12 Days of Mysteries: Day 1

Here at Sleuths, Spies & Alibis, we're celebrating the holidays under cover! Book cover, that is.

For the next twelve weekdays, counting down to December 24, we'll be sharing some gift-giving recommendations for you. With our numerous book ideas -- and some great charitable organizations we'd like to tell you about -- finding the perfect something for the young mystery/thriller lover in your life shouldn't be a mystery!

Kicking off the season, here is Kristen Kittscher with her picks for your young mystery lover:

HIDE AND SEEK, by Kate Messner

Junior members of a secret society that protects the world's most important artifacts go to the rain forests of Costa Rica to recover an important treasure before it falls into the wrong hands. A fun, fast-paced mystery my students love.

MASTERPIECE, by Elise Broach

A beetle whose a talented artist and an eleven year old boy end up on the tail of a forger at the Met. A quirky, page-turning tale of friendship and mystery.

THE NIGHT TOURIST, by Katherine Marsh

Ninth grader Jack adventures into a Underworld of ghosts in New York City to discover what happened to his mother. Such a beautifully told, smart mystery full of adventure.

GILDA JOYCE, PSYCHIC INVESTIGATOR by Jennifer Allison

The first book in a hilarious and poignant series about psychic girl detective Gilda Joyce.

KIKI STRIKE, INSIDE THE SHADOW CITY, by Kirsten Miller

A group of smart, delinquent Girl Scouts and latte-sipping, Vespa riding teen Kiki Strike go undercover (literally) in the tunnels below NYC to solve an international crime. One of my all-time favorite mysteries for kids. Great for 5th - 7th graders.

In The Interrogation Room: Kirsten Miller

Back in August we were lucky enough to haul Kirsten Miller into The Interrogation Room. Now that The Darkness Dwellers (KIKI STRIKE #3) (Bloomsbury, 1/22/13) has hit shelves and How to Lead a Life of Crime (Penguin, 2/21/13) is just around the corner, we thought we'd replay the interview tapes...

I might be investigated by internal affairs after hauling in today’s suspect into The Interrogation Room. I have no just cause for questioning Kirsten Miller -- other than being a big fan!

Kirsten Miller is the bestselling author of the middle grade Kiki Strike series as well as the The Eternal Ones and All You Desire. A native of North Carolina, she left her home in the Smoky Mountains at seventeen and moved to New York City, where she's lived ever since.

A brief peek at both:

The Darkness Dwellers (from Bloomsbury Winter catalog)

In the third installment of bestselling author Kirsten Miller’s Kiki Strike series, this delightful group of delinquent geniuses jump feet first into a fast-paced international pursuit, going underground in Paris to pursue a pair of treacherous royals who have killed Kiki’s parents.

With a dash of romance, a fresh take on good manners, and loads of butt-kicking bravery, Kiki, Betty, Ananka and the other Irregulars sharpen their amazing skills in this highly anticipated new adventure.

How to Lead a Life of Crime (from Penguin Winter catalog):

A Meth dealer. A Prostitute. A serial killer.Anywhere else, they'd be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they're called prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to graduate. The rest disappear. Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick's old flame. They've been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will they find a way to save each other--or will the school destroy them both?

Kristen Kittscher:  I've read that you were a fan of Sherlock Holmes as a kid. Kiki Strike’s all-girl Bank Street Irregulars are a great twist on the “Baker Street Regulars." Were there other authors or books you liked when you were growing up? 

Kirsten Miller: I read a lot of Nancy Drew. (And when I finished those, I moved on to the Hardy Boys.) I haven’t read any of the modern Nancy Drew books, but the older ones (The Hidden Staircase, The Secret in the Old Clock) are amazing. It’s hard to believe they were written in the 1930s. Nancy was always a very cool, butt-kicking chick. I give her a hard time in the Kiki Strike books, but she was (and continues to be) one of my heroes. 

But I gotta admit, my Nancy Drew stage was pretty short lived. Around the age of 10 or 11, I became a devotee of Stephen King. Which should give you a good sense of my personality (ha).

KK: What are some middle grade mysteries you enjoy now?

KM: Believe it or not, I’ve actually been reading adult books lately! (I thought I’d forgotten how.) So my full list may be quite out of date. My all time favorite is The Westing Game, which will always be a classic. I also read The Mysterious Benedict Society recently (if that counts as a mystery), which was awesome.

