The speaker discusses the style and the approach of three mystery writers from north Mississippi, focusing on their individual qualities. John Armistead builds his thrillers around racial conflicts, while portraying the sense of place of rural north Mississippi. John Grisham sends his characters around America and the globe and portrays such a grasp of sophistication and intrigue that readers are left with their heads spinning. Donna Tartt, unlike either of her fellow Mississippians, creates suspense with rhythmic cadence and classical mystique through a psychological probing into the attitudes and actions of mankind.