Todd Ritter is the author of Death Notice, Bad Moon, and Devil's Night, the first novels in the mystery series featuring small-town police chief Kat Campbell. Born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, he now lives in suburban New Jersey.Earlier this month I asked the author about what he was reading. Ritter's reply:
I’ve been working on a historical mystery, so this summer is all about nonfiction for me. Not for research purposes, although there has been a bit of that, but to get a feel for how nonfiction writers use historical detail to enhance their stories.Learn more about the book and author at Todd Ritter's website.
Right now, my nonfiction book of choice is The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. It’s an excellent example of a writer using telling details — clothing, weather, headlines — to really immerse readers into the world of the story. Brown doesn’t drown the reader in facts, figures and exhaustive descriptions, like some authors do. Instead, he lets the story flow, using his research to accentuate, not overwhelm, the plot at hand.
Next, I plan to dive into A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley by Neal Thompson for the very same reasons listed above.
Writers Read: Todd Ritter (October 2010).
The Page 69 Test: Todd Ritter's Death Notice.
My Book, The Movie: Death Notice.
Writers Read: Todd Ritter (October 2011).
--Marshal Zeringue
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