Author Archives: williamdandrews

            Today is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, the astronomical beginning of winter when the length of day roughly equals the length of night.  Since the summer solstice in June, daylight has gradually shortened; beginning today, it will … Continue reading →

            Early last spring four men and a woman arrived at the house across the road from us in a beat-up pickup and a larger flatbed truck that had also seen better days.  Within minutes they fired up chainsaws and … Continue reading →

            How often do you recommend a book, mystery or otherwise, to a friend?  How often are you asked to make a recommendation?  Because people know I write mysteries, I’m asked from time to time to recommend a good one.  … Continue reading →

After a one-year leave of absence (and thank you for that, Kate!) I’m happy to resume blogging on Maine Crime Writers.  Let me explain why I left and why I’m back.  Last October my wife tripped on a curb in … Continue reading →

            I recently read two novels that set me to thinking about what makes a story a mystery:  Richard Russo’s Chances Are . . . and Tana French’s The Witch Elm.  The authors are not strangers to me.  Maine’s own … Continue reading →

            When we moved to Maine, the only reluctance we felt came from leaving so many friends behind.  But one of them reassured us on that front.  “Don’t worry,” she said.  “Anyone you want to see will be happy to … Continue reading →

Every writer faces the question of how much detail to provide about characters and settings. Am I describing enough? Too little? Too much? How much do my readers need, or want, to know in order to understand the character I’m … Continue reading →

Out of the blue, a violent act. Terrible physical consequences. Then the slow unwinding to figure it out, to understand, to absorb the meaning. Outline of a mystery novel? Not in this case. After a two-month hiatus I’m happy to … Continue reading →

One of the consequences of the wonderfully abundant snowfall we’ve enjoyed in western Maine this winter is that our snowshoe trails have turned into relatively deep slots. My wife and several of our neighbors informally maintain a series of trails … Continue reading →

William Andrews: I find cute-grandchildren stories as boring as the next person, so a warning: this posting starts with my granddaughter. She’s 3, and obviously she’s cute. She’s discovered how much I enjoy making her animals (when did they become “stuffies?”) … Continue reading →