by donalee Moulton

Start with the history, not the mystery

Before writers plot the perfect murder, they need to be as comfortable in their historical setting as well as they are in their own living room. The time period shapes everything in the story: how people talk, what they eat, how they live their lives – and how they investigate when a life ends.

Three questions dominate the journey back in time:

1. Why this specific time? What drew you in? What do you think will fascinate readers?
2. What conflicts defined this time? Political unrest, economic hardship, social upheaval—these create natural tension.
3. How did people solve crimes then? In the absence of DNA and surveillance cameras, investigations relied on observation, word of mouth, and intuition and maybe sneaking in a window to surveil a crime scene.

A historical mystery’s believability depends on accuracy. This doesn’t require reciting every historical fact—indeed, this doesn’t work—but the writer must be comfortable enough in this other world to enable characters to move through it naturally.

Choose a main character who belongs

The investigator in a historical mystery guides the reader through clues and through the era. They might be an amateur or a professional. This might be the three-hundredth crime they’ve solved or the first. It doesn’t matter; they belong here.

In historical settings, investigators often have limitations modern detectives don’t—and this goes well beyond technology. Everything from restricted travel, class barriers, rigid gender roles. These limitations can be opportunities to connect with readers. Lean into them; they nudge creativity and add tension.

The sleuth’s personality and background should also reflect the era while also offering traits—curiosity, stubbornness, empathy—that transcend time.

Research like a detective, not an archivist

If a detective needs to walk down a street in 1912 Montreal, the writer should know what that street smelled like, whether cobblestones rattled under carriage wheels, and how likely the character was to meet someone selling newspapers on the corner.

Sources for rich and authentic detail include:

• Newspapers and periodicals from the time (full of language, concerns, and advertisements)
• Diaries and letters for personal perspectives (where possible)
• Historical maps for accurate geography
• Material culture research what fabrics, foods, and objects were common

The goal is to take readers into this world by recreating it for them without overwhelming them with facts that will weigh the story down and bore readers. Instead, historical details work like seasoning, enhancing the flavour without overpowering the dish.

Layer in historical conflict

The best historical mysteries don’t just place a modern crime in an old-fashioned setting; they weave the mystery into the fabric of the time. A theft in 1920 might be tied to Prohibition smuggling. A murder in 16th-century Spain could intersect with religious persecution. These historical tensions add stakes and make the story more than a puzzle; they transform it into a lens through which readers experience the era.

Make dialogue a cornerstone

Language is one of the quickest ways to immerse readers in the past, but it’s also a common pitfall. Too much archaic phrasing can make dialogue stiff and hard to follow, while overly modern speech breaks the illusion.

The key is selective authenticity:

• Use period-appropriate vocabulary for objects, occupations, and social customs.
• Avoid slang that didn’t exist yet (dictionaries can help here).
• Keep sentence structure readable for modern audiences.

Keep pacing tight

While the past moved at a different pace, the plot shouldn’t drag. There is a need to balance richly detailed scenes with moments of action and revelation. In historical mysteries, tension often comes from the slow build. This can be delays in communication, the time it takes to travel, the risk of misinformation spreading. But every delay should raise stakes, not stall the plot.

End on a deeper note

When the mystery is solved, consider how this crime fits the morality of the era. Would a killer from a higher social class face justice? Would certain motives be more understandable, or unforgivable, back then? The ending of a historical mystery should leave readers feeling they’ve solved more than a crime, but that they’ve understood something about the world that once was.

By donalee Moulton

• 235 ml (1 cup) light cream
• 1 cinnamon stick or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
• A sprinkle of nutmeg
• 3 egg yolks
• 235 ml (1 cup) sherry or brandy
• 30 g (2 tablespoons) sugar
  
  • Bring the cream slowly to a simmer. Add the spices. Stir regularly.
  • Gently beat the egg yolks and add slowly to the mixture. Continue stirring to avoid curdling.
  • Pour in the alcohol and add the sugar. Simmer the mixture but avoid bringing it to a boil.
  • Pour into cups, sit back, inhale the delicious aroma, and savour the moment. With a good book, of course

by donalee Moulton

I thought I’d share my synopsis – my very first – with you. I’d love to know what you think.

Synopsis
Hung Out to Die: A Riel Brava Mystery
By donalee Moulton

Let’s start with the obvious.
Meet Riel Brava. Attractive. Razor-sharp. Ambitious.
Riel, born and bred in Santa Barbara, California, has been transplanted to Nova Scotia where he is CEO of the Canadian Cannabis Corporation (CCC). It’s business as usual until Riel finds the company’s comptroller hanging by a thread. Actually, several threads. It doesn’t take the police long to determine all is not as it appears.

