On Writing a Historical Mystery Novel

Okay, I thought writing a contemporary mystery was difficult…little did I know what I was getting into when I decided to write a historical mystery novel!

Since it’s a work in progress, I won’t reveal much about the book except to say it’s set in the Pacific Northwest in the 1880’s. I hope to end up with an entertaining and intriguing story, but also to convey what life was like in those times and at that place in American history. In doing so, I’m trying for as much authenticity as possible. I started out knowing almost nothing about that era and have since spent a lot of hours on researching photos, maps and old newspapers. The internet has been an invaluable source of information and I can’t imagine writing this book without it.

It’s difficult not to get distracted or sidetracked with the research. For instance, one of my peripheral characters spent the year 1864-65 as a Union POW in the notorious Andersonville prison in Georgia. I wanted to get an idea of what he went through so started doing some research. Now I find myself reading the amazing first hand account Andersonville Diary by John Ransom. What does it have to do with my book? Almost nothing, but it’s fascinating nonetheless and what I learn from that account may influence my character’s role and behavior later. Who knows?

I’ve also read old articles by Bat Masterson and others who lived in that era and gotten some good insights into life back then. It’s much more interesting and dynamic than I ever imagined. The growth of west coast cities was astounding. And so was the technology. I had no idea of the extent of telephone exchanges and electrical grids during that era, not to mention the complex transportation networks of railroads, steamboats and steamships, roads and coach routes.

Contemporary newspapers from the 1880’s reveal the news of the day and the ads reveal much about the culture. Bogus medical cures and fantastic claims for products are common in the advertising. There are also ads for livery services, carriages, clothing, department stores, eateries, jobs and much more. News stories are often heavily laden with opinion and innuendo, making for entertaining reading, but not very reassuring as to the accuracy of reporting. It makes the modern mainstream media look pretty good by comparison.

As I progress with the book, it’ll be a challenge to include only those details needed to give it authenticity and help move the story along. There’s a temptation to include all the cool stuff I’m learning and I’ll try to resist that. I’m sure I’ll be cutting out some of the detail later, but for now it’s fun to learn about those times and to write about them too.