Argh Help: Dead in Living Color
So I’m thinking about a new book, REALLY far down the road because I have four I have to do first, but it’s about this mystery writer. She’s had some success writing a series about a character whose name I do not have yet, but she’s done twelve now and she’s ready to scream.
So I need twelve mystery titles with colors in the name. And I was killing myself trying to make them up and then I remembered:
Argh People.
So here you go, another play-with-your-brain post. Think pulp fiction, this is no time to get classy. I did some and then Gaffney gave me one, so here’s what we have so far:
Red Hot and Dead
Yellow Rose of Corpses
Gold Dead Fingers
How Now Brown Shroud (from Gaffney, of course)
Lavender’s Dead, Killer, Killer
Tan Little Corpses
Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Murder?
I’m not wedded to any of those, although I’m pretty sure the Lavender’s Dead one stays. You can do much better, I’m sure. No title is too far out. And don’t worry if you want to use a color that’s already up there, that’s fine.
Swing wide, Argh People.
Oh, and while you’re at it, if you feel the urge, write the blurb for the back cover. I know Tan Little Corpses takes place at a spa. And Lavender’s Dead is, of course, about somebody horrible named Lavender.
Don’t get invested. I’ll probably never write the book. But I do need some twisted titles and I know where to go to get them . . .
ADDENDUM:
I have to get back to work and finish Dogs and Goddesses and instead I played with this, my heroine’s home page.
And now I’m going back to work. ARGH.
Chartreuse Web
Just remember I’m on mood-altering drugs right now:
Little Black Dressed to Kill
Rest in Pink
Pink Peril
Viva la Violet
Blue Them All Away
Coup de Gray
Pink Lady Down
(okay, that made me giggle.)
Green Meanie
The Scarlet Harlot
Back on Black
Poisoned in Pink
Green, green grass of Homicide (sorry, I know that’s bad)
silver bells and shotgun shells
How Green was My Murder?
Dead, White, and Blue
Passionate Purple Death.
Sorry I can’t think of colors which is ridiculous since I just spent 6 weeks in a tile making class agonizing over glaze colors.
Bang, Bang, Black Sheep
Silver Scream
I’m loving these.
I did get a blurb for Tan Little Corpses:
Liz is in trouble up to her spandexed butt at the Glow and Go Ranch. Who knew a personal trainer could be so personal . . . or a health spa so unhealthy?
Tan Little Corpses
The Eleventh Liz Danger Book
Hex and Violets–Liz Danger knew something about the murder at Violet’s Crystal Shop was hinky…
The Mauvely Bones–Liz Danger investigates the murder of a fashion designer…
Blue Suede Shoots–Pop singer Blue Suede is accused of killing her ex-husband/manager. Liz Danger is the only one who believes her claims of innocence.
I wonder what other horrors my mind can dredge up?
For some reason I can’t stop cribbing from old movies:
Arsenic and Gold Lace
The Red Clues Diaries (The Red Cruz Diaries? About a woman nicknamed Red, last name Cruz?)
Dial Mauve for Murder
Must. Stop movie thing. Argh. Oh. Ha. I see how you named the blog.
Blue Blood
The Cherry Bomb Murders (oh, maybe not)
Mustard and Mayhem
The Corpse Wore Scarlet
> Blue Suede Shoots–Pop singer Blue Suede is accused of killing her ex-husband/manager. Liz Danger is the only one who believes her claims of innocence.
Oh, niiiice.
Navy Blues
Murder is the New Black
Gone With the Wine Stain
How Green Was My Murder
Violence Is Golden
Yellow Brick Roadkill
when the heck is your next book coming out?? I need more quirky Crusie!
Lots of “gruesome” names.
My entries
Red, Red, Dead!
Pink and Pretty and Pretty Dead
Purple Pink Death
Back to thinking of more.
Agnes is coming out this summer in pb.
Otherwise it’s 2009.
Look on the bright side: I won’t have to try to sell you guys anything for at least a year.
Oooh, and I thought of another one: Shrieking Violet.
Well, kinda.
The Rainbow Murders
Dead Men Do Wear Plaid
Bullet Holes and Polka Dots
Four Blue Dresses and a Funeral
Green Grow the Corpses (ew! I just grossed myself out.)
