No No Nan--cy Drew?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Okay, so we have to talk.  There are some things in our lives which just...aren’t mainstream. For instance. I don’t like the movie Pretty Woman. I’ve never seen Beaches. I only watched one episode of This is Us, and said—not for me. I don’t like beer. I’ve never had a massage. Just saying.

And so I am thrilled that Kellye Garrett (whose debut Hollywood Homicide was a Library Journal Debut of the Month and described as a “winning first novel and series launch” in a starred review by Publishers Weekly) has agreed to share her own non-mainstream admission.

NANCY WHO?
    by Kellye Garrett

Ask any female mystery writer about her influences and you’re sure to consistently hear one name. Well, ask any female mystery writer except for maybe one…
So I have a confession to make. At the risk of being permanently banned from all mystery conferences, groups, amazing blogs like Jungle Red Writers and possibly even reading any mystery novels, I don’t count Nancy Drew among my major childhood influences when it comes to writing.

I know. Eek!

There was actually another whip-smart young detective who was a driving force of my love of all things mystery. And his name was Encyclopedia Brown!!

Don’t get me wrong, I certainly enjoyed Nancy and her escapades. I came of age in the “Nancy Drew Files” era where she had a cool Mustang, there was always boyfriend drama, and she was always going on some really cool vacation.

Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown may not have driven a cool car. He may not have had a college-age love interest. He may not have been allowed to go around the corner, much less on a ski trip. But what he did have was my heart.

He was a business owner. (Brown Detective Agency! No case too small! 25 cents per day plus expenses.) He wasn’t afraid of bullies like Bugs Meany and the rest of the Tigers. And he could do more crime solving over dinner than McNulty and Herc could do over an entire season of The Wire.

You could see why a girl might be just a tad in love. In fact, he might be the sole reason why I’m still a sucker for a guy in glasses.

And that’s just as a reader. The books are chock-full of great advice that I (try to) use when writing my own books—short scenes that jump right into the action, the need to share information without it feeling like an info dump, and, perhaps best of all, how to subtly plant clues in a way that makes the reader go “Aha!” Plus, it—along with Murder She Wrote—showed that you could totally get away with having so much time in one small town, as long as the story was good enough.

The last Encyclopedia Brown adventure was published in 2012, the same year that his creator Donald J. Sobel passed away. In all, Donald J. Sobel gave us 29 novels and Encyclopedia also has been seen in a comic strip and TV series. There’s even rumors of a movie! I just hope they don’t try to change his name to Wikipedia.

What about you? Any detectives close to your heart who aren't named Nancy? Comment below!

HANK: Yeah. Tell us. I mean, it always kind of drove me crazy that Nancy called her pal Bess “plump.” Some friend.  (And, sigh, when I read Nancy there was no such thing as a Ford Mustang.) And okay, I’ll confess. Hanging head--I’ve never read Encyclopedia Brown.

How about you, Reds and readers? What’s your non-mainstream confession? Kellye and I will never tell.  

(And Kellye, Hollywood Homicide is terrific. Hilarious. Congratulations!) 

Kellye Garrett spent 8 years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for the CBS drama Cold Case. People were always surprised to learn what she did for a living—probably because she seemed way too happy to be brainstorming ways to murder people. A former magazine editor, Kellye holds a B.S. in magazine writing from Florida A&M and an MFA in screenwriting from USC’s famed film school. Having moved back to her native New Jersey, she spends her mornings commuting to Manhattan for her job at a leading media company—while still happily brainstorming ways to commit murder. Her first novel, Hollywood Homicide, was released by Midnight Ink in August 2017.  It was a Library Journal Debut of the Month and described as a “winning first novel and series launch” in a starred review by Publishers Weekly.

Hollywood Homicide

Actress Dayna Anderson’s deadly new role: homicide detective.

Dayna Anderson doesn’t set out to solve a murder. All the semifamous, mega-broke actress wants is to help her parents keep their house. So after witnessing a deadly hit-and-run, she pursues the fifteen grand reward. But Dayna soon finds herself doing a full-on investigation, wanting more than just money—she wants justice for the victim. She chases down leads at paparazzi hot spots, celeb homes, and movie premieres, loving every second of it—until someone tries to kill her. And there are no second takes in real life.

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