Sunday, July 4: The A.D.D. Detective
4th of July
by Leigh Lundin
The rockets red glare…
The bombs bursting in air…
What a tempting backdrop for a crime story! As I started a very different column for today, my mind switched to another track: I realized I couldn’t identify a single Fourth of July mystery story, not one.
I could think of mysteries with Christmas settings and New Year plots. I felt sure authors had written crime stories about Halloween. Sports-theme and historical mysteries abound and we see stories based upon locations and even cat cosies, but I could not think of one Independence Day mystery.
I couldn’t have been more wrong as our friends Bill Crider, Jeffrey Deaver, and Sharon Wildwind could tell you– they’ve contributed to the genre. Before I get around to listing stories, here are a couple of special links you might want to know about.
Mayoral Murder
Jack Pachuta has written a couple of dozen dinner mysteries for fun and profit, including The 4th of July Murder Mystery Party Game. Send him $40 and he’ll send an assassination party kit for Elmtown’s mayor. Tell him to send me 10%.
Young Blood
Most of us admit to cutting our teeth on mysteries as kids, but we too rarely reach back to help younger readers along. The Mystery Place discussed this and we may be overlooking the next generation. Helium addressed this issue with its (mostly) juvenile Fourth of July mystery collection. They are written (mostly) by amateurs, but I’m not so far out of amateur status to be critical. Some show streaks of excellent wordsmithing, such as the last one, "Out with a Bang", by Shasta Daisy McCarty. I’ve read only a sampling of stories, so your children may find hidden gems.
Not a Holiday John Floyd List™
And now, a list of mysteries to get you through the holiday:
| author | |
title |
|---|---|---|
| Adams, Harold | The Fourth of July Wake | |
| Berenson, Laurien | Hair of the Dog | |
| Chittenden, Meg | Dead on the 4th of July | |
| Churchill, Jill | Someone to Watch Over Me (History Mystery) |
|
| Crider, Bill | Red, White, and Blue Murder (Sheriff Dan Rhodes, #12) |
|
| Davis, Justine | The Raider | |
| Derouin, R.E. | Dead on the Fourth of July | |
| Graves, Sara | Tool & Die (Home Repair Mystery series) |
|
| Haddam, Jane | Act of Darkness | |
| Hart, Carolyn | Yankee Doodle Dead | |
| Hills, Kathleen | Past Imperfect | |
| Hoch, Ed | “The Problem of the Fatal Fireworks” EQMM May 1985 |
|
| Jance, J.A. | Exit Wounds (Joanna Brady Mysteries, #11) |
|
| Keene, Carolyn | Murder on the Fourth of July Nancy Drew / Hardy Boys Super Mysteries, #28 |
|
| Kincaid, J.D. | The Fourth of July | |
| Lavene, Joyce and Jim | A Timely Vision | |
| Lawton, R.T. | "Independence Day" AHMM Jul/Aug 2010 |
|
| Linsley, Clyde | Die Like a Hero | |
| Lourey, Jess | Knee High by the Fourth of July Murder-by-the-Month Mysteries, #3 |
|
| Meier, Leslie | Star Spangled Murder (Lucy Stone mystery) |
|
| Neiwert, David (non-fiction) |
Death on the Fourth of July Story of a Killing, Trial, and Hate Crime |
|
| Patterson, James; Paetro, Maxine |
4th of July (Women’s Murder Club series) |
|
| Parker, Ann | Iron Ties | |
| Pelecanos, George P. | King Suckerman | |
| Pickens, Cathy | Can’t Never Tell | |
| Queen, Ellery | “The Gettysburg Bugle” Calendar Of Crime |
|
| Rafferty, S.S. | “The Pennsylvania Thimblerig” Cork of the Colonies |
|
| Roy, Ron; Bush, Timothy |
Fireworks at the FBI Capital Mysteries Series #6 |
|
| Short, Sharon | Death by Deep Dish Pie (Toadfern Mysteries) |
|
| Stout, Rex | “Fourth of July Picnic” EQMM Aug 1965 And Four to Go; also Look 9 July 1957 |
|
| Stout, Rex; Deaver, Jeffrey, Ed. |
“Fourth of July Picnic” Century of Great Suspense Stories |
|
| Suson, Carla Lee | Independence Day Plague | |
| Wildwind, Sharon | Some Welcome Home | |
| Wolzien, Valerie | Star Spangled Murder (Susan Henshaw series) |
Have a safe and happy holiday!
Before lighting the grill, I must give credit to Jeff Baker, Janet Rudolph at MysteryReadersInc and the ladies at MyShelf, augmented by the gnomes at Barnes & Nobel and Amazon search facilities.
Now, drive safely and enjoy our 234th birthday.
Thanks for the plug, Lee!
Yep, Sheriff Rhodes gave me a call…
What a list!! I’m impressed . . .
I had no idea that Jeffery Deaver’s middle name was Ed.
Must be his brother!
Happy Fourth of July to my American friends!
Thanks, Yoshinori!
Some short July 4th mysteries would include Ed Hoch’s “The Problem of the Fatal Fireworks” (EQMM May 1985), Ellery Queen’s own “The Gettysburg Bugle” (Calendar Of Crime), and S.S. Rafferty’s “The Pennsylvania Thimblerig” (Cork of the Colonies). The latter set around the 4th of July in 1776!
Happy holiday from South Africa, where World Cup fever is proving a month-long 4th of July! I’m no soccer fan but the excitement is infectious. If only we could bottle the wonderful feeling of exuberant camaraderie for sharing throughout the World.
Oops! Forgot to Thank you for your red, white and blue list of red, white and blue reads – many interesting titles to add to my list.
Wow, am I ever in good company here. Thanks so much for inviting me to the party. Hope everyone had a great 4th.
You’re welcome, Sharon and ABA.
And Jeff! Darn, you’re good! Rather than wait until next year, I incorporated your additions. Thank you!
Actually the last issue of AHMM featured a story by R.T. Lawton called Independence Day, part of his holiday series. Doesn’t have a lot to do with the story except that the Glorious Fourth inspired Lawton’s not-too-bright burglar to do his civic duty by serving on a jury.
Nice piece! I was so surprised at the people who did not know it was our 234th birthday! Even a reporter for the today show, who did a story on our nation’s birthday, didn’t know this. Better do your research missy before taking the mike next time!
Good piece Leigh!
Thanks! And thanks for the link to Helium (I’d never heard of the site!)
Weighing late, nice article. But then….you always were a firecracker.
Thanks for the mention! “I Loathe a Parade” has been used by many groups. It adds a nice touch to an Independence Day gathering.