Because the publishing industry releases many mystery titles every year and is unsure which titles will fare the best, titles can quickly be discounted to help increase sales. Mystery books are often found in series form that revolve around a particular detective or location. Private eye mysteries are exceedingly popular, whether they are the tough female P.I.s like Kinsey Millhone or V.I. Warshawski, newcomers like Precious Ramotswe, or hard-boiled Philip Marlowe. Classic mysteries from the genre's early entrants like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are always available at discount prices, too. Because they are in the public domain and available through more than one publishing house, prices naturally stay low due to competition. Typically, these discount mystery books will be issued as paperbacks, which makes them ideal for travel, or for reading in any comfortable, reclined position. Mystery books themselves are a relatively new genre, even though mystery stories have been in existence since the dawn of time. In the mid-19th century, mystery books became popular thanks to writers like Edgar Allan Poe. The cult of mystery books grew into the 20th century, reaching its zenith with the pulp fiction magazines of the 1930s and 40s. Since then, mystery books have been a firm staple of the American reader's diet. The entertainment value of discount mystery books makes them one of the truly great bargains available today. For less than the cost of a movie, an album, or theatre tickets, a mystery book provides hours of stimulating fun. Solving the riddle of the book, be it a crime, or simply the unexplained, can be quite a challenge, and attracts some of the most curious minds to the genre. |
