Here are the other two prototypes for the cover of my contemporary mystery, Bleeder.
It seems to me that the cover should announce right away that this is a mystery with a spiritual angle, yet accessible to readers of all faiths and even those with no faith at all. After all, agnostics and other sorts enjoy Andrew Greeley's Father Blackie Ryan, Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael, and Harry Kemelman's Rabbi Small. I see my story as being very 'doubter-friendly' (the protagonist is a lapsed Presbyterian with serious spiritual doubts since his wife died of leukemia - and he isn't 'converted' at the end) and not heavy-handed in any way. I don't like reading that sort of story and I won't write one like that. It seems to me that mystery writers of all persuasions are interested in the same things: the 'higher mysteries' of suffering, the conflict of good and evil within the human heart, the meaning of justice and the ultimate mystery, death itself. We're all trying to make sense out of the short dash that appears between our tombstone's birth date and departure date.
1 comment:
Hi John!
I found your blog from the Catholic Writers Guild site (I'm a new member.)
This book looks like something I'd enjoy. I agree with you about what mystery writers (and readers) are interested in.
I'm a big Dean Koontz fan myself, and friends (who've never read him, of course) are always surprised that I would like such "darkness." But he does such an excellent job at fleshing out the themes that you mention that I always end up feeling uplifted after reading his books - even the ones filled with shocking violence.
All the best with your project!
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