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Book reviews, writing tips, and guidance on writing, publishing, and getting published from Ross Browne, owner of publishing’s oldest freelance editorial firm.

How JK Rowling (Writing As Robert Galbraith) Sustains Reader Engagement in a Very Long Mystery

[by Ross Browne]

If you’re a fan of JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith, you’re probably well aware how much longer her latest release is than the other four books in the series.

My own first reaction to the size of the hefty tome—darn near 1,000 pages in hardcover—was mostly: Terrific! More […]

By |2024-01-18T17:39:39+00:00May 11th, 2021|Behind The Bestsellers|Comments Off on How JK Rowling (Writing As Robert Galbraith) Sustains Reader Engagement in a Very Long Mystery
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WORD PLAY by Peter Farb: An Enlightening Study of Language That’s a Gold Mine for Dialogue-Conscious Novelists

[by Ross Browne]

Word Play by Peter Farb may not have been written with novelists in mind, but it’s chock full of good insights for writers, especially on the topic of dialogue. (You can check out the book here.)

One chapter I find especially interesting is on verbal dueling. The author’s position is summed up […]

By |2024-01-07T21:59:38+00:00May 5th, 2021|Recommended Reading|Comments Off on WORD PLAY by Peter Farb: An Enlightening Study of Language That’s a Gold Mine for Dialogue-Conscious Novelists
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Considering the Pros and Cons of Irredeemable Antagonists in Crime Fiction in WRECKED by Joe Ide

[by Ross Browne]

I’m not exaggerating when I say the discovery of Joe Ide’s IQ series made an often-awful 2020 more bearable. Wrecked is the third book in this series starring the fiercely intelligent but lonely and isolated Isaiah Quintabe (“IQ”), who on first glance might resemble a modern-day Sherlock Holmes of Long Beach. In this story, […]

By |2024-01-07T22:03:19+00:00February 24th, 2021|Behind The Bestsellers|Comments Off on Considering the Pros and Cons of Irredeemable Antagonists in Crime Fiction in WRECKED by Joe Ide
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Considering The Sad, Honorable Life of Jack Reacher Contemplating Reacher's future in the hands of Andrew Child

[by Ross Browne]

October 27, 2020 brought two notes of bittersweet dichotomy for fans of the Jack Reacher series. On one hand, we had a new release to dig into, always a good thing in the eyes of “Reacher Creatures.” On the other, The Sentinel is the first book in the series whose byline Lee shares with […]

By |2024-01-20T17:47:28+00:00February 2nd, 2021|Behind The Bestsellers|Comments Off on Considering The Sad, Honorable Life of Jack Reacher Contemplating Reacher's future in the hands of Andrew Child
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How Jeff Lindsay Introduced Dexter To The World Considering pacing, plot, and story setup in the first 50 pages

[by Ross Browne]

Flap Copy: He’s handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He’s a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likable: He only kills bad people.

Ross’s Take: Though Darkly Dreaming Dexter was a book […]

By |2024-01-06T20:17:52+00:00January 16th, 2021|Behind The Bestsellers|Comments Off on How Jeff Lindsay Introduced Dexter To The World Considering pacing, plot, and story setup in the first 50 pages
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THE CRIME WRITER, by Gregg Hurwitz: A Riveting Novel and a Masterful Lesson in How to Write Mystery/Suspense

[by Ross Browne]

If there were ever a novel that writers and editors could take special pleasure in devouring like candy, The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz is it. Putting aside the clever plot device that makes the book so naturally irresistible to novelists, The Crime Writer is a smartly written novel that stands […]

By |2024-02-13T17:05:45+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on THE CRIME WRITER, by Gregg Hurwitz: A Riveting Novel and a Masterful Lesson in How to Write Mystery/Suspense
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