Let’s dive beneath the surface.
Meet Riel Brava. Observant. Cautious. Psychopathic.
Not the Dexter-Hannibal Lecter-Norman Bates kind of psychopath. The kind who live and work among us, mostly unnoticed, often successful, always on full alert their differences will be uncovered. Riel is personable, even charming. He’s keen to understand how the human mind works, so he’ll blend in. After all, his goal is to be president of the United States. (An aspiration that will feature in future books.)

Let’s talk plot.
So Norm Bedwell has apparently hanged himself in his office at CCC. Emphasis on apparently. It takes Detective Lin Raynes mere minutes to suspect the obvious is deceiving and what appears to be death by suicide is actually a murder. Over the course of 13 chapters (there is also an introductory chapter), he works to uncover and discover who would want Bedwell dead and how they could have pulled the murder off.

He’s not alone. In an unusual pairing, Raynes and Riel work together to chase down leads – the bully who tortured Bedwell’s son at school, the mysterious orange truck that belongs to no CCC employee but was parked in the company lot the night Bedwell was murdered, the employee, who despite stringent security measures, has managed to steal weed from CCC and start a healthy little illegal business.

Raynes manages to engage Riel, albeit reluctantly, in the hunt for Bedwell’s killer, and in the process, the seeds of an unexpected and unusual friendship are sown. (These seeds will blossom in subsequent books.)

Various motives are explored through a number of suspects – revenge, fear, greed – but ultimately, it’s love that becomes the reason Norm Bedwell no longer lives. Unfortunately, the evidence is circumstantial. Raynes and Riel concoct a scheme to draw a confession out of the killer, but that plan is never put into place. Instead, Riel finds himself on the receiving end of a rifle in the ribs and a long drive to the middle of Nowhere, Nova Scotia.

Let’s look at the core cast of returning characters. You’ll like them all.

Tiffany Brava. Riel’s wife and loyal supporter. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, Tiffany knows Riel is not quite like everyone else – and why. For now, that door is closed. What’s openly obvious is her affection for her husband, her loyalty, and her acumen. Don’t count Tiffany out as the dumb blonde. Oh yes, she’s vegan.

Franklin Raynes. The Halifax Police Department’s lead detective on this case is Black, quintessentially Nova Scotian, and a consummate charmer. He can read the room and respond accordingly. He takes a shine to Riel, and also realizes how helpful the psychopath can be in solving this case. (Yes, Lin Raynes is privy to Riel’s deepest secret, but he doesn’t admit it to his new friend – just yet.) Oh yeah, Raynes also does this thing with his left eyebrow.

Senator John Williams. Tiffany’s dad | Riel’s father-in-law is the Democratic Senator for District 19. A seasoned and senior politician, Williams is a co-owner of CCC, although it’s not an asset he talks about with constituents. He’s brusque, except where his daughter is concerned, and well connected, even in Canada.

Zahra Bashir. A practising Muslim and savvy TV reporter who’s always on the lookout for the inside scoop. Bashir makes many of the other characters very nervous despite her friendly demeanor.

David Clements. The recreational cannabis sector in Canada is heavily regulated. Clements is the federal DOJ’s contact for Riel. Their relationship is one of power and powerful expectations. Clements holds that power. A minor character, Clements plays an important role. He’s the first person to use a special word.

There are other characters introduced in this book who will also return but play a smaller role in this mystery.

Let’s look at the cast of characters in the book. You won’t like them all.
* Faye Bedwell, distraught and disrespected wife of Norm Bedwell.
* Bran Bedwell, the Bedwell’s 12-year-old son who takes a liking to Riel. Good grief.
* Thorne, media consultant and very protective of Riel
* The bully and his parents.
* The poor sod who owns the orange truck.
* The killer.

What’s familiar about Hung Out to Die to make mystery fans feel at home
It’s fast-paced. It lays out a path of breadcrumbs that lead, ultimately, to the killer. First, of course, it branches off in several misdirections. It creates suspense. It builds understanding and affection for key characters. It leaves readers wanting more.

What’s novel about the book to make the mystery stand apart and readers turning pages
It introduces a unique character that, ironically, we empathize with. It’s funny as hell. It’s written by an award-winning journalist who knows how to tell a story and how to use words to maximum effect.

Riel Brava: Vital Statistics
Height: 6’1
Weight: 165 pounds
Waist: 35 inches
Age: 37
Spouse: Tiffany, the vegan
Job: CEO, Canadian Cannabis Corp.
Location: Elmsdale, Nova Scotia, Canada
Ambition: President of the United States of America
Favorite food: Donairs (definitely not vegan)
Top personality trait: Psychopath
Burning question: What the hell’s a chunderf**k

By donalee Moulton

Where your characters live, work, and solve mysteries can be central to the story. Or not. I’ve discovered that location is not a requirement or an irrelevancy. It is a spectrum.

