I am Elizabeth Mostyn, and I think you deserve something different!
I am a scientist, novelist, and phenomenologist who has been writing since childhood and, of course, reading voraciously – everything from science and history textbooks to popular detective mysteries.
As with many authors, I cut my detective teeth on Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, and Arthur Conan-Doyle, who all had their own little twists. Agatha was a pharmacist (and knew about poisons!), Dorothy was an advertising copywriter (as well as an English scholar), Conan-Doyle was a general practitioner. They used their life experiences to populate their novels with those events and characters with which them had interacted.
I have decided that you deserve something different…
Phenomenology
Why should you read my books?
There are many detective/mystery/thrillers available from lots of authors. Why are mine different? You may not have heard of phenomenology but don’t let that frighten you. Let me enlighten you.
As I say on my book covers, Poirot has his little grey cells, Morse has his classical education, but Patrice Lanier has only ‘the things themselves’. This is what phenomenology is – going back to those things as they are. The thing can be the scene, the actors in the scene, the detectives or others investigating it; or a pattern. Most detective stories rely on the usually tormented lead detective, (with bad marriage, addictions, a tragic past!) and various ‘experts’ to clear-up his misconceptions; like the pathologist who says ‘he died from exsanguination’ when what the detective sees is a bullet hole in the forehead. Both things are correct but Patrice Lanier sees what is truly there – which holds the key to a true beginning.
Firstly, this is someone’s violent death. Whose fault it is may be shrouded in the past or, indeed, the future. It may be simply be being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And there is nothing complicated about that. The victim was just collateral damage. In most thrillers, the victim has, in some way, brought his fate upon himself. The phenomenological method can accept that a random victim is possible, and that coincidences happen all the time. This is one reason why the novels in this series are different. You have no idea just what Patrice will find. Be prepared (or not) for some surprises!
Secondly, although there is observational humour, I haven’t avoided the dark aspects which are inherent in crime stories.
Readers of the series so far have said that the novels stay with you and give you something to think about…