Humor and murder sound like they should go together about as well as bleach and vinegar—that makes a gas, and not the funny kind. But somehow, this rag-tag duo makes the perfect pair in fiction. What’s so funny about murder, or what’s so dangerous about humor?
For me, humor has always felt like a necessary part of fiction. Not only is it a coping mechanism in real life, but the more books I write, the more I realize how, when used right, it actually enhances the darker moments. It’s a breath among the emotions. A release.
When I first started writing, I never envisioned myself writing humor. I’ve never been the funny one in a group—I was always the shy one in the corner observing. Which just meant I was a writer. But when I switched careers from dentist to writer and wrote my debut novel, American Panda, about a girl whose parents want her to become a doctor despite her hating germs, the humor just appeared. I wrote voicemails from the mom between all the chapters without intending to be funny. But the truth is often humorous, and laughing at difficult situations makes life more enjoyable for me and my characters.
Humor is a necessary part of life. And when characters are having a difficult time or even scared for their life or trying to solve a murder, humor can cut the tension and make the ride more enjoyable.
Murder mysteries are beloved for many reasons: when done well, you can’t put them down, there’s a twist at the end that keeps you thinking about it long after the book is closed, and often, there’s a sense of justice.
So when you bring humor and murder together, it leads to magic. You combine the page-turning puzzle of the mystery with laughs, shenanigans, and fun. It can blow your mind while also leaving you feeling hopeful and entertained. It’s the best of so many things. I’ve been lucky to experience this magic both as a reader, and now, also as a writer.
My first five published books were young adult contemporary with varying degrees of romance. And as I was brainstorming a new book idea involving three women dating the same man who then band together to get revenge on him, I asked myself how I could raise the stakes. When I wondered, What if he dies?, everything clicked. I realized that, with motive and a crime scene covered in their DNA, the women would become the number one suspects. And so, of course, they would then have to solve the murder before they go down for it. Once this idea formed, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and knew I had to write it. Thus was born The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club, whose premise begs to be a humorous mystery full of shenanigans.
So as I was writing this book, in every scene, I asked myself, What’s the most fun way this next thing can happen? Which, as an example, was how I came up with the ways in which the women find out about each other. In the first chapter, Kathryn Hu has just arrived at her boyfriend Tucker’s house for a surprise visit, and she sees a sign that says, “Come in, my love!” and the hallway is lined with roses and lit candles. And so I set up a situation where Kat walks in, half-naked, on Tucker proposing to another woman, Olivia. And then I asked, How can I make this even more fun? So after Olivia runs out, Tucker turns around and proposes to Kat with the same ring and the same generic proposal. Then, after Olivia and Kat dump Tucker and decide to go on the vacation Kat had planned with Tucker, they walk in on Tucker already at the AirBnB with yet another woman.
The type of humor from American Panda and my subsequent books also crept into The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club. Kat’s mother continually sends her gifts throughout the book because she’s single—a stepstool because there’s “no man to reach up high for her,” a George Foreman grill because there’s “no man to grill for her,” and a Life Alert because she’s single and “could fall and not be able to get up.” Take one wild guess where I got these ideas from. You’re right, it was from a friend of a friend.
The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club was one of those rare books that almost felt like it wrote itself. Which I believe is part of the magic. Both the humor and the murder propelled this story forward and steered where it would go. This ended up being the most fun I’ve ever had while writing, and I hope it shows in the story.
As someone who reads to escape, humorous murder mysteries combine everything I want. The kind of story that you stay up all night to finish, while also laughing so hard you almost forget there’s a murder. And by the time you close the book, you’ve gone on an adventure with characters who are better post-journey, and you’re left feeling hope and a sense of justice. Humor plus murder captures all the reasons I fell in love with books, and while it’s not something to strive for in life (at least not the latter part), it’s the perfect combination in fiction.
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