Indigo Die
Green Grow the Corpses
How Green is my Victim
Grayve Danger
Ecrual Fate
I love The Scarlet Harlot, Dead White and Blue, Green Green Grass of Homicide, Silver Bells and Shotgun Shells, and Shrieking Violet. Those are my favorites so far. These are so much fun to read. My mom and I are big mystery readers, so I’m enjoying this.
Cyanide is Murder
I got a million of ‘em, baby.
I was always fond of John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee series which used color names. And, of course, titles are not copyrightable, so
the deep blue goodbye
the turquoise lament
the quick red fox
nightmare in pink
girl in a plain brown wrapper
darker than amber
the scarlet ruse
cinnamon skin
pale grey for guilt
a tan and sandy silence…
etc. etc.
and they’re wonderful books, too. I envy McGee’s “taking his retirement in installments” attitude, not to mention his propensity for helping ‘wounded birds’ and probably the best economist in murder fiction in meyer meyer
Ah, I think I feel an acquisition binge and re-read coming on. I wonder if they will stand up to today’s stories. MacDonald was certainly one of the earliest writers concerned with ecology — I learned a tremendous amount about the Florida Everglads and waterways from these books.
/glee who looks forward to any book you write
Many of the Sherlock Holmes stories have color names. A Study in Scarlet’s taken, but…
A Study in Sepia
The Screaming Chart Ruse
Dead Cadet Blues
Cyan I’d Wager
Green, I Drugged You Green
Honeydew Hath Fled
The Dim Reaper
One In Vermillion
Puce Pawns Checkmate the Red Queen
Puce Justice
Liz Danger’s at it again as she investigates the murders of both a respected entomologist and a controversial historian of revolutionary French fashion at their homes in Paris. What do their murders have in common? What do court fashions at Versailles have to do with a flea infestation at an upscale Parisian hotel? Why are so many people dropping like… fleas?
Will she solve the murders? Will she survive the midnight attacks of post-impressionist French assassins? Will she ever find true love in the arms of Bart Savagely, the rugged adventurer from Chattanooga? Will she ever truly know the meaning of… PUCE JUSTICE?
Find out! When you make a date with…
DANGER!!!
Black and Blue and Dead All-over
Blood Red
The Magenta Gentleman
Roses are Dead, and Violet is Too
Violence in Violet
Red Hot Sun
The Yellow Fellow
Mr. Brown Went Down
Dead Mauvelous
Pinky Bites the Bullet
The Bride Wore Black
The Purple Patsy
How Green Was My Grave
Silver Bullet Breakfast
Burnt Umber
These are bad. It’s like a sickness.
I’m stealing “make a date with Danger,” definitely. Thank you, Prince.
Those aren’t bad, Courtney, they’re great. But yes, it is a sickness.
Murder on Hunter Green
Turquoise Terminations
Death of the Blue Blood
Carnation Pink Corpse
Blood Runs in the Blue Bayou
Golden Rod Headstone (just in case you want to write a paranormal, transvestite, erotica, murder)
The Burnt Orange Killings
Eerie Emerald Murders
The Slit Silver Throat
Death is the New Black - set in the fashion industry
Rose Red, Rose Dead - set in a garden store
White as a Corpse - set in a morgue
Death in a Beige Trenchcoat
Blood Red Reunion
The Eggplant Caper
Burnt Sienna (or Burnt Orange, Burnt Umber…someone got burnt, anyway)
Cardinal Sins
Hey, Copper
See Ya, Cyan
Indigo Softly Into the Night
Murder in the Maroon Morgue
Olive New York
Vermillion Stories in the Naked City
Psychedelic Psycho
The Black Death
Axhead Blues
Hues Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Ashes to Ashes, Rust to Rust
Sapphire’s Afire
Who Slade Auntie Jade? (Two for the price of one there!)
Alabaster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!
Six Feet Umber
Sunset Dead
Peacock Blew
Poppy’s Been Popped
Better Red Than Dead
Black and Blue (two novellas)
Red, White and Dead All Over
Pretty damn colorful group of posters you got here.
Well read Fred
(Oh. You’d prefer the equally phonetic, Well Red Fred?)
Red Rover, Red Rover, Send the Hearse Over
Starring Rover the Irish setter, who guarded his owner’s body for a week.
