Bestselling author Amy Bloom is stepping into new territory with her debut mystery novel, Blunt Instrument, set for release this summer.
> At a Glance
> – Amy Bloom, known for I’ll Be Right Here, releases her first mystery novel Blunt Instrument on June 2
> – The story follows Dell Chandler, a disgraced professor turned detective, investigating a murder at Cromwell University
> – The murder weapon: a bronze bust of Nathaniel Hawthorne
> – Why it matters: Bloom’s literary fans get a suspenseful new genre from a beloved voice, blending academia, secrets, and murder
Amy Bloom, 72, has spent decades reading mysteries. Now, she’s written one. Blunt Instrument marks her first foray into the genre, combining her signature themes-sex, family, love, and death-with a whodunit set in the ivy-covered halls of academia.
A New Voice in Mystery
Bloom says writing the novel gave her “a new, entertaining approach” to her lifelong passions: people, language, and suspense. The book centers on Dell Chandler, a failed English professor turned private investigator, who returns to campus life to solve a bizarre murder.
The victim: an elderly, unpopular professor bludgeoned with a literary artifact. The stakes: solve it quietly, or the university faces a media storm.
Plot and Themes
The official synopsis reveals a campus “reeling” from the death of Professor Bullfinch, whose “ornery nature and Old World approach to campus politics” left more suspects than mourners.
- Dell Chandler must navigate academic egos and buried grudges
- The investigation forces her to confront her own fall from academic grace
- The murder weapon-a Hawthorne bust-suggests a motive rooted in literary grievance
Bloom says the novel let her explore “subterfuge, desire and unintended consequences” through characters who “steer toward trouble, as smart people often do.”
From Literary Fiction to Murder Mystery
Though new to the genre, Bloom isn’t new to storytelling. She’s authored multiple acclaimed novels, short story collections, and a memoir. But she’s always loved mysteries.
> Amy Bloom said:
> “I’ve read mysteries since I could read. I admire the precision and grace of great mystery writers-the balance of suspense and revelation.”
She sees plot not as a cage, but as “scaffolding”-a way to connect broken shards of story into something new and meaningful.
Key Takeaways
- Blunt Instrument is Amy Bloom’s first mystery novel, publishing June 2 via Mysterious Press
- The story blends academic satire, murder, and personal redemption
- Preorders are available now wherever books are sold
With Blunt Instrument, Bloom proves that whether it’s literary fiction or murder mystery, character still drives the plot-even when that plot involves a deadly bust of Hawthorne.
