I tooled over to Murderati today hoping for a little blood and guts commentary but got sidelined by a post about sex–not too surprising. Whether sex (the explicitly described variety) belongs in mystery is an age-old debate. Some like it; some don’t. Some like the way some people do it but not others.
Me personally, I enjoy writing romantic suspense and also reading it. I like the suspense dark and the sex hot, hot, hot. Other than that it seems a waste of time. If the sex isn’t urgent, you may as well go out and catch a criminal instead–or commit a crime, depending on your pleasure. I don’t have any problem with gratuitous sex in a regular romance. My motto for writing them is get them in bed as soon as possible, as often as possible. In romantic suspense it has to fit. No making out in the back of the surveillance van that leads to the criminals getting away while you are nookying it up, or whatever. More than I want to read about character’s sexcapades, I want to like them and respect them. Please don’t have them doing stuff that is just plain stupid. But under the right circumstances, have at it.
Well, thats my take on it anyway. I’ll end by asking who do you think writes the best sexy crime stories?
I’m in the middle of reading Eric Jerome Dickey’s “Sleeping With Strangers” and it’s sexy, violent and at times humorous.
I don’t know how the brother does it, but he’s managed to combine the three perfectly. Great read!
I’ve never been into ejd, but this sounds like I must check it out. Thanks for the recommend!