Mysteries
What characteristics identify Mystery fiction?
- Mysteries typically focus on the process of solving a crime, rather than the details of the crime itself
- Usually revolve around a murder, a kidnap or a robbery
- Amateurs or professional investigators perform the sleuthing, and often a single protagonist or a whole host of characters recur in some of the popular serial titles
- The story is structured around the efforts of the investigators or detectives to bring the criminal to justice
Style of language and construction
- Beginning clearly introduces main characters and the mystery to be solved
- Complex plot to keep you guessing – red herrings, intriguing clues
- Often a clear climax to the story when the mystery is solved
- May have a final reveal scene
- Famous examples involve a well known sleuth many of whom have become part of popular culture e.g. Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Marple and Nancy Drew
- Often detailed, descriptive language
- Can involve famous catch phrases or modes of speech e.g. “Elementary my dear Watson”
