Naked Came the Rogue: A Serial Mystery Set in Southern Oregon's Jackson County

INTRODUCTION The serial mystery intrigues most mystery and crime fiction authors. It’s a master-level challenge to write well-crafted, well-clued crime fiction, largely dependent on the work of those who have come before you. There’s a loss of control imposed by the serial mystery that both terrifies and excites the author. For readers, the serial mystery offers an intimacy and awareness not often available in crime fiction. The serial mystery setting can be so personal that the reader imagines herself driving along this road, or stopping off with the protag at the local, and it’s easy to consider one’s self as a character in the plot. There’s also the knowledge and familiarity of the writers’ technique and style that adds to the read, as each writes seamlessly in concert with their fellows. Here in the fog of the 2011 Southern Oregon winter, nine mystery and crime fiction writers rose to the challenge. Tim Wohlforth set the scene with the first chapter, and agreed to write the last. Each participant, with glee and trepidation, produced a brilliant piece of writing to pass along to their associates as Naked Came the Rogue. Editor of the work and author of chapter 8 (Butte Falls and Prospect), Maryann Mason, smoothed the way and coordinated each writer’s work. Michael Niemann, author of chapter 9 (White City and Eagle Point), formatted the chapters for digital delivery. Carrie Prechtel, Outreach Coordinator for Jackson County Library Services, managed the website that delivered chapters to readers. Jackson County Library Services, JCLS librarians and staff promoted the serial everywhere. The title of the serial, Naked Came the Rogue: A Serial Mystery Set in Southern Oregon’s Jackson County, suggests layers of plotting, character and geography, and each chapter reveals just a bit more as the mystery moves from the opening, to mid-game and finally denouement. There’s even a macguffin to catch the reader’s attention and draw you in even further. I worried about public reaction to nakedness and murder. The authors laughed hysterically. The first popular serial mystery was The Floating Admiral, written in 1931 by Agatha Christie and eleven other Detection Club members. The contemporary serial mystery, and use of “Naked Came…”, had its origins in Naked Came the Stranger by Penelope Ashe (Lyle Stuart, 1969). It wasn’t long before the work was revealed as a literary hoax written by twenty-five Long Island Newsday reporters to parody Harold Robbins and Jacqueline Susann’s sex-bomb bestsellers. Now a much-loved mystery tradition, Naked Came the Stranger gave rise to Naked Came the Manatee by Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen and other Florida authors (Putnam, 1996), Naked Came the Farmer by Philip Jose Farmer and nine other Central Illinois writers (Mayfly, 1998) and Naked Came the Phoenix edited by Marcia Talley and written by women mystery writers (St. Martins, 2001). Naked Came the Flamingo returned the serial mystery to Florida as a Murder on the Beach publication in 2004. Locally, mystery writer Mary Robsman edited Canine Capers: Mystery in Oak Valley, set in Talent, Oregon, written by the Rogue Reader Writers and privately published in 2008. Naked Came the Rogue, A Serial Mystery Set in Southern Oregon’s Jackson County was written in support of Jackson County Library Services’ 2011 Jackson County Reads initiative to entertain and, we hope, delight the many mystery and crime fiction readers in Southern Oregon. It’s also written to honor the public libraries of Jackson County, Oregon and the librarians that organize and deliver services, to acknowledge the many ways our public libraries enrich our lives. -- Maureen Flanagan, Facilitator Ashland Mystery Readers Group www.AshlandMystery.com 2011 February 27 Ashland Mystery is sponsored by Friends of the Ashland Public Library Standing Stone Brewing Company Bookwagon New and Used Books