The Mechanics of Mystery Stories, Minnesotan Authors, & Holden Caulfield

Shortly before heading out to Minneapolis, Dave and I were starting to get into a couple of books by William Kent Krueger. Well, it turns out that he lives in the area, so while we were in town, he graciously agreed to let us swing by and set up shop in his dining room to talk the mechanics of mystery writing, how he got his start, and, of course, what he's reading. Listen in as we discuss:


What makes a good mystery story
Why he frequently include 13-year-olds as primary characters in his books
A shared favorite book of Aaron & Kent’s
Why we might want to revisit The Catcher in the Rye

Mystery and crime authors to read and learn from
How reading affects his writing
Great Minnesotan authors and the role place plays in his stories



This episode is sponsored by Gospel-Centered Discipleship. On April 13th, GCD will host their 2020 Writer's Intensive in Louisville KY (right before T4G) featuring Ronnie Martin, Jonathan Dodson and Jared C. Wilson. Learn more and register at gcdiscipleship.com/writers-intensive.



A few of the books we mentioned on this episode:


This Tender Land, Ordinary Grace, and the Cork O'Connor novels by William Kent Krueger

The Witness of Combines by Kent Meyers

The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy

The Reivers by William Faulkner

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Death Without Company by Craig Johnson



Sharing and supporting the show

Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show.
Give us a follow on Twitter at @MalContentsPod

Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show.

Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.

Shortly before heading out to Minneapolis, Dave and I were starting to get into a couple of books by William Kent Krueger. Well, it turns out that he lives in the area, so while we were in town, he graciously agreed to let us swing by and set up shop in his dining room to talk the mechanics of mystery writing, how he got his start, and, of course, what he's reading. Listen in as we discuss:

What makes a good mystery story Why he frequently include 13-year-olds as primary characters in his books A shared favorite book of Aaron & Kent’s Why we might want to revisit The Catcher in the Rye
Mystery and crime authors to read and learn from How reading affects his writing Great Minnesotan authors and the role place plays in his stories

This episode is sponsored by Gospel-Centered Discipleship. On April 13th, GCD will host their 2020 Writer's Intensive in Louisville KY (right before T4G) featuring Ronnie Martin, Jonathan Dodson and Jared C. Wilson. Learn more and register at gcdiscipleship.com/writers-intensive.

A few of the books we mentioned on this episode:

This Tender Land, Ordinary Grace, and the Cork O'Connor novels by William Kent Krueger
The Witness of Combines by Kent Meyers
The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy
The Reivers by William Faulkner
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Death Without Company by Craig Johnson

Sharing and supporting the show

Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter at @MalContentsPod
Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show.
Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.