Detective Story

Even more than writing in other genres, the detective story, often called a whodunit, tends to follow standard rules. This is because readers of detective mysteries seek a particular experience: they want the intellectual challenge of solving the crime before the detective does, and the pleasure of  knowing that everything will come together in the end.

The detective's investigation is based on motive, opportunity, and means, and the detective arrives at solving the crime by, of course, eliminating suspects who do not fulfill these criteria.

The detective questions suspects, sifts through clues, and tracks down perpetrators. The detective shares all the clues with the reader but withholds their significance until the end.

To make the case interesting to the reader, the writer often puts complications, and twists and turns in the detective's way: several suspects, additional murders, red herrings.

Only at the end does the detective unmask the culprit and plot, and present the deductive reasoning used in solving the case. 

Detective mysteries evolved in the early part of the 20th Century from stories about detectives in which the reader wasn't a participant, but rather a witness, looking over the detective's shoulder, so to speak.

Early Detective Stories

The originator of the early stories of investigation was the American poet and short-story writer Edgar Allen Poe, creator of the world's first known fictional detective C. Auguste Dupin. 

Dupin's methods of deduction and his strange personal habits provided the model that many detective story writers have followed since.

Dupin made his debut in April 1841, when Graham's magazine published Poe's classic horror story: The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Dupin appeared thereafter in 'The Mystery of Marie Roget' (1842-43), 'The Purloined Letter' (1845). It is believed that Poe's Dupin character was modeled after real-life crook-turned-cop French detective Eugene Francois Vidocq (1775-1857).

Charles Dickens ventured into writing detective stories with The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870), but the novel was unfinished at the time of Dickens' death and his ending for it remains unknown.

English author and playwright Wilkie Collins, contributed The Moonstone (1860) and The Woman in White (1860) featuring Detective Sergeant Cuff.

Sherlock Holmes and Followers

Detective stories didn't become truly popular, however, until Beeton's magazine published in 1887 'A Study in Scarlet', introducing to England and the world the most famous detective of all time – real or fictional – Sherlock Holmes. 

Obviously influenced by Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, the English writer who created Holmes, gave Holmes Dupin's mental traits and equally strange habits, and he narrated his detective's exploits, as did Poe, from the vantage point of a close companion, in Holmes' case Dr. Watson.

Altogether, the original Sherlock Holmes mysteries consists of 4 novels and 56 short stories. Holmes is the hero, even today, of detective adventures written by other writers.

Sherlock Holmes popularized the detective story and brought it to its present form. Since Conan Doyle, writers have sought to develop detective heroes who echo both Holmes' unique character and omniscience.

In 1911, the English writer G.K. Chesterton developed the character of Father Brown, a priest-detective.

In 1920, during what is often called the golden age of the detective story, the English writer Agatha Christie introduced her hero, Hercule Poirot (1920-75), a dapper Belgian detective.

In the U.S., the Ellery Queen detective series began in 1928, created by Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905-1971); and S.S. Van Dine (1888-1939), under the pseudonym of Willard Huntington Wright, began writing about the dilettante detective Philo Vance in 1926. 

Meanwhile, another American writer, Earl Derr Biggers (1884-1933) wrote about his famed Chinese detective, Charlie Chan (1919).

Other authors who emerged in the 1930s are American writer Rex Stout (1886-1975) with his famous gourmet detective Nero Wolfe (1934), and the scholarly English writer Dorothy Sayers, whose detective hero was an aristocrat, Lord Peter Wimsey (1921).

Authors of the 1930s, in their efforts to outwit the reader, concocted elaborate ingenious puzzles such as the locked-room mysteries of American writer John Dickson Carr (1906-77). The aim was to produce as the murderer the least likely of all suspects, which Agatha Christie excelled at.

Private Eye Tales

Meanwhile, in the U.S. during the 1920s, another type of detective story was emerging – shaped by the pulp magazines of the time, notably Black Mask, which wanted hard-hitting detective heroes and tough language.

Authors who wrote this style of detective story include Erle Stanley Gardner, creator of Perry Mason, the most famous lawyer-detective; Dashiell Hammett, creator of Nick Charles and Sam Spade; and Raymond Chandler, creator of phillip Marlowe.

In these hard-boiled private detective novels, sleuths worked for money instead of intellectual fun, and the style was on action and the puzzle was underplayed. The story's physical activity, which sometimes degenerated into rough sex and sadism, rather than the puzzle, held the reader.