KK: You have a real range as a writer, taking on a reincarnation-themed romance for older teens and adults with The Eternal Ones series as well your action-packed middle grade Kiki Strike series. Can you talk a little bit about the different challenges involved in writing each?

KM: Well, The Eternal Ones (as well as my latest novel, How to Lead a Life of Crime) were labors of love. I can’t even describe how much fun I had writing the third Kiki Strike novel, The Darkness Dwellers. It’s not that I don’t like the Eternal Ones books. They’re actually really darn good (in my not so humble opinion). But I never felt that same LOVE when I was working on them. And without that love, writing is a million times more difficult.

KK: You've talked in previous interviews about the importance of writers "filling their brains."Any advice you can give aspiring (and current) mystery writers on that front?

KM: My biggest piece of advice is “embrace randomness.” Take a new route to school every day. Go to a section of the library that you’ve never visited before and check out the first book that catches your eye. Learn a skill you don’t really need. (Lock picking, silk screening, taxidermy, etc.) Never, ever let yourself fall into a rut. (Advice I still struggle to follow, I’m afraid!)

As for nonfiction books, check out the works of Mary Roach. (Spooked, Stiffed, etc.) If you like ghosts, cadavers, and all things disgusting you won’t be disappointed.

KK: Do you have any special methods of organizing your research? 

KM: I usually write about subjects on which I’m already well-versed. Over the years, I’ve read a lot about New York history, reincarnation, butt-kicking techniques, etc, so I really didn’t need to do any additional research when I sat down to write my novels. I guess you could say that “research” is my primary form of entertainment. So I never really stop. 

KK: Given The Eternal Ones’ focus on reincarnation, I have to ask: what do you think your future selves would say upon glimpsing your current life?

They would be very frustrated by my reluctance to tackle unpleasant tasks. “Just get it over with, already!” I can hear them shouting. “Just clean the darn toilet already!” (That’s just a segue way to the next question. I’m pretty good about scrubbing the toilet on a regular basis.)

KK: I hear that, inspired by the many questions you receive from out-of-towners looking for mysteries in New York, you’re developing The Irregular Guide to New York City that highlights its “hidden houses, secret cemeteries, abandoned subway stations, subterranean tunnels, and ghosts.” Are you willing to offer our readers one sneak peek secret New York City tip? 

KM: Sure! Here’s a special entry about outhouses and privies from the chapter entitled “Poop.” 

KK: My students and I are really excited about the third Kiki book. What can you reveal about it?

For starters, it’s my favorite of the three Kiki books. At the beginning of The Darkness Dwellers, Kiki sets off to claim the throne of Pokrovia. But as you might have guessed, things don’t go quite as planned, and Betty Bent must travel all the way to Paris to save Kiki’s rump. That’s all I can tell you without giving too much away, but I can promise bone-filled tunnels, evil etiquette experts, and a revolution—along with appearances by Molly Donovan (NY City’s most famous delinquent), Kaspar (the squirrel-training graffiti artist), and my personal favorite, Iris McLeod. 

Thank you so much, Kirsten! This is an exciting time for fans.

Interested in keeping up with Kirsten's latest? Check out her blog, follow her on Twitter (@bankstirregular), or stop by Kiki Strike's official website. 

Interrogation Room Suspect #17: KIRSTEN MILLER, author of KIKI STRIKE

I might be investigated by internal affairs after hauling in today’s suspect into The Interrogation Room. I have no just cause for questioning Kirsten Miller -- other than being a big fan!

Kirsten Miller is the bestselling author of the middle grade Kiki Strike series as well as the The Eternal Ones and All You Desire. A native of North Carolina, she left her home in the Smoky Mountains at seventeen and moved to New York City, where she's lived ever since.

I bet other fans are as thrilled as I am that Kirsten has two books coming out early next year: How To Lead a Life of Crime (Penguin, February 2013) -- and the much-anticipated third book in the Kiki Strike series, The Darkness Dwellers (Bloomsbury, January 2013). 

A brief peek at both:

The Darkness Dwellers (from Bloomsbury Winter catalog)

In the third installment of bestselling author Kirsten Miller’s Kiki Strike series, this delightful group of delinquent geniuses jump feet first into a fast-paced international pursuit, going underground in Paris to pursue a pair of treacherous royals who have killed Kiki’s parents.

