Author Lori Pollard-Johnson Talks about “The Allure of Mysteries”
As an avid mystery reader and writer, I’m delighted to feature mystery author Lori Pollard-Johnson’s guest essay in which she discusses why so many of us are addicted to mysteries. Lori has two recent cozy mystery releases, Corpse in the Craftsman’s Cottage and Toxic Torte.
The Allure of Mysteries
by
Lori Pollard-Johnson
As a lifelong lover of true crime, jigsaw puzzles, and all things enigmatic, I’ve often wondered what is it about a mystery that makes so many of us engage, particularly when the mystery is in book form. Is it the opportunity to play amateur sleuth? Spend time with some regular folks who encounter extraordinary events? Or is it a deep-seated need to see accountability—that is, watch the bad guys get caught for a safer world?
After speaking to a bunch of my writer and reader friends, the answer appears to be all of these things and more. People love mysteries because it enables them to spice up their safe lives by diving into unique and dangerous worlds…all while sitting with their feet up in their favorite recliner, preferably with a cup of tea or glass of wine.
A good example of a unique world is found in Faye Kellerman’s books. In her Rina Lazarus/Peter Decker series starter, The Ritual Bath, we’re taken into an orthodox Jewish community. Not only is there a heinous crime—a rape—to solve, but we also become immersed in the mikvah tradition (ritual bath after menses). We learn about a culture few of us will experience and discover nuances that lead to greater understanding of differences within people. More importantly, we learn that we share so much with people who lead such different lives all while being entertained by story.
Another clever way we engage in mystery is by looking at the world through the bad guy’s eyes. Such is the case in Tess Gerritsen’s very first book, the start of her Maura Isles/Jane Rizzoli series (which the television series was based on), entitled The Surgeon. In this multi-POV book, the reader follows along with both the scalpel-wielding serial killer and Rizzoli as they play cat-and-mouse in the darker streets of Boston. We’re grossed out by the killer’s thought processes as he lathers himself in butter to slip into his skin-tight suit and become engrossed in Rizzoli’s quest to find him, fearing all along that he’ll find her first. Experiencing the story from both angles heightens the tension and our experience, and we feel our hearts race as we spend time in his and Rizzoli’s heads. The relief when he’s caught is palpable, and we’re left feeling safer, as though we’ve participated in defeating a common enemy, one that represents one of our greatest fears—inexplicable evil in human form. 
Which leads me to one last reason people read mysteries: they’re confronting their own fears. The granddaddy of horror fiction, Stephen King, said it best, “[h]orror can be a cathartic experience, allowing readers to externalize their fears into a fictional world that’s more manageable” (NinerTimes.com, 11 Oct 22). Mysteries, then, allow us to face all the real and imagined circumstances that could be visited upon ourselves or our loved ones in a controlled environment where we can expect a resolution without our own demise. It’s a win-win with potential takeaways to real life, much like video gamers tend to be the best pilots because they practice eye-hand coordination for hours on end.
By reading mysteries then, we combat our own demons. Most importantly, it works. It can be as therapeutic as a visit with friends or accomplishing a hard-fought goal. So, enjoy your passion for stories with mysteries at their core, and I’ll see you in the true crime chat rooms.
BIO:
Lori Pollard-Johnson writes from her homes in Washington and Arizona, and has two new titles for 2024. Corpse in the Craftsman Cottage is an amateur sleuth cozy with two strong female leads who happen to be BFFs, and Toxic Torte is a classic culinary cozy featuring a caustic restaurant critic’s demise and a sassy young journalist determined to find out whodunit. Earlier titles include The Lie, a YA that profiles a young man journey to Iraq after lying about his age to join the military; The Truth Test, a mid-grade reader about a gifted student who convinces his buddies he’s developed a surefire method to tell if someone is lying; and Recipe for a Rebel, a mid-grade reader that chronicles the misadventures of a young boy dealing with his father’s rejection and his love of cooking. In addition to novels, Lori also has over 100 publishing credits in short fiction, nonfiction and poetry, in publications as diverse as Vegetarian Journal, Seattle, Black Belt, Bridal Connections and The Binnacle. She was a flash fiction finalist in The Binnacle; in PNWA’s Literary Contest for The Lie and Corpse in the Craftsman Cottage; and recently took first place in short fiction for “What it Takes to Scare a Man” and in poetry for “Hope is a Three-Toed Dragon” in a Southern California contest. She holds an MA in writing from Seton Hill University and spent her career in education: first as an elementary school teacher instilling the love of reading in children, and later as a college professor working with developmental, college-level, and creative writers. She’s also worked in business, warehousing, sales, and as a shoe model in college, which would have been a lot more fun if she’d been able to keep the shoes. Nowadays, when she’s not writing, she’s playing with her grandbabies, braiding rugs, perfecting her shavasana, swimming, hiking, practicing her releves, renovating fixer-uppers, reading, or watching javelinas dance through her backyard.
Corpse in the Craftsman Cottage (A Flippin’ Good Mystery Book 1)
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Toxic Torte (A Just Desserts Mystery Book 1)
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Lori Pollard-Johnson: books, biography, latest update
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