It occurred to me recently that it would be quite nice to be in a little group of like minded women. Perhaps we could do events together? At festivals, maybe? For writing groups? I know several naice laidy detective writers who belong to similar groups, and I had hoped, when I tentatively set up the Traditional Mystery Writers Facebook Group, that we could cobble something together from that. However, like a lot of my schemes, that one fell flat on its face. I don't have the energy or the marketing expertise to promote my own books, let alone become a Group Administrator.
But there are a lot of us. There are even several published by my own publishers. Last year the first Killer Women event was launched. The Killer Women have a book club, events and all sorts of good stuff, but they appear to be predominantly the grittier end of the market (Martina Cole, anyone?) and they frighten me a little. I once travelled back to London on a train with Laura Wilson and felt completely intimidated, and as for Val McDermid, well! And I once spent an afternoon in Martina's pool...but the less said about that the better. So I would really like to be part of a less - shall we say, exciting? - group of writers. I have recently been re-reading Veronica Heley's Ellie Quicke suburban mysteries, Jill Paton Walsh's Imogen Quy Cambridge mysteries and her Peter Wimsey continuations among others. I assume, as my books still stagger out on to the bookshop shelves, both virtual and physical, there are others who like this sort of mystery. Yes, I'm fishing again. But I need reassurance. With the book market changing all around us, do readers still want to read about Libby and Fran and their ilk? I always try to make the main plot, the reason for murder, fairly nasty and gritty, but it gets dealt with quite gently.
Please let me know what you think, and meanwhile, I'll get on with Libby 19...
