by Carina
Mystery novels have always been interesting to me. Their unique storytelling always keeps me interested and allows me to test my detective skills. The interactive storyline never fails to spark my imagination. But it isn’t easy to write such complex stories, with hidden details everywhere.
Mystery books have an alluring way of drawing readers in. Typically, they start with an interesting event or cliffhanger that leaves the reader wanting to know more. You could introduce a crime that the protagonist must solve, or something mysterious like an unknown letter or package. The beginning of the story should tell the reader what the book will be about, but leave out some details to leave them intrigued. You can also add emotion to the story by making the stakes high, possibly by giving the detective or protagonist a personal connection to the crime or mystery.
Clues are arguably the most important part of a mystery novel, and definitely my favorite. Whenever I’m reading a mystery book, I like to annotate clues, connections, and foreshadowing to help me solve the puzzle. Although clues are very important parts of mystery novels, it can be difficult to make them fit into the story naturally. Clues can include fingerprints, DNA, suspicious behavior, witness testimonies, missing items, traces of items where they shouldn’t be, etc. When writing clues or foreshadowing, you don’t want to make them exceedingly obvious. You should hide them in the text enough so they don’t pop out, but not so much that they go completely unnoticed. This allows the reader to think about the text more, putting together the pieces of the puzzle. One way you can do this is by making the clues correspond well with the detective or protagonist's plan of action, so they don’t seem out of place. You can also hide clues in seemingly insignificant details, such as casual conversations. Of course, there are also times when clues have to seem obvious, like if a secret letter or fingerprint is found. Even when you include these clues, you can add secret underlying details.
Oftentimes there are also false clues and dead ends in mystery novels. These could be things such as an unreliable witness or planted or missing evidence. Things like this throw off the protagonist and reader, lead to problems in the investigation, and cause distractions from what’s really happening in the book. These red herrings are often accompanied by a shocking plot twist. Plot twists can have the same effects as false clues and dead ends, and sometimes even lead to an unexpected ending.
The well resolved endings found in mystery novels can be some of the most satisfying parts. Readers typically prefer a good, or just, ending to mysteries. Not only should you include who committed the crime or caused the mystery, but the motives and provide answers to questions throughout the story. Seeing the mystery finally solved and all the loose ends tied up is like a breath of fresh air. On the other hand, you could also leave a few loose ends on purpose to prepare for another mystery novel. If you decide to do this, you should still answer questions throughout the book so you don’t leave readers frustrated.
In mystery novels, you can always find some key roles that are crucial for keeping the story interesting. The first, most important role, is the sleuth/detective. The sleuth is usually the protagonist, and follows clues to solve a mystery. Alongside the sleuth, the sidekick is someone who helps them along their journey. On the contrary, the villain is the bad guy in the story, or the person the sleuth is chasing. The victim is someone who has been harmed by the villain, and who the sleuth is trying to help.
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