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Craft-focused editorial analyses of popular fiction and nonfiction from bestselling authors.

Editorial Analysis: BLUE MOON by Lee Child Considering what works and what could work better in Jack Reacher # 24

[by Ross Browne]

Author’s note: As a reader, I’m a loyal fan of the Jack Reacher series, awaiting each release with rabid anticipation. As a professional editor, I’m a longtime admirer of what Lee Child does well and, at times, a constructive critic of what I believe he could do better. I write about Lee Child often […]

By |2022-02-15T20:28:41+00:00|Behind The Bestsellers, Book Reviews and Analysis, General, Mystery / Suspense, RSB, TED Editor Posts, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Editorial Analysis: BLUE MOON by Lee Child Considering what works and what could work better in Jack Reacher # 24

Grisham vs. Grisham Considering authorial freedom within the confines of genre fiction

[by Ross Browne]

Did a bestselling master of his genre write the same novel twice?

On first glance, it might look that way. The premise and plot setups of John Grisham’s 1999 release The Testament and his 2013 release Sycamore Row are remarkably similar. Both novels feature:

  • The suicide of a wealthy man with a terminal disease, right […]
By |2022-02-15T20:29:34+00:00|Behind The Bestsellers, Book Reviews and Analysis, General, Mystery / Suspense, Recommended Reading, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Grisham vs. Grisham Considering authorial freedom within the confines of genre fiction

Editorial Analysis: SUDDEN PREY by John Sandford Considering characterization and its impact on story in a bestselling crime series

[by Ross Browne]

Anyone familiar with my taste in books probably knows how much I love John Sandford and admire his skills as a writer. One reason I like his Lucas Davenport series so much is that these deftly plotted novels usually go deep into the minds of deranged killers in seriously […]

By |2022-02-15T20:31:20+00:00|Behind The Bestsellers, Book Reviews and Analysis, Mystery / Suspense, RSB, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Editorial Analysis: SUDDEN PREY by John Sandford Considering characterization and its impact on story in a bestselling crime series
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