Private Investigations

 Book 83 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from November 19 - 29

Private Investigations

published 2020

Summary (via the book jacket)

For many of us, a good, heart-pounding mystery if the perfect escape from real-world confusion and chaos. But what about the writers who create those stories of suspense and intrigue? How do our favorite novelists cope with our perplexing world, and what mysteries keep them up at night?

In Private Investigations, twenty fan-favorite mystery writers share first-person tales of mysteries they've encountered at home and in the world. Caroline Leavitt regales us with a medical mystery, recounting a time when she lost her voice and doctors couldn't find a cure; Martin Limon travels back to his military stint in Korea to grapple with a young man's disorienting immersion in a foreign culture; Anne Perry ponders the magical powers of words and stories conjured from writers' imaginations; and more.

These writers' true tales show just how much art imitates life, and how, ultimately, we are all private investigators in our own real-world dramas.

My Opinion

2 stars

Interesting concept that didn't follow through on execution for me which is especially strange considering the caliber of stories these authors usually create.  My favorite was "Lydia and Jack" by Connie May Fowler.

I loved the lines, "He remains a mystery. But he's no longer a secret", written by Sulari Gentill about an uncle nobody in the family spoke of.