I’ve read Karen Stollznow’s new book, Hits & Mrs.. It’s fiction, a novel about a skeptical detective. But I need to warn you about two things.
It’s got sex in it. Not the kind of explicit recounting of urological details you’d find in pornography, but the characters are boinking regularly, and enjoying it.
One thing it lacks is reverence for organized skepticism — many skeptics are portrayed as jerks. It’s almost as if the author’s insider familiarity with the skepticism movement has disillusioned her.
Gosh. I imagine every one who reads this site is now horrified and is going to avoid the book.
I, for one, am horrified that any media could portray skeptics as anything but the paragons of decency that we definitely all are, and will definitely not be seeking to purchase for myself a copy of this book at my earliest convenience. Also, ew, sex is icky and gross.
I love you PZ.
As for the book? The passion so many readers have for detective stories is a mystery to me. so I probably won’t pick it up… but your OP does leave me wondering if this time I might just need to poke around inside that novel to find out what’s going on.
Going straight onto the to be read list.
I too dislike Mystery Books (movies are okay), all I can say is the title is a cute little pun (i guess).
I was so aghast at the Kindle preview that some money fell out of my pockets, and the money accidentally clicked the buy button.
Expecting reverence for skepticism? I’m used to popular culture portraying skeptics as grouches who stubbornly refuse to accept supernatural phenomena and are always proven wrong in the end. Doesn’t mean the other extreme is better, of course. I much prefer characters to act like they’re human.
mystery novels cover a wide spectrum from formulaic stories with stereo type personalities to “modern novels” driven by personalities that happen to be about some kind of crime. The one thing that seems most necessary is a puzzle to solve. often with some social commentary / observation thrown in
I can not read all of them some are too corny and some are too dark.
they are not for everyone
I am interested checking out a new one surly.
uncle frogy