When the editors at Stone Arch Books approached me with the Field Trip Mysteries concept, I jumped at the chance. Writing a mystery is great fun on its own, but the idea of a series, featuring four bright and interesting kids, plus the added concept of fun, educational venues — changing from adventure to adventure — sweetened the pot even more.
From the get-go, I knew I wanted to pay homage to some of my favorite mysteries of the past. Rather than look to Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, or Miss Marple, though, I decided to reference the classic detectives, crooks, and stars of American film noir. Several of the cast of the Field Trip Mysteries — regulars and "guest stars" — are named for those colorful characters. But that wasn't enough for me. So I created Samantha Archer.
Herself named for a couple of noir detectives played most famously by Humphrey Bogart and Jerome Cowan, Sam also brings something else to the party: the talk. By putting Sam in the care of her grandparents, and in front of their TV — so often playing the classic American detective films — I let Sam absorb and come to love the distinctive speech of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and their ilk.
Some of those authors' lingo simply won't work nowadays: even in context, modern readers simply won't get the meaning. "Get in the boiler, Bo, or I butter your necktie" probably won't be clear, especially to a striving reader. But used sparsely, and with clear context and even direct translation, such terms bring a tone to the stories that I particularly enjoy, and make Sam Archer my favorite character.
--Steve Brezenoff
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1 comment:
I have no idea what it means but I'm going to threaten to butter somone's necktie.
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