The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Yesterday, Ray T posted this comment:

“What do you think about The Good Wife now that CBS has decided to show reruns of old episodes over and over? They ruined a good show.”

I decided that rather than post the comment on the entry about the show, I would take this opportunity to write exactly how I feel about this:

Yes, Ray T, CBS has ruined a good show. I am absolutely incredulous every time the “high-ups” of one of the major networks think they can “get by” with this sort of thing. Rather than promote a new show during its first season, and treat the viewers with respect, they pull this type of lame-brained trick. Quite frankly, I would think that the major networks have a difficult enough time trying to attract viewers from all of the other channels that are available today.

I remember the first year that I became aware of this type of  major network shuffle, the  “air-six-episodes-during-twelve-weeks” game. It was the year that ER premiered. I considered myself “hooked” on that show…. until I saw that they started showing repeats of the brand new show over and over, and over again!

That’s when I found out that I really wasn’t that “hooked” on the show. I left it, and never looked back! Unfortunately, The Good Wife is not the only show with which the major networks are pulling this sort of stunt. I simply don’t have the patience to be strung-along. A show had better be downright wonderful for me to stay with it once the network decides to keep RE-airing the same shows.

And, as long as I’m writing about The Good Wife,  I have to admit that I am getting VERY TIRED of the whole subplot involving the son hiding important black-mail items that arrive at their apartment. Right! >>> My dad’s in jail, and is being framed, but I’m not going to let my parents know about this black-mailing stuff that is intended for them. >>> Good grief! That got old for me the fourth time they tried to incorporate it into the plot! 

(That’s right, I am still with the show, although I have to admit that I am on the fence about dropping it.)

Now I’ll get off my soap box….

Yesterday, in a conversation I had with my daughter, I described a “problem” I just had with the mystery book I finished very recently. While I really appreciate the author’s writing style, my “complaint” is that since I LOVE cozy mysteries, I put a lot of weight on the “mystery” part of the book. I have only read two of this author’s mysteries. I don’t know if the third will prove to be different, but in the first two books of her series, I knew exactly who the culprits were as soon as I was “introduced” to the characters.

I don’t mean to say that the characters first appeared holding  knives, while their clothes were drenched in a telltale crimson-colored substance >>> I mean that the characters did something as simple as say hello. I absolutely KNEW they were the culprits… Why else would they have been included in the mystery books?!? The culprits seemed to ingratiate themselves with the sleuth >>> becoming overly friendly with the sleuth in a very short time >>> always asking about the sleuth’s progress solving the crime.

Of course, mystery books are full of new characters… Some are added to the series’ rosters of  “regulars” and some are simply there for one book. So, why is it that in both books by this author, I knew which characters were the “bad guys” upon meeting them? Have I read too many mystery books? Nope!!! That could never be the case for me!

Why am I not able to do this with every author? Why can I be left wondering whodunit in the vast majority of the mysteries I choose to spend my time reading?

When I told my daughter about this particular “problem,” she asked me if the author’s style of writing outweighs the “problem.” And, she suggested that I write an entry about this and ask you all:

If you really enjoy the writing style of an author, is it important that the mystery be well-played? Do you continue with authors who aren’t able to keep the culprit a mystery until the end of the book? Do you enjoy going along with the author as he/she weaves red herrings in and out of the mystery?

PS>>> I am currently taking a break from the author described above  while I read my next Susan Wittig Albert mystery. She keeps me guessing all of the time, and I love her writing style!