Solve the MYSTERY of how to write and sell a KILLER story! With the help of interactive exercises, mystery author and crime fiction critic Hallie Ephron gives you the momentum you need to turn a kernel of an idea into an intriguing mystery novel. You'll learn to capitalize on your writing strengths and shore up your weaknesses.This comprehensive guide covers every aspect of mystery writing, including:planning, twisting the plot, and constructing a credible surprise endingcreating a compelling sleuth and a worthy villaindeceiving and revealing with red herrings and clueswriting investigation, spine-tingling suspense, and dramatic actionrevising - from sharpening characters, to optimizing pace, to smithing wordsengaging the readerBy the time you finish reading part one of this book, you will have a blueprint for your entire story. Parts two and there take your blueprint from idea to well-polished novel. Part four is an insider's guide to getting it into an agent's or publisher's hands.