These are great!
Teal Death Do They Part
Olive You
Lime Time
Coral Sera Sera
Bisque and That
Teal My Heart in Two
Black Widow
Red Herring
White at the Funeral
Dead Man’s Blues / Dead Man Blue
Cerulean Witness
Pink Elephant (just for fun *g* )
Ruby Murder
False Colours (Georgette Heyer title - not a mystery though)
Death in Scarlet
Azure Dying
Screaming Burgundy Murder
Pale Horse, Dead Rider
Cream of the Corpse
Ruby Two Shoes
Pearl Handled Death
Golden Daggers of the Sun
Silver Sappers of the Moon
Red Tied
Funeral in Fuchsia
Croak Us White
Yellow Brick Roadkill cracked me up
Turquoise Termination was pretty good, too!
All Dead in White - about a Bridezilla who didn’t quite make her own ceremoony?
Poison Green
Little Red Hearse
Obviously this is a real (song) title and something I came up with, but Whiter Shade of Pale sounds appropriately corpselike *g*
My brain keeps wanting to do something with Tickled Pink, but so far it hasn’t come up with anything worth typing.
>>>Obviously this is a real (song) title and something I came up with, but Whiter Shade of Pale
Yeah, that should have said NOT something I came up with. Just to clarify that I’m not actually having a Procol Harum identity crisis.
Love that home page, Jenny!
Black and White and Dead All Over
Last Whites
Cream Bloody Murder
Those are all fantastic. I probably have the worst one:
The Mauvish Falcon
Terror in Turquoise - a ghostly Indian shape is attacking jewelers in Arizona… Is it ok if I saw it on Scooby-Do?
Argh! No wonder your mystery writer is ready to scream!
Next you’ll ask us to design horrible bodice-ripper front covers.
Not that we’d refuse…
this is so great. my favorite so far is Courtney De’s “Mr. Brown Went Down”; something about a “Mr.Brown” just makes me* LOL.
Green Bacon:
Liz is just trying to get a little housework done- a rarity- when Mr. Bacon comes by with a solution to her recent money troubles. Liz takes the case, but soon she’s about to find out the only thing bacon leads to is heart trouble…
(yeah, more foodish, sorry)
Blues Blows Over:
Liz gets dumped by her newest boyfriend in a Blues bar, and then the saxophone player has a heart attack on stage. But when his replacement dies the next night, Liz must discover who wants to do the band harm…and who will be the next to blow his last breath”
wow these are pretty bad. and yet the game is still so addictive…
These are ridiculously lame, but I couldn’t think of anything. Instead of thinking of anymore, I went and looked for a generator, and played with a YA Novel Title generator that repeatedly told me I should write something about girls, cars, and vampire monkeys. So, um, I’m going to get right on that.
Here are the few I came up with for you:
1. Red Rum and Lovin’ It
“Red’s hiding something. Does she know anything about the ranch hand murder? Is it only a coincidence that she’s dallying with the new hired hand?”
2. A Rusty Shade of Dead
“There’s no question that the brunette found on the side of road was dead. No question that she took one hell of a beating. But how do the rusted tin cans, bound around her ankles with twine, factor in?”
3. Violet Gone Under
“A body. A pool. A name. Violet Knightley was too low for high society, but there’s a chance her killer fit right in.”
Blue In The Face - it isn’t only toddlers who scream.
Jenny, you said you’ve got 4 books to write before this one. that’s Dogs and Goddesses, Wild Ride, Always Kiss Me Goodnight, and?
You do fantastic titles for your real books, by the way - I couldn’t resist Always Kiss me Goodnight, even if I wanted to.
How about “Death Dressed in Mauve” (or any colour of your choice (I first thought of red or black, but since you are looking for something tacky, mauve (or yellow, green, gold) should do it).
Blurb:
When an assassin wearing a mauve suit attempts to take out the mayor and a woman wearing the same shade of mauve staggers into Helen Poe’s birthday party and dies on the buffet, socialite Helen is naturally upset. She calls up her friend Liz Danger, but when Liz arrives, Helen is dead, strangled with a mauve tie. Now Liz must gather the clues and find out why her friend had to die.
Lovely website! Love that retro look. How come they don’t do more of that these days?