The Police Procedural

In the early 1950s, a trend away from the sex and sadism type of detective novel and away from the private detective tale in general, developed. The "police procedural" – stories about how real police detectives go about solving real crimes – was born.

The difference offered by the police procedural detective novels from its predecessors is that the reader consorts, not with genius, but with fallible, ordinary people, specially trained in investigation.

The most prominent writers of this type of detective novel are John Creasey (1908-73) writing under the pseudonym J.J. Marric, with his tales of Gideon of Scotland Yard; Evan Hunter (1926-2005) and his 87th Precinct series under the pseudonym Ed McBain; and former New York City transit police detective Dorothy Uhnak (1930-2006) with her series featuring Detective Christie Opara and others.

The detective story is sure to endure as staple reading fare even with its pendulum swings in popularity. Its strength is that it provides excitement and satisfaction. The detective story novel deals with evil, which is generally fascinating, at the same time promising that good will triumph over evil, and that the ending will be relatively happy and complete.

Brian Blackwell

The Book Project

For as long as I can remember, all I have wanted to do is be a writer. But then life happened, and like for many people, events occurred altering the course of my life, and like most people do, I did the practical thing and pursued jobs that provided a much more steady, stable income, putting my aspirations of being a writer aside.

During this time, I wrote short stories and poems, published articles occasionally, hoping that one day I would be able to write a book and have it published. I have accumulated a vast body of poems that is ever expanding, which I hope I can have published.

In 2009, I began posting on Facebook a collection of poems I wrote and soon developed a following of fans of my writing who encouraged me to have my poems published in book form.

In seeking a publisher for my book, I soon discovered that when the financial crises hit in 2008, as with many other industries, the book publishing industry was deeply affected financially, and a person attempting to get their first book published went from being difficult to nearly impossible, especially for an unknown individual.

As a result of the current economic climate, most publishers are not willing to gamble on the success of a book written by a (first book) author, and on the rare times when they do, they are requiring (first book) authors to share in the cost of production.

Even with self-publishing, the cost of publishing a book is considerably high. Even on a small-to-medium scale, the pre-production and printing costs are very high to produce a tastefully done book, which I in no way have the financial means to cover the cost.

Rather than giving up on my goal, I am seeking financial backing from the public. As a backer, you are guaranteed to receive an advanced copy of my book of poems with any donation of $45 or more (limited to 250 copies) and every supporter will have their name included in the book in a special "partner" section. It's really important to me to list the names of the backers who made the book a reality. If you'd like to be an anonymous backer, I will not list your name in the book.

My poetry book will be 200 pages, and there will be an explanation with each poem of my motivation for writing the poem, which is very rare and unique for a poet to do. I can assure you, my book will be a quality read and very tastefully done.

I am also writing a suspense thriller novel while getting my poetry book published. 

To help, please go to: http://www.BrianBlackwell.com

Rembrandt Drawing Stolen From Calif. Hotel

A drawing by Rembrandt, valued at $250,000, was stolen from a hotel in Marina del Rey, California in what Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigators say was a well-planned heist.

The pen-and-ink drawing, believed to be called "The Judgment," was stolen Saturday night while a curator was distracted by a guest at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey, L.A. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

Investigators believe the theft occurred during a 15-minute window starting at 10:20 p.m.

"When the curator turned back to the Rembrandt, it was gone," Whitmore said, adding that it "was a well-thought-out, well-executed theft."

Investigators were studying surveillance video from the hotel. The footage was unlikely to be made public, Whitmore said.

Officials asked anyone who spotted anything suspicious to contact the sheriff's department. Sheriff's investigators were working with security officials from the hotel.

"The Ritz-Carlton has some of the best hotel security in the nation," Whitmore said. "We're confident that our leads, and the surveillance video will help us solve this."

Whitmore said the work by the Dutch master was valued at $250,000.

The drawing was part of an exhibit at the hotel sponsored by San Francisco's Linearis Institute. A call to the institute was not immediately returned Sunday.

Brian Blackwell

Casey Anthony Found Not Guilty

Jurors in Orlando, Florida have found Casey Anthony not guilty in her murder trial. The jury was out for just 10 hours after getting instructions on Monday.

Anthony was also found not guilty on manslaughter and child abuse charges. Anthony was found guilty on four counts of providing false information to law enforcement.

Casey Anthony in court

Prosecutors argued the woman killed her 2-year-old daughter Caylee because the toddler interrupted her carefree partying and love life.

Jurors in the murder trial ended their first day of deliberations on Monday without reaching a verdict.

