Introducing Some of My Best Friends are Murderers!

Introducing Some of My Best Friends are Murderers!

 

Level Best Books is publishing the next book in my series of critical analyses of crime writers and television shows!  First, there was Murder Most Grotesque, my look at the comedic crime fiction of Joyce Porter.  Now comes the next book in the series: Some of My Best Friends are Murderers: Critiquing the Columbo Killers.  It’s an analysis of every murderer on the classic television show, focusing not only on what led them to kill, but also their relationship with Columbo.  I wanted to write a book that would show readers what a really well-written relationship between a detective and a villain looks like, and what better way to explore that than through a deep dive into one of the all-time great crime shows, with a collection of some of the strongest characterization and conflict to be found?  This book will interest not just Columbo fans, but also aspiring writers who want to learn how to create stellar antagonists.

 

And here’s the cover art!

 

The release date for Some of My Best Friends are Murderers will be announced soon!

 

 

 

–Chris Chan

 

Chris Chan’s book The Autistic Sleuth, written with the professional guidance of his mother Dr. Patricia Meyer Chan, will be released on September 19^th!  He is the author of the Funderburke and Kaiming novels Ghosting My Friend and She Ruined Our Lives, released by Level Best Books.  He is also the author of the comedic novels Sherlock’s Secretary and Nessie’s Nemesis, published by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

 

 

Why I Started Writing The Autistic Sleuth

 Why I Started Writing The Autistic Sleuth

 

The idea for The Autistic Sleuth first came to me about six years ago.  There were a bunch of factors that spurred my thoughts on the topic.  A lot of the television shows I watched– Sherlock, Hannibal, Bones, CSI, Doc Martin, The Bridge,and many others, had a character that was possibly on the autism spectrum, but other than a fleeting reference, nothing at all was said about it.  The trope of autistic detectives was mentioned– and criticized– on an episode of Community, and I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.  Over the past four years, I started creating a list of television and movie detectives with autistic characteristics, and I also started writing a list of topics and themes recurring in these productions.  I grew increasingly surprised by how long these lists had become.  

 

Multiple times over the past five years, I tried to start writing a book about this subject, but I never got very far, just a few paragraphs before the well of inspiration froze up on me.  Then, this past fall, I forced myself to keep writing on this topic, and slowly, intermittently, created the essays that would form The Autistic Sleuth.  I wasn’t sure if I could make this topic work as a book, but I was surprised by the final product.  I hope that this book conveys a complex psychological, neurological, scientific, and artistic subject matter in a readable manner for all sorts of readers.

 

 

–Chris Chan

 

Chris Chan’s book The Autistic Sleuth, written with the professional guidance of his mother Dr. Patricia Meyer Chan, will be released on September 19^th!  He is the author of the Funderburke and Kaiming novels Ghosting My Friend and She Ruined Our Lives, released by Level Best Books.  He is also the author of the comedic novels Sherlock’s Secretary and Nessie’s Nemesis, published by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

An Article in Proceedings of the Pondicherry Lodge!

An Article in Proceedings of the Pondicherry Lodge!

 

My article “Depicting Sherlock Holmes’ Mind On-Screen,” which covers several points addressed in The Autistic Sleuth, has been published in Proceedings of the Pondicherry Lodge, the journal of the Sherlock Holmes Society of India!  Please take a look– my article starts on page 21!

 

–Chris Chan

 

Chris Chan’s book The Autistic Sleuth, written with the professional guidance of his mother Dr. Patricia Meyer Chan, will be released on September 19^th!  He is the author of the Funderburke and Kaiming novels Ghosting My Friend and She Ruined Our Lives, released by Level Best Books.  He is also the author of the comedic novels Sherlock’s Secretary and Nessie’s Nemesis, published by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

Characters Covered in The Autistic Sleuth

Characters Covered in The Autistic Sleuth

 

A while ago, I posted a list of the various productions covered in The Autistic Sleuth.  Over the next few weeks, I’m going to look at some of the most prominent characters covered in the book.  If anybody has any suggestions on who I should cover first, please let me know!  Leave a comment with your preference on which characters to cover, please.

