The Johnny Denovo Mysteries

One of the big challenges of publishing Johnny’s stories has been in describing them given the genres commonly used in the book business. I was a little worried about this at the beginning, but I’ve become moreso as readers have commented on what they’ve really enjoyed about the books.

The word “thriller” seems particularly problematic. Right now, the thriller genre consists of a lot of books that are full of gruesome scenes, characters who curse a blue streak, primitive dialogue, and plot contrivances that barrel the reader toward the climax. Here’s what one reader said after seeing the book classified as a “thriller” in one press mention:

To me, Denovo is action adventure, light romance, mystery, and a little humor.  . . . I think using the word “thriller” is going to bypass a lot of people who would enjoy the book.

And that’s been one of the most rewarding parts of getting feedback — readers have uniformly said that the characters, the dialogue, the writing, and the story all compel them to keep reading. It’s not a thriller in the current way that genre is being realized. It’s a little different, and I like to think a little richer and more interesting overall.

So, let’s call it an action adventure, character-driven mystery series. I think Johnny won’t have a problem with his stories being viewed in that way.