Anthony was charged with first-degree murder and six other charges. If convicted of first-degree murder, she would have been sentenced to death or life in prison.

The seven women and five men of the jury were chosen from the Tampa Bay area because of pretrial media coverage of the case and have been sequestered in an Orlando hotel. They have listened to 33 days of testimony and another two days of closing arguments.

Anthony's attorneys say the girl drowned in the family's pool.

They have said Anthony panicked and that her father, a former police officer, decided to make the death look like a homicide by placing duct tape over the child's mouth and dumping the body in some nearby woods. George Anthony has denied that.

The state contended Anthony was a party girl who killed Caylee because the toddler got in the way of her love life. 

Brian Blackwell

Legendary Mobster Whitey Bulger Arrested

Organized crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger, once one of the most powerful mobsters in the nation, has been captured after 16 years on the run.

One of the FBI's Top 10 most wanted fugitives and the inspiration for the 2006 Martin Scorsese film, "The Departed," Bulger -- once head of Boston's Winter Hill Gang -- was sought in connection with 19 slayings and a slew of other crimes.

Crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger with his
longtime girlfriend Catherine Elizabeth Greig.

He was arrested Wednesday at a Santa Monica, California, home along with his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Elizabeth Greig, who was also wanted for harboring him.

Bulger was an FBI informant before he fled in 1995 after being tipped off by an FBI agent about an impending racketeering indictment. The agent was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement.

The 81-year-old -- known to alter his appearance through disguises -- was "considered armed and extremely dangerous," according to the FBI. "He has a violent temper and is known to carry a knife at all times," the FBI said in an official description of him.

The FBI offered a $2 million reward for information leading directly to his arrest.

Authorities credit a new publicity campaign for the tips that led them to the fugitives.

On Tuesday, the FBI began airing a 30-second public service announcement, buying about 350 spots in 14 U.S. cities.

The ad focused on Grieg, 60, and targeted female viewers around the same age. It described her as loving dogs and other animals and frequenting beauty salons. it said she had worked as a dental hygienist, likes to maintain her teeth, and has had multiple plastic surgeries.

Bulger was sought for his role in numerous murders committed from the early 1970's through the mid-1980's in connection with his leadership of an organized crime group that controlled extortion, drug deals, and other illegal activities in the Boston area.

An "avid reader with an interest in history," he was known to frequent libraries and historic sites, the FBI said.

Bulger has been in hiding since 1995. The FBI put him on its Most Wanted list in 1999 and had a special task force devoted to his capture.

He will make his first court appearance Thursday, the FBI said. Bulger is charged with 19 counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, narcotics distribution and money laundering charges, the FBI said.

Before the arrest, the last confirmed sighting of Bulger and Grieg was in London in 2002.

Brian Blackwell

FBI "No Probable Cause Required" Powers

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is giving significant new powers to its 14,000 agents — allowing them to search databases, go through household trash or use surveillance teams to scrutinize the lives of people without needing to worry about probable cause rules.

The FBI soon plans to issue a new edition of its manual, called the Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide, according to an official who has worked on the draft document and several others who have been briefed on its contents.

The new rules add to several measures taken over the past decade to give agents more latitude as they investigate for possible signs of criminal or terrorist activity.

The FBI recently briefed several privacy advocates about the coming changes. Among them, Michael German, a former FBI agent who is now a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, argued it was unwise to further ease restrictions on agents’ power to use potentially intrusive techniques, especially if they lacked a firm reason to suspect someone of wrongdoing.

"Claiming additional authorities to investigate people only further raises the potential for abuse," German said, pointing to complaints about the bureau’s surveillance of domestic political advocacy groups and to an inspector general’s findings in 2007 that the FBI had improperly used "national security letters" to obtain information like people’s phone bills.

Valerie E. Caproni, the FBI general counsel, said the bureau had fixed the problems with the national security letters and had taken steps to make sure they would not recur.

She also said the bureau — which does not need permission to alter its manual so long as the rules fit within broad guidelines issued by the attorney general — had carefully weighed the risks and the benefits of each change.

Since December 2008, FBI agents have had the power to look into people and organizations "proactively" and without firm evidence for suspecting criminal or terrorist activity.

Under current rules, agents must open such an inquiry before they can search for information about a person in a commercial or law enforcement database. Under the new rules, agents will be allowed to search anyone's database without needing to follow probable cause rules nor making a record of their decision.

Brian Blackwell