Here are my two bits:
Copper with Two Left Feet
Burnt Umber Ella (I see this has been partially used — it’s an arson case, of course.)
What a Maroon!
Mauvelous, Darlink! (Although this sounds more like a spy novel.)
Creamed
(Guess that’s six bits — I’ll give you a dollar and you can keep the change.)
Azure Die.
It was supposed to be a week of sunny beaches, sultry nights and sparkling umbrella drinks, but Liz Danger can’t even go on vacation without stumbling into a murder. Soon her lost week in paradise becomes a busman’s holiday as Liz is drawn into the murky depths of the Carribean’s premier resort, the Azure Inn.
Liz may be treading water. But with the help of the vivacious activities director, Amanda Cruz and the darkly handsome Dectective Pal Hanson she won’t drown.
She’s ready for action.
She’s redy for anything.
She’s Liz Danger!
So this is what it’s like when you live on the other side of the world - you come home from work and discover this challenging assignment, only to find that more than fifty people made it before you with their outrageous suggestions. Now the only thing left for me is
The Scarlet Pimp of Hell
In this book, Liz Danger must find out who killed kinky callgirl Beata Littlemore and stole her magenta-colored Suburban.
“murder on the WHite carpet”:
Liz is invited to ” THink WHite”, the hottest fashion party of the year. Everything is alright and all-WHite until WHilbur WHite, the top designer and organizer of the party, drop dead on the carpet, bleeding out of his mouth.
It seems like someone prefers the traditional red carpet.
“blue sapphires are not forever”:
Liz has to find a stolen sapphire necklace that changes his new owners way too fast and leaves the former ones way too dead.
Midnight Blue Ghost
Wow. These are terrific!
I love all of the clever titles thusfar. Here are my offerings:
Roses Are Red, Violet is Dead
Owner found dead in flower bed! The situation heats up at Perennial Perfect Hot House when Liz Danger investigates with help of hunky gardener.
Jade White and the Seven Corpses
Make-up artist to the rich and dead, Jade White, calls pal Liz Danger for help when corpses start disappearing under her watch.
One Died, One Harmed — Flying Purple People Meeters
Liz Danger goes under deep cover to investigate singles club of trapeze artists and falls hard…for daring desperado. (Or they could be sky divers.)
(I know this one was a stretch, but I just had to try.)
Red Hot Killer Tomatoes
(Thoughts of killer call girls and radioactive vegetables are swirling in my brain and I can’t lock on to one.)
Liz Danger goes back home for a reunion with lots of BBQ and good music only to find someone’s been pruning the family tree in Down Home Deadly Blues.
-or-
A serial killer is stalking antique gun collectors, killing them with their own long rifles then covering them in a pile of vandalized antiques. Liz Danger is called in to help her old friend avoid his own Gunmetal Grave.
-or-
What started out as a fun retreat for mystery writers has turned into a killer of an event. Liz Danger puts aside her a role as an expert advisor and goes back on the case whether she’s Redly or Not.
This is fun.
Ooo, Oooo, Rox: Celadon is Murder!
And,
Rose Colored Garrot
This is fun!!
Burnt Sienna was my first thougth - but someone listed that already.
Sapphire Asphixiation is all I’ve got left.
I love these blogs.
I see similar ones, but I thought of:
Roses are Red, Violence is Blue.
Life’s a Peach and Then you Die
Vermillion Ways to Die
Red Die Number 2
Oh, I thought it was a really bad poem that a serial killer wrote in a new book. I like the Red, Hot and Dead and the Lavender’s Dead.
The Scarlet Pimp in Hell (Okay, that’s a stretch, I admit)
Oh, whoops, Sorry colognegirl already had that one
These are fantastic.
The Old Grey Murder. Famed Thoroughbred breeder and heir to the most famous racing stable in the country Mari “Mare” Grey ain’t what she used to be - alive! Now it’s up to Liz Danger and head groom Chance Darby to find her killer and fufill her dying wish but it won’t be easy with a whole field of suspects, enemies and rivals all jockeying to keep them out of the winner’s circle.
Life’s a Peach and Then you Die
Man I might have to use that one.
Anyway,
Killer Red Heels
Serial Killer’s Don’t Wear Pink
Dead in Black
Gray Dead Diaries
Okay, that’s all I’ve got. And can I just mention Argh people sound like Bog People. We come out of the woodworks here, baby.
