Contrary to what we might prefer, the popularity of most novels rarely depends on the quality of the writing, and those rare books that stay in our memories for the rest of our lives often exploit the same tropes that dozens of clumsily written, best-selling potboilers do. The Marsh King's Daughter, by Karen Dionne, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal and is one of the finalists for the 2017 Hammett Prize for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing. The Legacy also demonstrates Yrsa's skill in combining tropes, as she employs the trope of the serial murderer challenging detectives with arcane clues that must be deciphered, something familiar from Red Dragon, The Bone Collector, and episodes of Criminal Minds. Palmyra, Virginia Contrary to what we might prefer, the popularity of most novels rarely depends on the quality of the writing, and those rare books that stay in our memories for the rest of our lives often exploit the same tropes that dozens of clumsily written, best-selling potboilers do. How uncreative!" J. Madison Davis is the author of eight mystery novels, including The Murder of Frau Schütz, an Edgar nominee, and Law and Order: Dead Line.