Murder at Jaipur: A Maya Mallick Mystery, by Bharti Kirchner
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Murder at Jaipur: A Maya Mallick Mystery
“Kirchner’s descriptive writing soothes like warm tea. Murder at Andaman is a lovely mystery that immerses the reader in Indian culture and hides the outcome until the very end.” (Robert Dugoni, New York Times Bestselling Author)
To purchase Murder at Jaipur: A Maya Mallick Mystery, click on the following link: Amazon
Why Write a Mystery Series?
by Bharti Kirchner
With my latest novel, Murder at Jaipur: A Maya Mallick Mystery (Book 3 in the series), being released in June 2023, I am giving thoughts to all that is involved in writing and maintaining a mystery series.
A series demonstrates a level of commitment from the author, as well as her creativity in coming up with brand new crime dramas. This can result in a bult-in audience—readers who can’t wait to see what will happen with the sleuth or various side characters.
Readers have asked me about Maya Mallick’s mother (who was popular in the first of the series, Season of Sacrifice): “Why isn’t she in Book 2? When will she return?”
Other questions that also come up are: What are the main challenges of writing a series? Who does benefit most from a series? The reader or the author?
Let’s consider our readers. Are they likely to get hooked on an on-going series more than a stand-alone mystery novel? The answer in many cases is yes. Besides continuity and recurring characters, a series offers special advantages to the reader. Often the main character becomes a pal. The reader, who is now invested in her, begins to wonder: What are the stakes in this new situation? Has she grown enough from her last experience to be able to deal with it? What are the leads for her to follow? What dark forces await her?
The reader gets a mental workout and an emotional thrill by trying to answer these and other questions but considers it worthwhile.
Next, let’s consider the author’s reasons for gravitating toward a series. Although there are fine examples of stand-alone tomes that allow an author to pursue a path not taken earlier, thereby creating new readership, there are practical considerations.
With a series, you don’t have to reinvent the wheels, i.e., you can set up your sleuth, the person you know so well, with a new crime in a new locale. You can also let go of minor players who figured in the past stories but might not fit in the new environment. Regardless of what you do, you must avoid repetition.
The choice of a new location for each entry in the series means new travel for me. The last two books in the Maya Mallick series have taken place in different settings in India: Andaman Islands and the city of Jaipur. I’ve enjoyed my “research” trips, which also have allowed my readers to become vicarious tourists.
So, it appears that with a mystery series, we have a win-win situation. What could be better?
Bharti Kirchner — Author of Murder at Jaipur: A Maya Mallick Mystery
To learn more about Bharti, click on her name, photo, or any of the following links: Facebook, Twitter, & Website
Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell
All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.
Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator
Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery
The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook. Amazon #1 bestseller
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