The Waving Flame by Graham Winslow

A Flame Tree: thanks to The Spruce 

Title: The Waving Flame 

Author: Graham Winslow

Publisher: not known but his early works were with Betsy Crane Publishing 

Source: TV series Mystery 101 S1 E3 Words Can Kill (#3) and An Education in Murder (#5)

Amy Winslow teaches English literature with a heavy emphasis on mystery and crime fiction at the fictional Elmstead College, in the fictional town of Garrison in the genuine Washington State. Amy often discusses real detective fiction with her students (Sherlock Holmes, Lord Peter Wimsey, Hercule Poirot etc). And naturally she gets involved with real murder mysteries in Garrison, helping local police detective Travis Burke solve his cases. Whether he likes it or not. Because that’s what TV characters do.

Amy’s father, Emeritus Professor Graham Winslow, who also lives in Garrison (both have giant houses more suited to a family of six than a single person), is the successful author of a series of detective novels and his main character is Atticus Keller. There is an official Graham Winslow fan club, with branches as far away as Germany.

Characters in the Mystery 101 series are often portrayed as reading Graham Winslow’s books, sometimes claiming to have a favourite, occasionally claiming to love one that doesn’t actually exist. 

We get to meet two of Graham’s editors and publishers and even the dreadful man, Rick Fitch, who stole the entire plot of Graham’s first book (The Lady Lost in the Woods) and got it published it as his own work (Woman in the Woods) (#3).

Then there’s Atticus Keller Investigates. It’s about a detective who has been wronged and becomes a crusader for justice. Plus Funeral Music and Amber Moon. And maybe One Armed Banditos. I think. Not entirely certain about that one.

We also learn about Graham’s latest Atticus Keller book, The Waving Flame, when he gives a well attended reading in a local bookshop (#5). A local professor who has never been an Atticus Finch fan, tells Amy that Broken Ninepins is his favourite: it doesn’t exist. He doesn’t even own a single book by Graham Winslow. You might suppose that Amy would know the titles of her father’s books… it seems a ridiculous lie.

Also in (#5) we find out about Murder While I Smile, the first novel by Blake Newman (not his real name) who dropped out of his phd to concentrate on running a bookshop. It turns out that he was suspected of plagiarism while at college, and tried the same trick with his phd, and is in fact [spoilers]… the murderer. 

Not a TV show designed to set the world on fire, nonetheless Mystery 101 features pleasant characters who it’s fun to follow through the six movies. It’s a show to watch in front of a flickering fire (if available) with a mug of hot chocolate in your hand and a purring cat/sleepy dog on your lap.

Of course Hallmark cancelled the show in 2023.

A different Flame Tree: thanks to Seeds.Co