Doing Something by Cole Parker

[ChrisR]

I'm surprised at not finding an existing thread on this wonderful whodunit by Cole. It has his marvelous touch of personalities, friendships and relationships, humanity, and pathos. But this time it's wrapped up in an Agatha-Christie-esque tale. Wonderful, enjoyable, and a welcome addition to Cole's repertoir.

[Lugnutz]

There are two threads already on this.

Here's the story.

http://www.awesomedude.com/cole-parker/doing-something/index.htm

And the existing thread on this story.

http://forums.awesomedude.com/index.php?showtopic=6624

[Cole Parker]

Thanks, Chris. That one was fun to write, fun to plot out. I read mysteries all the time but never had written one. Everyone seemed to think the villain was too obvious. If I ever write another, I guess I need to be more subtle.

C

[Graeme]

Mysteries are tough to write. I've written two stories that had a mystery component and most people worked out the first one without a lot of trouble. It's a definite skill to be able to write mysteries where the mystery isn't solved by the reader well before the ending.

[Rutabaga]

I posted a favorable comment on the earlier thread, but I don't mind saying again that this was a cool story with some neat twists and turns, a few rather amazing coincidences and/or very lucky guesses, and a satisfying ending. Many surprising surprises along the way.

R

[Cynus]

Mysteries are tough to write. I've written two stories that had a mystery component and most people worked out the first one without a lot of trouble. It's a definite skill to be able to write mysteries where the mystery isn't solved by the reader well before the ending.

This is a skill which has long eluded me. My first attempt at a novel after completing "Rumors of War" was a mystery, and my editor told me in no uncertain terms that it was not the right genre for me.

But "Doing Something" by Cole Parker is one of my favorite of his works. It usually scores in the top five, and usually the top three along with "Duck Duck Goose" and "Distorted Perspectives".