Of course, that means I don’t reference some of the great names of the genre like Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler but I have simply never got round to them. I also have to admit that I haven’t read very much of Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. Maybe as we move forward, you could give me some recommendations!
Finally, before we focus on the subject matter, I would just say that, like the bulk of who I hope my audience to be, I read all the time and that has helped me search out new authors as I run out of books from my favourites and I have to fill the time until their new book comes out. Just as I’m sure you do, I search for new authors by saying ‘if I like X, who else would I enjoy?’ I’m not necessarily expecting to help you discover lots of new authors although I will certainly try to do that and, hopefully, it will happen for some readers. Who knows, everyone might find some new characters they haven’t seen before. I hope that I will find the same whether it be through comments, messages or forums.
So, welcome to my blog. I hope we have some fun exploring something that we all enjoy although please bear in mind that everything I say is simply my opinion and, just because I like something, there is no need for you to like it too. Now, let’s see what I’m talking about.