Rowan slid the paper across the desk, slowly shaking his head. “How extraordinary. A monkey attack.” Walter corrected him. “Macaque attack.” “Yes, macaque attack.” “Hey, Manory?” “Yes, Williams?” “What is a macaque.” “It is a monkey.” Walter furrowed his brow. “I’m confused.” Rowan examined the paper. “This… Continue reading Excerpt
Author: jamesscottbyrnside
I'm a murder mystery/impossible crime fanatic and author. I like locked rooms, footprints in the snow, missing murder weapons, and unreliable suspects.
Pattern of Murder
John Russell Fearn's Pattern of Murder is a fiendishly clever crime novel with a murder weapon and method so delightful that I forgive it for being inverted. It's well-written in the sense that it moves. Fearn doesn't care about painting a picture or demonstrating his vocabulary. He's a got a singular world (the inner workings… Continue reading Pattern of Murder
Early Cover Art
Macaque!
That's the title of my next book. I'm not sure if it will be Macaque! (2022) or Macaque! (2023) but it's coming soon. As usual, I have veered wildly from my plans. I had wanted to do short stories, but one of the outlines interested me so much that I can't focus on much of… Continue reading Macaque!
The Red Death Murders
It's a common murder-mystery tactic - isolating characters in one place. Yes, authors employ this device to ratchet up the panic and tension, but I suspect their main reason is to prevent the victims/suspects from simply leaving. "What's that? There's an unknown murderer in the house? I know! I'll drive to New Jersey, change my… Continue reading The Red Death Murders
James Scott Byrnside 