With a dash of romance, a fresh take on good manners, and loads of butt-kicking bravery, Kiki, Betty, Ananka and the other Irregulars sharpen their amazing skills in this highly anticipated new adventure.

How to Lead a Life of Crime (from Penguin Winter catalog):

A Meth dealer. A Prostitute. A serial killer.
Anywhere else, they'd be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they're called prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to graduate. The rest disappear. Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick's old flame. They've been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will they find a way to save each other--or will the school destroy them both?

Kristen Kittscher:  I've read that you were a fan of Sherlock Holmes as a kid. Kiki Strike’s all-girl Bank Street Irregulars are a great twist on the “Baker Street Regulars." Were there other authors or books you liked when you were growing up? 

Kirsten Miller: I read a lot of Nancy Drew. (And when I finished those, I moved on to the Hardy Boys.) I haven’t read any of the modern Nancy Drew books, but the older ones (The Hidden Staircase, The Secret in the Old Clock) are amazing. It’s hard to believe they were written in the 1930s. Nancy was always a very cool, butt-kicking chick. I give her a hard time in the Kiki Strike books, but she was (and continues to be) one of my heroes. 

But I gotta admit, my Nancy Drew stage was pretty short lived. Around the age of 10 or 11, I became a devotee of Stephen King. Which should give you a good sense of my personality (ha).

KK: What are some middle grade mysteries you enjoy now?

KM: Believe it or not, I’ve actually been reading adult books lately! (I thought I’d forgotten how.) So my full list may be quite out of date. My all time favorite is The Westing Game, which will always be a classic. I also read The Mysterious Benedict Society recently (if that counts as a mystery), which was awesome.

KK: You have a real range as a writer, taking on a reincarnation-themed romance for older teens and adults with The Eternal Ones series as well your action-packed middle grade Kiki Strike series. Can you talk a little bit about the different challenges involved in writing each?

KM: Well, The Eternal Ones (as well as my latest novel, How to Lead a Life of Crime) were labors of love. I can’t even describe how much fun I had writing the third Kiki Strike novel, The Darkness Dwellers. It’s not that I don’t like the Eternal Ones books. They’re actually really darn good (in my not so humble opinion). But I never felt that same LOVE when I was working on them. And without that love, writing is a million times more difficult.

KK: You've talked in previous interviews about the importance of writers "filling their brains."Any advice you can give aspiring (and current) mystery writers on that front?

KM: My biggest piece of advice is “embrace randomness.” Take a new route to school every day. Go to a section of the library that you’ve never visited before and check out the first book that catches your eye. Learn a skill you don’t really need. (Lock picking, silk screening, taxidermy, etc.) Never, ever let yourself fall into a rut. (Advice I still struggle to follow, I’m afraid!)

As for nonfiction books, check out the works of Mary Roach. (Spooked, Stiffed, etc.) If you like ghosts, cadavers, and all things disgusting you won’t be disappointed.

KK: Do you have any special methods of organizing your research? 

KM: I usually write about subjects on which I’m already well-versed. Over the years, I’ve read a lot about New York history, reincarnation, butt-kicking techniques, etc, so I really didn’t need to do any additional research when I sat down to write my novels. I guess you could say that “research” is my primary form of entertainment. So I never really stop. 

KK: Given The Eternal Ones’ focus on reincarnation, I have to ask: what do you think your future selves would say upon glimpsing your current life?

They would be very frustrated by my reluctance to tackle unpleasant tasks. “Just get it over with, already!” I can hear them shouting. “Just clean the darn toilet already!” (That’s just a segue way to the next question. I’m pretty good about scrubbing the toilet on a regular basis.)

KK: I hear that, inspired by the many questions you receive from out-of-towners looking for mysteries in New York, you’re developing The Irregular Guide to New York City that highlights its “hidden houses, secret cemeteries, abandoned subway stations, subterranean tunnels, and ghosts.” Are you willing to offer our readers one sneak peek secret New York City tip? 

KM: Sure! Here’s a special entry about outhouses and privies from the chapter entitled “Poop.” 

KK: My students and I are really looking forward to the third Kiki book. What can you reveal about it?