At one end of the spectrum, location is essential. As a result, you spend time bringing that location to life, making it real, and of real interest to readers. This requires knowing whereof you write or researching whereof you write. Or both. Conflagration!, a historical mystery, is based on the real-life story of Marie-Joseph Angélique, an enslaved Black woman accused of burning the lower town of Montreal to the ground in 1734. Montreal as a place and as a community is intertwined with the plot and the characters, fictional and otherwise. As a result, I had to immerse myself in a time and place that no longer exist.

Move further along the location spectrum and you’ll arrive here: the location could be anywhere. The town, island, futuristic community where your characters go about their daily lives is woven into the story but not predetermined. It’s up to you. You may choose a place that is familiar, that fits within the theme of the book, or simply resonates with you.

My first mystery book Hung Out to Die introduces Riel Brava to readers. Riel is originally from Santa Barbara but now living in Nova Scotia, which is where I live. Fact is, Riel could have been uprooted to almost any location where cannabis production is legal. (Riel is CEO of the Canadian Cannabis Corporation. He’s also a psychopath (not the nasty kind), but we’ll save that for another blog.) I chose Nova Scotia because I know this location. Less research would be required, but I also have a deeper connection to this place because it is my place. Many readers have told me how the book feels so much like Nova Scotia. That was not intentional, but it reflects a knowledge of place that goes beyond street maps, tourist locations, and Yelp reviews.

Finally, we reach the other end of the spectrum: place is irrelevant. Indeed, a specific geographical location may not be necessary. I wrote a short story called “Moist,” that for the most part takes place in the main character’s home. Where that home is situated doesn’t matter.

After the story was published, there was a call for stories for an anthology Santa Cruz Ghost Stories. I reached out to the editor to explain that my story wasn’t really set anywhere so it could be set in Santa Cruz. She agreed. Minor changes were made (like changing Canadian spelling to American (“savour” became “savor”) and using the name of a dollar store Santa Cruz residents would easily recognize.

Ultimately, location is about character. The two go hand in hand.

by donalee Moulton

We’ve been talking about the editing process. We started at 30,000 feet looking at the big picture. Now we’re on terra firma.

In my book The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say, I discuss the various types of editing – and why they are all essential. For many of us, however, editing is synonymous with copyediting.

When you’ve finished the first draft of a book, a weight is lifted. Some writers do a dance of joy. But even as we celebrate an important milestone, we remind ourselves that there is more work to be done. The book needs to be read – line by line – for consistency, conciseness, and clarity. That is the heart of copyediting.

Copyediting is like minor surgery. The impact can be significant, but structural changes and in-depth revisions are not necessary (or have already been done).  This type of editing, the most common for most of what we write, involves editing a document for style, flow, and clarity. It also requires ensuring a consistent tone and pacing. Publishers often call it line editing.

Editors Canada offers the following overview for stylistic editing, or line editing. For many writers, this is what they’re doing when they are copyediting. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what we call it as long as we do it.

Stylistic Editing

Editing to clarify meaning, ensure coherence and flow, and refine the language. It includes:

• eliminating jargon, clichés, and euphemisms
• establishing or maintaining the language level appropriate for the intended audience, medium, and purpose
• adjusting the length and structure of sentences and paragraphs
• establishing or maintaining tone, mood, style, and authorial voice or level of formality

What’s a Copyeditor To Do

Here are six areas of focus to help ensure your writing resonates with your audience and achieves your purpose.  When you look closely at these elements, you sharpen the writing and the plot. Readers are more likely to be carried along by your words. There will be no head scratching and no rereading to make the meaning is clear.

Check for:

ONE: CLARITY
Look to see if you are using:

• Long sentences that could confuse readers
• Big words readers could stumble over
• Uncommon words that will furrow their brows
• A tone that distracts or conflicts with the content

Bottom line: Make sure the meaning of what you write can’t be misinterpreted.

TWO: TRANSITIONS

• Between sentences
• Between paragraphs
• Movement in time, place, subject

Transitions aren’t usually complex. They flow naturally moving readers through prose with short, everyday words like “however,” “so,” and “then.”

THREE: CONCRETENESS

• Facts and figures
• Specific language
• Action verbs
• Active voice

Readers want us to paint a picture for them – one they can see and one they can believe in.

FOUR: REPETITIVENESS

• Are specific ideas repeated unnecessarily?
• Are words used more than once in sentences? In paragraphs?

Tip: Avoid summarizing. Readers don’t require it, and it slows them down.

FIVE: COMPLETENESS

• Are the 5Ws and how answered?
• Are there any unanswered questions when there shouldn’t be?

Have you emphasized the most important question: Why?

SIX: FLOW

• Does the content make sense
• Do the words move smoothly

Find out for yourself.  Read your writing out loud.