[Note from Frolic: We’re so excited to welcome author Elka Ray to the site today. She’s sharing why mystery and romance make a perfect match. Take it away, Elka!]
The great 19th century author Oscar Wilde is remembered for his stories, his wit, and his then-scandalous love life (he was gay). One of his most famous quotes holds that: “The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.” His stories dealt with both topics.
I’ve always loved crime stories and murder mysteries. It’s satisfying to unravel a puzzle. Yet it’s never the whodunnit that intrigues me but the why. I’m fascinated by motivation. At least on the surface, so much of human behavior seems illogical, if not downright counterproductive. Many crimes defy logic.
It’s the same story for love. Most of us have – at some time or other – been attracted to incompatible partners. We might know we want different things. We might sense they’re no good for us. Yet we get a thrill in their presence! That’s a mystery.
Then there are those people who should be perfect for us – they’re kind, funny, handsome, charming, share your interest in X, Y and Z – and yet… Ho hum. You’d rather stay home and wash your hair. Even when it all comes together and you feel that spark and suit each other to a T, you can’t really explain why you’re in love. You just are. They make your heart hopscotch.
Given that I read mostly crime fiction, it was no surprise I’d write a mystery series. What did surprise me was that romance crept in. My main character, Toby Wong, is a divorce lawyer. She’s used to dealing with people whose love stories are ending. Yet she’s still hoping for her own happily-ever-after.
Toby keeps finding trouble – in the form of people she feels compelled to help, and situations that put her in danger. Her love life is also precarious, with two potential suitors. I didn’t plan to write romantic suspense, but have fallen in, er, love with it… Why? It’s a mystery… Who will she choose? And will they be happy?
I’m going to leave you with another Oscar Wilde quote, which is my all-time favorite: “Never love anybody who treats you like you’re ordinary.”