For starters, it’s my favorite of the three Kiki books. At the beginning of The Darkness Dwellers, Kiki sets off to claim the throne of Pokrovia. But as you might have guessed, things don’t go quite as planned, and Betty Bent must travel all the way to Paris to save Kiki’s rump. That’s all I can tell you without giving too much away, but I can promise bone-filled tunnels, evil etiquette experts, and a revolution—along with appearances by Molly Donovan (NY City’s most famous delinquent), Kaspar (the squirrel-training graffiti artist), and my personal favorite, Iris McLeod. 

Thank you so much, Kirsten! Early next year will be especially fun for me and other fans. 

Interested in keeping up with Kirsten's latest? Check out her blog, follow her on Twitter (@bankstirregular), or stop by Kiki Strike's official website. She's also got a great cover design contest running through 8/31 for How to Lead a Life of Crime. The entries are impressive!
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This interview was conducted by Sleuths, Spies, and Alibis' "detective" Kristen Kittscher. Her first book, the middle grade mystery/comedy THE WIG IN THE WINDOW, comes out from Harper Children's next year.

Investigating Middle-Grade Sleuths

Last week as part of our continuing our month-long "Young Sleuths" theme, ElisaLudwig placed a help wanted ad describing her ideal YA sleuth. Lower the 14 – 18 age range a bit, and her requirements would hold just as well for the perfect middle-grade sleuth.

Of course, it’d help us middle-grade mystery writers tremendously if we included a few desirable traits for our ideal young sleuths’ parents. Dead, missing, clueless, or work-obsessed would be preferable. If not, a predilection for taking sudden, long trips would do nicely – especially if said parents also despise cell phones. How about a lawyer or detective who nevertheless consults with his child like a brilliant equal, à la Nancy’s father, Carson Drew? Yes, please!

Since requesting deceased parents in our “help wanted” might violate some discrimination laws, I’ll think I’ll steer clear. Instead, I’d like to train my magnifying glass on a few of my favorite sleuth traits and great characters who possess them.

Audacity. I love this trait most when a young sleuth discovers her own boldness as her curiosity deepens and the stakes are raised. Nancy Springer’s Enola Holmes (The Case of the Missing Marquess and several more) is a wonderful example. Uncertain and a touch self-pitying at first, Enola’s soon running away with money and supplies shrewdly stuffed into her Victorian bustle and marching into Scotland Yard undetected right when the authorities are on her tail.

Intelligence. Admittedly, every middle-grade sleuth is endowed with exceptional smarts – so I’ll go with a classic favorite here: The Westing Game’s feisty, shin-kicking Turtle Wexler has plenty of audacity, but her powers of logic and observation are also top notch! How else could she sift through 16 possible suspects and crack an exceptionally difficult code?

Imagination. I like my middle-grade sleuths to have overactive imaginations that lend themselves to wild speculation, even if that means they’re frequently misled. Stories are no fun without crazy hunches to propel the mystery. Ben H. Winter’s hilarious seventh grade heroine Bethesda Fielding provides a perfect case study in wild speculation in The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman, when she doggedly seeks to prove her inkling that Ms. Finkleman is not the boring music teacher she seems to be. 

Curiosity. How can I avoid bringing up Louise Fitzhugh’s classic kid spy, Harriet? She doesn’t want to get to the bottom of a mere mystery. She’s more interested in uncovering the secrets of human nature, whether she realizes it or not. Now that’s some ambition and curiosity. 

Sense of humor. Mysterious super spy Kiki Strike (Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City) zips around town on her Vespa, has an extensive knowledge of poisons and weaponry, and happens to be a martial arts master to boot. But even though she’s about as audacious and savvy as sleuths come, it’s her wry sense of humor and one-liners I appreciate most.

It’s no surprise that in these great books, each of the sleuths is graced with all of these traits to some degree. What about you? What traits do your favorite sleuths exemplify?

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Kristen Kittscher’s debut middle grade mystery THE WIG IN THE WINDOW (Harper Children’s) will be released in  2013. It follows the comic misadventures of two tween sleuths who suspect their school counselor is a dangerous fugitive — and just might be right! A former middle school English teacher, Kristen lives in Pasadena, California with her husband, Kai. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her running her after-school tutoring business or taking orders from her hopelessly spoiled pets.