The mystery genre contains a wide and varied spectrum of storytelling. There is truly space for every voice and a place for every reader. I first fell in love with mysteries in my teens—my grandfather was a Nero Wolfe fan and shared his passion with me. Never did I imagine that some ten years later I would marry a Wolff—albeit spelled differently.
Nero Wolfe mysteries are private eye detective stories with the majority of the pages dedicated to the investigation of the murder. But the remaining pages tell the story of the relationship between Nero and his right-hand-man Archie. We learn about orchids, fine dining and finer meals, and life in the period Rex Stout wrote—beginning in 1934 and concluding in 1974. (Just think of how life changed in that time!) I opened the books for the mystery, but I flipped the pages for the colorful scenes and commentary that made it all fun, aka the drama.
These days, I devour books, reading about 75 a year. As I’ve refined my reading
preference, I find that I am most drawn to stories that are 50/50. Mystery / Drama.
Romance / Suspense. Paranormal / Mystery. It’s like going out for ice cream and getting
a twist cone. I don’t have to choose between chocolate and vanilla—I can have both!
As I’ve matured in my writing style, I’m again 50/50. I can write a mystery and only a
mystery … but I think that would bore me. Perhaps that’s not the write word. I think I
would find it too intense. I love getting to know the characters and putting them in
awkward situations. So many come from real life. If they haven’t happened direct to me,
the people they did happen to told me the stories. Honestly, life would be boring if
everything went smoothly. Just last week, I traveled for work and somehow forgot
deodorant. I didn’t realize how many times a day I raise my arms until I forbade myself
from doing so. I went through an entire day at a conference with T-Rex arms. Sooner or
later, THAT is going in a book.
While I call it “drama”, I’m not talking about giving every character a tragic backstory
that has them taking every alphabet drug advertised on streaming channels just to get
out of bed. I’m talking about the real things we all deal with. Family. Work. Friends.
Health. I do occasionally tackle bigger issues. In my De La Cruz series, my lead
detective was a recovering alcoholic. This was inspired by and a tribute to my brother-
in-law who is fighting and winning against the addiction. In my new Rizk Brothers Legal
Mysteries, Jakob and his wife Courtney are expecting and dealing with the fear that
came with a prior miscarriage. I miscarried between my two sons and was surprised to
learn just how many couples deal with the loss. So many reached out to help me and, while it was 20 years ago, I remember their kindnesses. I hope bringing the experience
into my characters’ lives helps others feel not so alone.
Real life isn’t all work and no play, why should mysteries be any different? Incorporating
caricatures of real life—slightly exaggerated, kinda awkward, always entertaining—gives my detectives time to catch their breath and you, dear mystery lover, a chance to order your mind and suss out the killer.
Happy hunting, detectives!
About the Author
TG Wolff writes mysteries meant to be solved. She specializes in puzzles and giving you everything you need to beat the detective to the solution. Diverse characters mirror the complexities of real life and real people, balanced with a healthy dose of entertainment. TG Wolff holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, which gives her no background in writing but was an excellent training ground for mystery solving.
New month, new mysteries! Whether you’re looking for a mystery with political intrigue, procedural mystery, or a Nun in Seattle, we’ve got the perfect read.
