The Butler Didn't Do It!

The Butler Didn't Do It! - A Mystery Writing Solutions Compendium by Apollyon.

The Butler Didn't Do It!
So Whodunit?!

A Mystery Writing Solutions Compendium
Compiled by Apollyon (Nathan Magus / Nathan Z.)

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents
The Butler Didn't Do It!.............................................................................................................................1
A Mystery Writing Solutions Compendium..........................................................................................1
Table of Contents..............................................................................................................................2
First, The Solutions...............................................................................................................................5
Now, the Encyclopedia!......................................................................................................................27
Mystery fiction.........................................................................................................................................28
Contents...............................................................................................................................................28
Beginnings...........................................................................................................................................29
Classifications.....................................................................................................................................29
See also................................................................................................................................................29
References...........................................................................................................................................30
External links.......................................................................................................................................30
Detective fiction.......................................................................................................................................31
Contents...............................................................................................................................................32
Beginnings of detective fiction............................................................................................................33
In ancient literature.........................................................................................................................33
Early Arab detective fiction............................................................................................................33
Early Chinese detective fiction.......................................................................................................33
Early Western detective fiction.......................................................................................................34
Golden Age detective novels...............................................................................................................37
The private eye novel..........................................................................................................................38
The "whodunit" versus the "inverted detective story"........................................................................39
Police procedural.................................................................................................................................39
Other subgenres...................................................................................................................................39
Analysis...............................................................................................................................................40
Preserving the story's secrets..........................................................................................................40
Plausibility and coincidence...........................................................................................................40
Effects of technology......................................................................................................................41
Introduction to regional and ethnic subcultures..............................................................................41
Proposed rules.....................................................................................................................................41
Famous fictional detectives.................................................................................................................41
Detective debuts and swansongs.........................................................................................................47
Books...................................................................................................................................................49
See also................................................................................................................................................49
References...........................................................................................................................................49
Further reading....................................................................................................................................51
Crime fiction............................................................................................................................................52
Contents...............................................................................................................................................53
History of crime fictions......................................................................................................................54

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Categories of crime fiction..................................................................................................................54
Detective fiction..............................................................................................................................54
Later and contemporary contributions to the whodunit......................................................................55
Crime fiction and mainstream fiction.............................................................................................55
"High art" versus "popular art"............................................................................................................56
The discrepancy between taste and acclaim...................................................................................56
A reassessment of critical ideals.....................................................................................................57
Pseudonymous authors...................................................................................................................57
Film and literature: The case of crime fiction.....................................................................................58
Availability of crime novels................................................................................................................58
Quality and availability...................................................................................................................58
Classics and bestsellers...................................................................................................................58
Forgotten classics............................................................................................................................59
Revival of past classics...................................................................................................................59
See also................................................................................................................................................60
References...........................................................................................................................................60
External links.......................................................................................................................................61
Whodunit..................................................................................................................................................62
Contents...............................................................................................................................................63
History.................................................................................................................................................64
Examples of whodunits.......................................................................................................................64
Parody and spoof............................................................................................................................66
Homicide investigation...................................................................................................................67
See also................................................................................................................................................67
Spy fiction................................................................................................................................................68
Contents...............................................................................................................................................69
History.................................................................................................................................................70
Pre-First World War........................................................................................................................70
Inter-war period..............................................................................................................................70
Second World War..........................................................................................................................71
Cold War.........................................................................................................................................71
British.........................................................................................................................................72
American....................................................................................................................................72
Russian.......................................................................................................................................73
Cinema and television................................................................................................................73
Post–Cold War................................................................................................................................73
Post–9/11........................................................................................................................................74
Sub-genres...........................................................................................................................................74
Notable writers....................................................................................................................................75
See also................................................................................................................................................75
Notes....................................................................................................................................................76
References...........................................................................................................................................76
External links.......................................................................................................................................76
All Good Things Come To An End!...............................................................................................78

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First, The Solutions.
Within the next few pages are solutions and tutorials on writing mysteries.
Enjoy!

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Mystery Writing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_Halas]John Halas

Mystery writing follows certain norms of writing and offers the readers the opportunity to exert their
intellectual powers to unravel the unknown before the detective does. In this way it is an excellent tool
to exercise the human mind. Once the mystery authors embark on their journey to compose the thriller,
there is no looking back and they can progress to penning great mystery novels.

People with an inclination to tackle this genre can write screenplays, novels, or short stories. The
possibilities are endless, and authors may choose from a number mystery sub-genres. Whichever sub-
genre or medium, mystery writing must be steeped in suspense and surprises. By following certain
rules that dictate the way mysteries are to be composed, writers can have improved chances of
achieving greater success. The ones mentioned below are only starters. Writers can brainstorm and
come up with a several ideas to refine their mystery story. Consider the following when writing
mystery:

� Having a plausible plot is of utmost importance. A novel based on a weak idea is least likely to
attract readers and the writer may eventually fade away into anonymity.

� Introduce the protagonist and the antagonist within the first few pages or else the readers will not
include the culprit in their list of suspects and feel let down. Go on to present the minor characters after
that.

� The crime must be laid out clearly within the few chapters of the start of the book or scenes as in the
case of a screenplay. This will set the minds of the audience ticking and establish the right mood.

