Today, on Chicks: Fabulous guest Kim Harrington, whose debut adult cozy A KILLER FOR CHRISTMAS is sure to sleigh this holiday season. Take it away, Kim!
Puzzling a Mystery
by Kim Harrington
In March 2020, I bought a jigsaw puzzle. I hadn’t done one since I was a kid, but like so many
people, I was looking for something to pass the time while we were all stuck at home. I figured
it would keep me occupied for a weekend or two. Little did I know, it would become my new
hobby.
Now, six years and an uncomfortably high number of completed puzzles later, I can confidently
say why I love them so much. When I’m working on a puzzle, my brain is completely focused on
the task in front of me. When I really get into it, the rest of the world seems to fade away. It’s
almost a meditative state.
As it turns out, it’s also surprisingly similar to how I write a mystery novel.
Every puzzle begins the same way. I dump all the pieces from the box onto my table. That
chaotic pile is how the beginning of a new novel feels. My head is full of characters, plot twists,
red herrings, and scenes that don’t connect yet. Before I can begin, I have to sort through
everything and organize the chaos. It’s not so different from searching through the pile for
corner and edge pieces.
Next, I build the border. I start with the four corners and then work on each edge. In writing,
that’s my outline. Even if I don’t have every chapter planned, I like to know the framework
before I dive in. I need the inciting incident, a few major turning points, and a rough idea of the
ending.
Now comes the hardest part of both puzzles and writing: the middle. Maybe you go from one
corner all the way in a linear path to the end. Or maybe you hop around, depending on what
pieces catch your eye. The important thing is to keep going, keep making that progress.
Sometimes you’ll find that you’ve forced a piece where it doesn’t belong. Or you’ve written
yourself into a corner. But that’s okay. That’s what revision is for!
One thing you should know about my puzzle obsession: my favorites are holiday puzzles.
Maybe that’s why I was drawn to writing a Christmas mystery. I love cozy holiday scenes. Give
me a snow-covered village, a fireplace with stockings…a murder weapon in the corner. Okay,
maybe there isn’t a jigsaw puzzle quite like my book. But maybe there should be. Calling all
puzzle manufacturers!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Christmasville, Maine is the only place where Kelsey Hendricks has ever felt happy. When she loses both her job and her boyfriend, the move is a no-brainer, especially when she sees a listing for a position as Christmasville’s social media manager. Surrounded by twinkling lights and candy canes and with the perfect job, this tinsel town is working its magic on Kelsey. With two heartthrobs vying for her attention, her life is now just like a Christmas movie.
Except for the murders.
The first one is dismissed as an accident. But after the second, and definitely the third, it becomes abundantly clear that Santa is leaving coal in someone’s stocking this year.
Determined to bring back the holly jolly spirit to the town before her boss puts her on notice and tourists begin cancelling their reservations, Kelsey must sleuth her way out of a chilling murder mystery and back to a holiday romcom.
This charming and clever mystery-romance where a cozy winter wonderland warms the heart while suspense chills the bones is the perfect read for the holiday season.
Buy Link for PUZZLING A MYSTERY: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/808849/a-killer-for-christmas-by-kim-harrington/paperback/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
KIM HARRINGTON is the author of A KILLER FOR CHRISTMAS, her adult debut, as well as CLARITY,
PERCEPTION, THE DEAD AND BURIED, and FORGET ME for teens and REVENGE OF THE RED CLUB, the Sleuth or Dare series, and Gamer Squad series for younger readers. She lives in
Massachusetts with her family where she’s hard at work on her next mystery novel. Visit her website at https://kimharringtonbooks.com/
Also find Kim at:
Readers, do you enjoy puzzling? Do you have any other hobbies that feel surprisingly similar to writing? Let us know in the comments!
