# Elana Michelson ## Posts - [On using `Part of the Solution' as a title](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/on-using-part-of-the-solution/): When I was first drafting a murder mystery about a group of political activists and dreamers, it occurred to me that “Part of the Solution” was the obvious title to use. I loved its double (actually, triple) meaning. It refers to the solving of the crime, which is a key moment in every murder mystery; the poisoned pickle brine – i.e. solution — that is an intended murder weapon; and, of course, the political slogan that hangs proudly over the altar in the church. But as I came back to the book to rewrite it after forty years (see my […] - [The Reality of Murder Mysteries](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/the-reality-of-murder-mysteries/): I am both a writer and reader of murder mysteries. I love the puzzle. I love watching the pieces come together in the detective’s mind, usually in ways I know I’m missing because the detective is smarter than I am. I love the low-stakes satisfaction of justice done as I veg on the couch, my cup of tea slowly growing cold on the table beside me. I also love the evening’s version of that scene on the couch, the tea now replaced by a glass of wine, the book by BritBox mysteries and American crime shows. Yet I find myself […] - [On murder mysteries and 19th century novels](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/on-murder-mysteries-and-19th-century-novels/): It’s hard to find the nerve to write a novel when you’ve studied literature in graduate school. A lot of us do it, of course – professors of English writing novels are a well-worn cliché. But when you’ve spent all those years reading the world’s best writing, marveling at exquisite sentences that have haunted readers across the years, putting pen to paper (or, more likely, fingers to keyboard) requires a combination of humility and arrogance that is hard to come by. I solved that by deciding to write `genre fiction,’ in this case a murder mystery, because you can tell […] - [On reading novels](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/on-reading-novels/): One of the strange things about publishing a novel is that suddenly strangers will be reading it. That should be obvious, but it isn’t something that had ever occurred to me. The books I had published previously were academic tomes concerning the theory and practice of adult learning, and, while I didn’t know the readers personally, I knew a lot about them. They were my colleagues. My graduate students. My coworkers. They were all around the world and at the same time just down the hall. A number of dear friends read Part of the Solution before it was published. […] - [My thoughts on Murder Mysteries](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/my-thoughts-on-murder-mysteries/): Prompted by my wonderful publishers, I’ve been setting up what they call “author pages” on various book-lovers’ platforms. Signing onto them for the first time, I’ve been surprised to find Part of the Solution, not on its own, but tucked down at the bottom under the respectable academic titles I’ve produced over the years. Writing a novel at the end of an academic career is no surprise – a gazillion professors have unfinished novels in a drawer or a desktop file waiting the glories of retirement. But why a murder mystery? Because genre fiction is purportedly a lower bar, and […] - [The Journey Behind Writing Part Of The Solution](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/the-journey-behind-writing-part-of-the-solution-2/): What a strange, strange moment to be publishing a murder mystery that takes us Boomers back to our twenties and records, in some small way, moments of idealism and disillusionment. What did I know at 28, when the first version of this novel was written? That the world was complicated? That the good guys didn’t always win? I think I knew that at 28. I certainly know it now Here’s what happened: I had just finished a dissertation on the 19th century English novel. I had nursed my intellectual exhaustion that year by escaping into classic murder mysteries, the kind […] ## Pages - [Full Review ForeWord](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/full-review-foreword/): Part of the Solution: A Mystery A moving love story transcends tragedy and time in Part of the Solution, an irresistible mystery novel that evokes the counterculture. Sassy and soulful, Elana Michelson’s first-rate mystery novel Part of the Solution chronicles the fallout of a murder in a 1978 Massachusetts hippie town and the true costs of finding justice. Jen is a successful academic on the lecture tour circuit when she bumps into Ford, an old flame from a painful year in her life. Before they meet for drinks later that evening, Jen’s mind wanders back to September 1978 and Flanders, […] - [Full Review BookLife](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/full-review-booklife/): In Michelson’s smart mystery debut, a chance encounter sends a professor of Victorian literature reminiscing on a past long left behind. In the late 1970s, Jennifer Morgan flees New York and her languishing dissertation to run a café in the patchouli-scented hamlet of Flanders, a Berkshires town populated “by an opinionated, motley collection of sixties refugees.” While counterculture is waning after the Vietnam war, Flanders remains a silo of the peace-and-love lifestyle—or it seems to be, until