Help me pick a title for my mystery novel?

drpeg

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Hi, all. I hope this is an appropriate question for this forum (this is my first post). I recently finished the nth revision of my mystery novel and am ready to move on to the publishing stage. But I've never been sure of my working title, so I brainstormed some other possibilities. Would anyone care to offer an opinion as to which of the following titles would grab them, make them want to read the blurb?

I don't know how much background information I should give you first, so let me just start by saying the novel is for adults and that the story is both poignant and fun--as we all know, humor and tragedy are inextricably linked.

Anyway, here are some potential titles:

Ice Man and the Rogues in the Art Gallery

Haunted and Watched: A Nicholas Lief/Ice Man Mystery

Steal Back: A Nicholas Lief/Ice Man Mystery

Altars for the Little Dead: A Nicholas Lief/Ice Man Mystery

Smuggling Innocence: A Nicholas Lief/Ice Man Mystery

Thanks!
 
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drpeg

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Perhaps it would help if I give you the "plot" paragraphs from the query letter I've been working on:

Nicholas Lief’s profession hovers midway between “thief” and “bastard cousin to the private investigator,” and he thrives on stealing back stolen valuables. But nine years ago, that valuable was a kidnapped boy, and to steal him back Nicholas had to endure psychological trauma so great he lost those four months from his memory. Never again has Nicholas accepted a missing child case.

Until now. A Santa Monica art gallery owner pays Nicholas $10,000 to recover a stolen rubber chicken. His client proclaiming herself psychic, Nicholas is inclined to dismiss the theft as a prank (“Perhaps a poultry-geist struck”). But his lead suspect—a young Latino boy—receives death threats and disappears. Then tire-iron-wielding thugs capture and beat Nicholas for information about the chicken and child. Nicholas’s escape is effected by pain-immune Ice Man: born as a coping mechanism during Nicholas’s harsh childhood, Ice Man is Nicholas experiencing himself as a detached observer. The price for Ice Man’s existence: Nicholas cannot form close relationships.

Ice Man, however, can’t defend Nicholas against Onnie Justice—hotheaded Southerner, fledgling PI, enlisted by the gallery owner to join the case. Nicholas finds himself attracted to the young woman, an experience new and exhilarating—and excruciating. Fearing his feelings for Onnie, fearing for her safety, he tries—and repeatedly fails—to shunt her to the sidelines. But his emotions for her are just one problem. He discovers that the stolen rubber chicken is connected to a Mexican smuggling ring, a ring involved in the sorts of evil that both destroyed Nicholas’s childhood and traumatized him during his earlier case. And in his determined pursuit of the chicken, the disappeared child, and the mysterious string-puller behind present events, he finds himself forced to confront the most frightening, soul-searing thing of all: his past.
 

lizmonster

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This might do better in Brainstorming, but FWIW I rather like Steal Back. I'd change the series title to either A Nicholas Lief Mystery or An Ice Man Mystery, though - should be simple and easy for people to remember.

I'll also mention that if you're going through a publisher, they might have some title suggestions as well.
 

xanaphia

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I like Steal Back as well. I'd grab that off the shelf and check out the blurb. And I agree with lizmonster, stick with either Ice Man Mystery or Nicholas Lief Mystery for the series title. I like Ice Man better for that, personally.
 

drpeg

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Thank you! I didn't spot "Brainstorming," so I'll check that out as well.
 

Cyia

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As an aside, if you go with "Ice Man," make sure it's two words. "Iceman" is trademarked to Marvel / Sony. And if, perchance, he uses ice powers, then change his name. That's a headache you don't want.
 
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drpeg

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Thanks, Cyia. I use "Ice Man" as two words, and he doesn't have superpowers, in comic-book way. But since he feels no pain, he does have greater strength and endurance and "punching power" than Nicholas does. Nicholas refers to that aspect of himself as Ice Man because Ice Man feels nothing emotionally, either.
 

drpeg

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Thanks for your thoughts, cb! I'm amused by the "Man of Steal," but I'm afraid that would lead readers to expect a cominc-book-type superman.
 

drpeg

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Thanks, Al X. I'm leaning toward Steal Back: A Nicholas Lief Mystery. I'd already checked "Steal Back" on Amazon and turned up a children's book, Steal Back the Mona Lisa, and a book of poetry called Steal It Back. Just now I googled "steal back" and turned up a song by that name by Aunt Martha, and of course such sentences like "x was caught while trying to steal back his dirt bike." So it seems to me that it'd be alright to use "Steal Back" in the title of my book. Correct?
 

Al X.

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I would think so. In any case you want to avoid using a common title for a book. And by the way, the same goes for an author alias. I spent a lot of time researching my alias, and sadly, a year later, another author (actually pair of authors) did not do the same and there is mass confusion.
 

divine-intestine

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Peronally, I think it's procrastination and a waste of time worrying about a book title before it's finished. Like someone mentioned earlier, if you're going the traditional route you'll probably have to change title anyway.
 

drpeg2003

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The book is finished, divine-intestine, and I don't know which publishing route I'll end up taking. Plus I pretty quickly settled on the title. So much for your assumptions.
 
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Antha

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I liked Smuggling Innocence, for the record. Just because it is something you "can't smuggle".
 

shrimpsdad

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I liked Ice Man and the Rogues in the Art Gallery would grab my attention and put the book in my hand.
Smuggling Innocence is also very cool. I buy most of my book by the title if I am not searching for a specific author.
Both of those names would pique my interest.