SPEED CITY SISTERS IN CRIME
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    • 2019 Events >
      • 2019 Nancy Pickard Writing Workshop
      • 2019 Larry Sweazy Short Story Workshop
      • 2019 Guest Speaker L.A. Chandlar
      • Pulaski County Library Award
    • Mystery & Writing Conferences
    • Murder We Wrote Blog
  • Our Anthologies
    • Amber Waves of Graves >
      • Submission Guidelines
      • Cover Submission Guidelines
    • Trick or Treats: Tales of All Hallow's Eve
    • Murder 20/20 Anthology
    • Homicide for the Holidays
    • The Fine Art of Murder
    • Decades of Dirt
    • Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks
    • Bedlam at the Brickyard
    • Racing Can Be Murder
    • Deadbeat (Theatrical)
  • Resources
    • S.S. Van Dine - Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories
    • Father Knox's Decalogue
    • Raymond Chandler's Ten Commandments
    • Frank Gruber's 11 Point Formula for Mystery Short Stories
  • 2023 Speakers

Father Knox's Decalogue

AKA the "10 Commandments of Detective Fiction"

By Monsignor Ronald A. Knox
preface to Best Detective Stories of 1928-29

  1. The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow.

  2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.

  3. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.

  4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.

  5. No Chinaman must figure in the story.

  6. No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.

  7. The detective must not himself commit the crime.

  8. The detective must not light on any clues which are not instantly produced for the inspection of the reader.

  9. The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind; his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly, below that of the average reader.

  10. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.
Picture
Ronald A. Knox

From wikipedia:
Ronald Arbuthnott Knox (17 February 1888 – 24 August 1957) was an English Catholic priest, theologian and author of detective stories. He was also a writer and a regular broadcaster for BBC Radio. 

​Knox belonged to the Detection Club, a society peopled by such legendary mystery writers as Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, G. K. Chesterson, and E. C. Bentley. Among his novels: The Viaduct Murder, Double Cross Purposes, Still Dead.
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Speed City Sisters in Crime is the Indiana chapter of the world-wide mystery/crime writers' association Sisters in Crime. The Speed City chapter was founded in 2005.

Members of the organization are published mystery and crime authors, writers working on mysteries and thrillers, and readers and fans of the literary genre. There are currently 40+ members who live in Indiana or the Midwest.

Speed City Sisters in Crime hosts monthly meetings with speakers on topics of interest to mystery and crime writing. Past speakers have included police officers, prosecutors, investigative reporters, forensic specialists, weapons experts, researchers, and publishing and media professionals.

Visit our YouTube Channel for recordings of our monthly speakers!

  • Home
    • About Speed City SiC
    • Code of Conduct
    • Board Members
    • Welcome from Chapter President
    • Chapter Documents
  • Contact Us
  • Membership
    • Membership Info
    • Member Author Info
    • Member Published Books
    • Critique Group
  • Monthly Meetings
    • 2025 Speakers
    • 2024 Speakers
    • 2023 Speakers
    • 2022 Speakers
    • 2021 Speakers
    • 2020 Speakers
    • 2019 Speakers
    • 2018 Speakers
  • Events
    • 2023 Events
    • 2022 Events
    • 2021 Events
    • 2020 Events
    • 2019 Events >
      • 2019 Nancy Pickard Writing Workshop
      • 2019 Larry Sweazy Short Story Workshop
      • 2019 Guest Speaker L.A. Chandlar
      • Pulaski County Library Award
    • Mystery & Writing Conferences
    • Murder We Wrote Blog
  • Our Anthologies
    • Amber Waves of Graves >
      • Submission Guidelines
      • Cover Submission Guidelines
    • Trick or Treats: Tales of All Hallow's Eve
    • Murder 20/20 Anthology
    • Homicide for the Holidays
    • The Fine Art of Murder
    • Decades of Dirt
    • Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks
    • Bedlam at the Brickyard
    • Racing Can Be Murder
    • Deadbeat (Theatrical)
  • Resources
    • S.S. Van Dine - Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories
    • Father Knox's Decalogue
    • Raymond Chandler's Ten Commandments
    • Frank Gruber's 11 Point Formula for Mystery Short Stories
  • 2023 Speakers