Hi everyone,
If you haven't read J is for Judgment stop here since I'm about to discuss the plot.
If you have and you remember it, I'd love to hear what you think of something I've been mulling over for a while. Last year after writing a mystery novel for Nano, I subsequently learned the rules of the road for mystery writing and found all kinds of issues with my plot.
However upon reading J is for Judment which I think has an entirely faulty resolution I felt better. Tell me if you agree with this:
The entire plot is about the insurance company wanting the payment back for the death of Wendell Jaffe, after learning he's alive. Then once he's really dead, it seems the ex-wife is allowed to keep the payment. However, if she hadn't been paying premiums for those 5 years when he was alive, wouldn't any insurance company say the policy wasn't up to date, and take the money back?
I haven't talked to an insurance company but in real life I imagine that's what they'd say.
I'd also read that depending on coincidences is bad form for mysteries, but I often see that in Grafton novels (which I love). Should I ignore all this advice I've read and just try not to go too over the top?
I'm so excited about 2007's book!
Thanks,
Susie
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10,345 / 50,000
Okt 21, 2007 - 18 04
Yes, in general, coincidences are in bad form, but that doesn't mean they don't leak into stories.
I agree with your assessment of the insurance company. Dead, pay out. Oh, alive, give us the money back. Oh, dead. Oh, you haven't RESTARTED your payments, sorry, no money for you.
58,597 / 50,000
Okt 28, 2007 - 07 49
I am currently reading J is for Judgment right now and for the second time. So this is fresh in my head. I am a huge Grafton fan!
The books says that Dana Jaffe kept up on her premiums during the 5 years Wendell was missing. So when she finally got the payoff she was up to date. There was only a few months period of time when she got paid off and Kinsey got the case and Wendell dying for real, so I don't think the plot was contrived. Dana was proven to not be involved in the scam so CF let her keep the money.
That my take. But I enjoy your discussion. I am up for a Grafton discussion anytime. Come and join us http://www.suegrafton.com/forum1/
Good Luck.
57,244 / 50,000
Okt 30, 2007 - 01 27
Your novel doesn't have to be totally free of coincidence, because real life isn't, either. Coincidences do happen.
The thing to watch out for is that you shouldn't have way too many coincidences. In that case, your plot feels contrived, and your readers feel you have betrayed them. I have always hated the deus ex machina that pops up at the end and saves the day. So long as your coincidences are sparse and believeable, they add realism rather than subtract.
50,251 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2007 - 12 33
I love sue Grafton, but almost every one of her books has some sort of faulty something or other.
I always saw it as CF thinking that it would cost more money to get the claim back and how much money was left that hadn't been spent anyway? Especially since he would have actually died before the claim amendment was processed.
BTW, thanks for the link to sue's forum... I'm using Kinsey as the driving force behind my main character.
0 / 50,000
Feb 5, 2008 - 19 52
Wow a real story that ended the way I expected her book to!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080205/od_nm/scam_dc;_ylt=Ao8EADvWEmKueHKZj...
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A Hungarian man who was reported dead by his wife in 2001 has been detained in the Czech Republic and is suspected of fraud, Hungarian police said.
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In a case reminiscent of the British canoeist who "returned from the dead" five years after he went missing, the man's wife said he had drowned while windsurfing on holiday in Greece.
His body was never found and a Hungarian court declared him legally dead in 2003.
The man had taken out several life insurance policies in 2000, worth more than 200 million forints ($1.15 million), and he also bought travel insurance before going to Greece, Hungarian police said in a statement.
Last year, the man was detained by Czech police who handed him over to Hungary. He told Hungarian police that after the "accident" he had swum to shore where a friend gave him clothes and forged documents.
He fled to Crete, Italy and finally to the Czech Republic.
His wife is being questioned by police as an accomplice. She is also suspected of polyandry after she remarried in 2005 even though she knew her husband was still alive, police said.
She had been unable to cash in the insurance policies, they added.
0 / 50,000
Feb 5, 2008 - 19 54
"So when she finally got the payoff she was up to date. "
Alyinor - Thanks for pointing that out!