 

 

–Chris Chan

 

Chris Chan’s book The Autistic Sleuth, written with the professional guidance of his mother Dr. Patricia Meyer Chan, will be released on September 19^th!  He is the author of the Funderburke and Kaiming novels Ghosting My Friend and She Ruined Our Lives, released by Level Best Books.  He is also the author of the comedic novels Sherlock’s Secretary and Nessie’s Nemesis, published by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

 

 

Would You Like an Early Copy of The Autistic Sleuth?

Would You Like an Early Copy of The Autistic Sleuth?

 

Can’t wait until mid-September for your copy of The Autistic Sleuth? You can buy a copy now directly from MX Publishing– future books can be ordered now ahead of publication with a contribution going #sharethemeal - every book you buy buys a meal for those facing hunger.

 

So if you want an early copy as well as help someone in need, please go here!  Thanks!

 

 

–Chris Chan

 

Chris Chan’s book The Autistic Sleuth, written with the professional guidance of his mother Dr. Patricia Meyer Chan, will be released on September 19^th!  He is the author of the Funderburke and Kaiming novels Ghosting My Friend and She Ruined Our Lives, released by Level Best Books.  He is also the author of the comedic novels Sherlock’s Secretary and Nessie’s Nemesis, published by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

Thanks to the Next Generation Indie Book Awards!

Thanks to the Next Generation Indie Book Awards!

 

A big “thank you” to the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, who just sent me my silver Finalist medal for Ghosting My Friend in the Mystery category!  Thank you so much!

 

–Chris Chan

 

Chris Chan’s book The Autistic Sleuth, written with his mother Dr. Patricia Meyer Chan, will be released on September 19^th!  He is the author of the Funderburke and Kaiming novels Ghosting My Friend and She Ruined Our Lives, released by Level Best Books.  He is also the author of the comedic novels Sherlock’s Secretary and Nessie’s Nemesis, published by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2. His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

Another Excerpt From The Autistic Sleuth!

Another Excerpt From The Autistic Sleuth!

 

Here is another excerpt from The Autistic Sleuth.  It’s from the chapter “Looking Through an Autistic Lens,” where certain characters who are often criticized for their behavior and actions are reframed from a far more sympathetic perspective than usual.

 

For years, autism advocates have argued that while autism may qualify as a disability, an autistic mind is not inherently inferior to a neurotypical mind, and to expect that all brains should function in the same way is prejudiced and unrealistic.  In many of the series shown here, the autistic sleuths are criticized, denigrated, mocked, or chided for their actions and behaviors, which are clearly influenced by their mental processes.  In many cases, the message is implicit: The person with autism needs to adjust in order to fit in better, or that the autistic person needs to learn how to treat others better.  The autistic person must learn how to be more “normal.”

But what if this perspective simply is not fair?  What if the autistic person, despite having trouble understanding how to function socially, is being targeted simply for being different?  What if the people telling the autistic person to change are setting unfair expectations, and perhaps overlooking worse transgressions in others?  If this is the case, then viewers need to refocus how they view these characters, and in order to do so, their characters need to be defended, partly through looking at them through their own point of view, or at least a perspective that is determined to take their sides.

In order to explain how a sympathetic autism lens can reshape how we understand these characters, a few of the most frequently criticized and maligned autistic sleuths will be profiled here: Cumberbatch’s Sherlock, Doc Martin, and Christopher Boone.

 

If you want to read more, the book will be released on September 19^th!

 

–Chris Chan

 

Chris Chan’s book The Autistic Sleuth, written with his mother Dr. Patricia Meyer Chan, will be released on September 19^th!  He is the author of the Funderburke and Kaiming novels Ghosting My Friend and She Ruined Our Lives, released by Level Best Books.  He is also the author of the comedic novels Sherlock’s Secretary and Nessie’s Nemesis, published by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.