MYSTERY LEADS MID-MONTH MONDAYS FROM SHANNON MUIR’S THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF put the magnifying glass the second Monday of each month on classic detective and crime fiction.

Shannon will take the time to talk about her own personal discoveries as she looks back at the masters and lesser known writers of the past and how it can inform us as writers and readers today. This installment discusses setting fiction around the holiday season… and announces a hiatus for a couple months.

Holiday season is a very traditional theme to see in crime and mystery fiction. It’s an easy reason to bring together a bunch of characters, sometimes who have strong and different feelings, and then have something happen that creates conflict between them.

Think about this as we head into the holidays, and how many of your favorite characters have been involved in holiday capers.

Speaking of holidays… due to holiday related special events, this column will be taking a break for the next several months. Expect it to return in January of 2020. Thanks for all the support.