Location, Location, Location
Homes in crime novels have a special importance mainly because they are often the scene of the crime. How do writers dream them up? Paula L. Woods, a mystery writer herself, talks to several California-based crime writers, including Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, Nina Revoyr, Naomi Hirahara, and John Morgan Wilson, about how they evoke a sense of place in their novels and where the homes and rooms in them have come from.
"But sometimes homes we know just won't do, which sends writers like newcomer Patricia Smiley, author of the recent "False Profits," to the L.A. Times' real estate section and to open houses. "But I always hold my breath, waiting for the real estate agent to point his finger at me and shout, 'Fraud! Looky-loo! Writer!' " Read the article.