Roses Are Dead, Violets Are Blue
Mr. Pink Strikes Again
Die, Amber, Die
Red River of Death
A Murder Most Mauve
The Grape Escape
One Fish, Two Fish, Dead Fish, Blue Fish
Death of a Yellow-Bellied Coward/Death Is a Yellow-Bellied Coward
Violet Is Never the Answer
The Blue Moon Murders
Lilac Hell
It started out as a simple project - redecorating her guest bedroom. But there was more than pretty lilac paint in the cans and now Liz has to put the pieces together.
Sage Advice & Deathly Warnings
Liz Danger investigates murder/suicides connected to a help-line.
Not exactly on par with the others, but I just wanted to play. *g*
Ooh, fun! I’m not thinking of any specific ones (too distracted) but a few color cliches come to mind, and I’m sure someone can make them work.
_______ is the new black
Seeing red (Seeing Dead?)
Green with Envy
Can’t wait to see what you finally end up with.
Even Dead Girls Get the Blues
“The Scarlet Pimp of Hell” !!!!!!!!
colognegrrl, I thought I was gonna pee my pants! I was laughing so hard, my kids kept asking me what was so funny. Of course, they are only 9 and 11, so I couldn’t tell them…
The Cerulean Corpse
Indigo knives
A Violet End
The Magenta Murders
Finishing out the rainbow with….
It’s open season on cowards, and Liz Danger goes undercover in an assertiveness training course to find the Yellow-Bellied Sap Killer.
-and-
Liz Danger puts on the glitz and glamor and goes hob-nobbing with high society to find out who is killing off the Grand Dames of Fashion in Green Envy.
-and-
Liz Danger is hired to find out who is killing Florida’s citrus growers for their land in Bloody Orange.
-and-
Liz Danger contemplates the attraction of tramp stams and other forms of ink expression in water front tattoo parlors while investigating Indigo Rage.
-and-
There’s more to pushing up daisies than good compost. Liz danger dons the gardening gloves in an effort to figure out who is committing Violet Violence on local flower growers.
Plus a few more colors like….
Someone is killing psychologist who treat patients with depression. Liz Danger will have to go undercover in a Brown Study.
-and-
(getting a wee bit carried away with the color references…) Liz Danger heads for the land of mint juleps and black-eyed susans when she’s asked to find out who is kidnapping and killing jockeys riding in the Kentucky Derby. Running for the roses has never been more dangerous when you’re the Cream of the Crop.
Liz Danger rushes to the aid of her cousin. The local police can’t catch the serial killer who is abducting women with the same name and beating them before dumping the corpses. Liz really doesn’t want her favorite relative to become the next Black-Eyed Susan.
Black Die Event
I was just making a list of my faves, and I have a dozen already. See, Jenny, all done!
Dead Men Do Wear Plaid
Roses are Dead, and Violet is Too
Blue Suede Shoots
Murder is the New Black
Silver Bells and Shotgun Shells
Shrieking Violet
One In Vermillion
Yellow Brick Roadkill
One Fish, Two Fish, Dead Fish, Blue Fish
The Scarlet Pimp of Hell
Even Dead Girls Get the Blues
Life’s a Peach and Then you Die
I love Roses are Dead, and Violet is Too
Here are mine:
Snow White, Blood Red
It’s Not Easy Being Green and Dead
Haunted Casa Blanca (go with the multi-lingual flow)
Red Fright and You
Red Sky at Mourning (If it’s not too long, you could complete with “Sailors Take Warning” and make it a book where a seaman gets killed.)
Murdered on a Yellow Submarine
Killer Blue Whale (well, a killer dolphin worked for Sharyn McCrumb)
Violet Tendencies
Mr. Pine’s Purple Corpse (is it wrong to riff on a children’s book?)
Talk Till He’s Blue in the Face
Brown Eyed Dead Girl
In Cold, Dead, Red Blood
Black Jack the Ripper
You’ve Got Blackmail
Bluebird of Crappiness (sorry, that was awful)
Oooh, no. That should be “Stalk Till He’s Blue in the Face”.
Danger in a Red Dress - Liz Danger can’t believe the lengths she will go to get her man.
