The answer is Yes.
When I picked up my pen and started writing again last year, my intention was to write strictly mystery. But as I kept writing, I found romance creeping into my stories. It wasn’t intentional, but it certainly felt natural. So, I began to ask myself the same question I asked in the title: Does Romance Have Any Place in Mystery Books? The answer that came back to me at first was Maybe.
You see, the classic mystery writers I had followed for years were crime fiction writers. I love crime fiction. I think I have mentioned it more than once on this blog. However, most of the stories I had read focused almost exclusively on solving a crime. There was little or no room for romance, and if it was included, it seemed like an after-thought.
That is, until I discovered Tasha Alexander.
Tears of Pearl, by Tasha Alexander was a book I discovered about a month ago at a bookstore. What caught my eye was this comment from the Denver post:
Infused with wit and charm, with just the right amounts of danger, romance, and detection blended in.
Say what?! Danger and Romance in one book? And Detection, too? I was surprised. So, I opened it and began to read. I was pleasantly surprised. I realized as I read the book that it was possible after all to combine both romance and mystery in one book. I am sure there is a balancing act there that seasoned authors have mastered, but I am willing to learn.
I am still reading Tears of Pearl, but when I eventually put it down, there is one conclusion that will remain unchanged: mystery and romance go hand-in-hand. Undoubtedly.
Picture via Tasha Alexander Official Website