a series of violent acts disrupts their idyll, making everyone a suspect and the potential next victim. With the detective assigned to the […] - [Reviews](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/reviews/): What Our Clients Say! Michelson’s strengths lie … in her ability to re-create a specific cultural moment … The Café Galadriel and its eccentric patrons feel luminous and alive … Michelson captures both the intimacy and the corrosive weight of long-held secrets. Michelson will keep readers guessing … [she] defies expectations and invites contemplation about the nature of justice, and what it means to leave something in the past. Sassy and soulful … Part of the Solution is a gem of a mystery novel with an effusive cast, feisty language, sharp cultural insights, and a moving love story that transcends […] - [Privacy Policy](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/privacy-policy-2/): Privacy Policy At Elana Michelson, we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This privacy policy outlines how we collect, use, and safeguard your data when you interact with our website. Please read this carefully to understand how we handle your information. 1. Information We Collect We may collect personal information when you visit our site, purchase our book, or interact with us directly. This includes: Personal Identification Information: Your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number. Payment Information: We do not store credit card details, but payment processors may collect this information for transactions. […] - [Events](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/events/): Article Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Exciting Event Schedule and Activities Join Elana Michelson at exclusive book signings, readings, and interactive sessions. Connect with the author and explore the world of PART OF THE SOLUTION in person or online. June, 2025 Learn More          Book Launch Celebration: PART OF THE SOLUTION Date: June 15, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM EST Details: Join Elana Michelson for the official launch of her debut mystery novel, PART OF THE SOLUTION. The event will feature a live reading, a […] - [Blog](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/blog/): Blog On using `Part of the Solution’ Learn more Seriously Elevate Your Gameplay with the Thrills of… Learn more Elevate Your Play Seamless Casino Access & Winning… Learn more Rasantes Glücksspiel-Erlebnis mit Plinko Strategien und Spannung für… Learn more Jenseits klassischer Spieltische Finden Sie Ihr perfektes Online-Casino… Learn more Aposte e Teste Sua Sorte com a Conta… Learn more Aprenda a maximizar seus ganhos com o Fortune… Learn more A Emoção Crescente Fortune Tiger grátis e a… Learn more Wypróbuj szczęście w Plinko – gra, która wciąga… Learn more Beyond Chance Win Up to 1000x Your Stake… Learn more Beyond […] - [Contact Elana](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/contact-us/): Contact Us elana@elanamichelsonauthor.com Get In Touch Contact Elana Michelson for inquiries, event details, or to share your thoughts about PART OF THE SOLUTION. She’d love to hear from you! elanamichelsonauthor@gmail.com Facebook Instagram Amazon Publishers Details TorchFlame Books 1035 East Vista Way, #205 Vista, CA 92084 +1 919 886 5498 TorchFlame Books - [About the Book](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/book-details/): About the Book About Book Discover the world of Part of the Solution, where murder and idealism collide. It is 1978, and Jennifer Morgan, a sassy New Yorker in flight from graduate school, has found herself a refuge in the counterculture village of Flanders, Massachusetts. When a dead body interrupts her life of poetry readings, craft shops, and boysenberry muffins, Jennifer fears that her idyll will end quicker than the Bob Dylan album on her stereo. Egged on by her Tarot-card- reading housemate and in defiance of the hippie-hating chief of  police, Jennifer sets out to find the murderer before […] - [About Elana](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/about-us/): Elana Michelson Elana Michelson is a native New Yorker now living in the Hudson Valley, where she writes, reads, gardens, and volunteers with local social justice organizations. After thirty-five years as a professor, she has put down a beloved career of academic writing (and student papers) in favor of writing murder mysteries. She earned a PhD in English from Columbia University, but she gained her knowledge of the life and times of Part of the Solution by … well, having been there. Family As Elana says, the challenge of falling in love with a woman for the first time in […] - [Home](https://elanamichelsonauthor.com/): Discover the world of Part of the Solution, where murder and idealism collide. Welcome to the Café Galadriel. It’s 1978, and the don’t-trust-anyone-over-thirty generation is slowly turning thirty. The boysenberry muffins are in the oven, the poetry reading is about to begin, and America is two years away from electing Ronald Reagan. Peace, love, and social justice are on the menu, as are heartache and murder. Amazon The book is now available from these sellers Amazon TorchFlame Books Barnes and Noble Bookshop Support Independent Bookstores Elana supports independent bookstores. Please order from your local independent bookstore or from Bookshop.org. Discover […] [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)