Danger Under White Water - Liz Danger just thought she was going to relax in her new jacuzzi.
Danger Behind the Green Door - Liz Danger had 1 chance to pick the door with the best deal on game show remake of ‘Let’s Make a Deal’. Little did she know it might be her last chance to stay alive.
Danger Before the Blue Moon - Liz Danger has until the 2nd full moon of the month to solve her case. Her life depends on it.
A Green and Yellow Casket
Liz thinks she’s ready for her high school reunion — until she finds the school colors wrapped around her algebra teacher’s neck. If Liz leaves the scene at midnight, and the cops leave an hour later, who’ll find the killer first?
Oh wow, these are awesome. Mine are craptastically bad but I couldn’t resist.
Ashes to Ashes, Rust to Rust
Blueberry Kill
Rose Colored Gashes
The Scarlet Letter Opener
Secret of the Gold Glock (Nancy Drew fans?)
Red Badge of Carnage
White Corpses of Dover
Murder on the Orange Express
The Adventures of Ecru Poirot (terrible, terrible…)
Eggplanting Evidence
Ruby Two Prey (worse…)
and my “masterpiece”, a combination Bond/colour reference and Wheel of Fortune style Before & After -
Maroon With a View to a Kill (I know, it’s awful)
How about:
Crimson Corpse
Blue Moon Murder
Blush of Death
Deep Purple Dagger
Tinge of Tangerine
Vermillion Vengance
Have fun!
I’m tired and I think others already came up with some these, but it’s the best I can do.
Grape Expectations
War and Puce
There will be Black
No Crimson for Old Men
Puce and Prejudice
The Turning of the Blue
White is the New Dead
Little Black Death
Harold and Mauve
The Grape Escape
That Touch of Pink
The Tan Mutiny
Blush, Blush, Sweet Charlotte
The Ebony and the Ecstasy
Tie a yellow ribbon ’round the dead oak tree
… it’s been XX long years since Liz Danger had visited her home town. Now, fresh from a jail sentence she hadn’t deserved, seeking revenge, she returns home to her old haunts… which are haunted in more ways than one!
(Oh all right, so that was lame.)
I should have thought of The Grape Escape…that’s what I call my van, The Great Grape Escape.
Death Wears Ruby Slippers
Liz Danger’s nasty ruby slipper wearing next door neighbor is found under her porch. She has obviously been beaten to death. The entire neighborhood witnessed Liz and the old lady in a knock down drag out fight over the property line. Now, Liz needs to prove she didn’t do it with the help of a homeless man, a mechanic and a costume store owner.
Crimson Died
Turning Green - Rival sisters, one ends up dead. Is the other responsible?
Blue No More - A grieving spouse find new love very quickly, as the circumstances surrounding her death begin to look more suspicious. Was he responsible?
Faded Pink - An elderly neighbor dies in her garden. Items seem to have disappeared from her house. Was her caretaker responsible?
I couldn’t possibly match much less top any of these.
Just stopped in to say: the term “argh people” made me giggle. had a flashback to the first time i heard the term “sand people” in star wars.
Possibly a little to… referrential?
Don’t Look Brown
I love the Scarlet Harlot and Scarlet Pimp of Hell. Red Die Number 2 is also a winner.
This morning on CBS News Sunday Morning they did a piece on book titles. Apparently F.Scott Fitzgerald wanted to change the name of the Great Gatsby while it was being printed and Heller’s first title was Catch 18.
Murder in the Greenroom — Guests on a famous trashy talk show are being murdered backstage. Can Liz Danger, appearing to promote her new true crime book, last long enough to appear live on THE CHERRY SPRINGER SHOW?
The Greengrocer’s Grave — When the owner of the local supermarket is found dead under a pile of Ruby Red grapefruit, Liz Danger races the police to bring the solution to fruition.
Death of a Pinko — When a right-wing radio commentator who has accused Liz’s friend, senatorial candidate Viola Flower, of Communist sympathies is found standing over her corpse with the murder weapon in his hand, will Liz even bother to try to clear him?
Incidentally, Fitzgerald’s original title for The Great Gatsby was Trimalchio in West Egg. Somehow it just doesn’t have the same ring to it…
red sky in morning
(you know, red sky at night, sailors delight, red sky in morning, sailors take warning)