� Mystery writing that revolves around high degree of crime has better prospects. Readers feel
satiated with murder mysteries although it is more taxing for their brains. A feeble suspense does not
excite the readers sufficiently. A clear definition of the problem that has to be solved makes for a far
better story.

� List out the workable clues that could fit the plot selected and use the best ones, holding back the
main or crucial clue for the end.

� The detective or the hero must finally solve the mystery using the laws of science. The story will
become more believable if backed by postulates of rational knowledge.

� Characterize the villain in a mold that leaves no room for doubt in his capability to commit the
crime. Often the readers are side-tracked by the culprit's outer behavior that belies his intentions he is
harboring.

� Readers cannot be fooled by mystery writing through the presence of supernatural elements to solve
the mystery or by an accidental solution.

When done right, mystery writing is one of the most exciting of the genres. The initial set-backs to the

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investigator, the mounting tension, the sudden twist and ultimately resolving the mystery will satisfy
the reader and electrify the author. Working with an experienced mystery writer and revising and
rewriting the rough draft can significantly improve the final outcome.

Contact professional [http://screenwritersforhire.com/mystery-writers/]MYSTERY WRITERS to help
write or edit your horror screenplay, novel, or short story.

Just visit our website: [http://screenwritersforhire.com/mystery-
writers/]http://screenwritersforhire.com/mystery-writers/ , call / text message John at (716) 579-5984,
or EMAIL: Ezine[AT]GhostwritersForHire.Com

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Mystery-Writing&id=6526415] Mystery Writing

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Mystery Writing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_Halas]John Halas

Mystery writing is perhaps the most creative forms of writing. Successful authors of this vibrant genre
tend to be observant and intelligent. The task of handling such a literature calls for an inquisitive mind
as well as a love for writing and solving problems. Writing novels with mystery being its theme is an
art and a science at the same time. The story has to be solved by the hero or the detective using
scientifically proven laws, thus necessitating the writer to be well versed with rational knowledge.
Many of the writers turn their attention to compiling screenplays after getting a fair hang of dealing
with mystery. This is probably the outcome of the fact that script writing is by far the most profitable of
all other forms of artistic writing.

Mystery writing can be an enjoyable and imaginative mission, but it does take hard work and several
years of practice to produce a mystery novel of outstanding worth. A lot depends upon the central plot.
The idea for one may come from anywhere -- a conversation, a place, an incident, an article appearing
in the newspaper or just about the most unexpected source. It is up to the inventive skill of the author to
develop a plot based on an intriguing idea. All great screenplays started as a tiny idea in the
scriptwriter's mind.

The next step in mystery writing is the creation of characters. While some authors prefer to be
innovative in this area, others base the characters on somebody in the real world. Yet others create a
hybrid of real people, exaggerating and altering certain characteristics to create a completely new
character. Creating interesting characters is essential to mystery writing. It is also important to infuse
the story with surprise and suspense.

The ability to tie up all loose ends before the conclusion of the literature is easier said than done. The
clues that lead the hero towards solving the puzzle are challenging to create. Leaving the crucial
evidence or the trump card for the end is the best policy. Of course, interspersing the entire tale with
little clues and a dash of frivolity helps to maintain reader interest.

Mystery writing requires re-writing several times because as the writer progresses, flaws show up
either in the plot characters, necessitating amendments in the story. Involving all the emotions of the
reader is a sure way to success in mystery writing. Grabbing their attention within the first couple of
pages is more imperative than important, for the audience is likely to put a non-attention grabber aside,
perhaps forever. Refrain from bringing cruelty to animals or extreme violence into the book being
written. The author should always remember to write something that could happen to the common
people with average capabilities, use easy-to-understand language and sit back and watch the reception
of his creation.

Contact professional [http://screenwritersforhire.com/mystery-writers/]MYSTERY WRITERS to help
write or edit your horror screenplay, novel, or short story.

Just visit our website: [http://screenwritersforhire.com/mystery-
writers/]http://screenwritersforhire.com/mystery-writers/, call / text message John at (716) 579-5984, or
EMAIL: Ezine[AT]GhostwritersForHire.Com

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Mystery-Writing&id=6526381] Mystery Writing

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How to Write a Mystery Novel - Essential Elements of Mystery Writing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_J_Rushnak]Michael J Rushnak

Authors write best what we know best. As a retired physician, I have written a fictional medical
mystery thriller trilogy. After three decades of working in many aspects of the medical world, I know
the inside story of healthcare--the good, the bad, and the ugly. That said, my fictional stories always
walk a fine line between what I can imagine and what might or what could really happen. Thus, in
order to bring a high degree of believability and realism into my thrillers, I incorporate many details
into my novels. Whenever I need expertise that I don't personally possess, I talk with experts to
contribute their real world experiences into particular aspects of my writing to give my stories
maximum credibility. Therefore, beyond using the Internet, my research expands by speaking directly
with many subject matter experts. My goal is to write novels that will thrill and entertain but also leave
the reader thinking about possible solutions to many real issues in my novels that includes political and
corporate corruption, greed, revenge, forgiveness, and many shades of both what is good and what is
evil in the world. Since the devil is in the details, research into those real world facts is the foundation
for me to write a compelling medical mystery thriller.

In writing a mystery thriller, it is critical to create action and excitement through conflict and tension
between the characters themselves or conflict between the characters and the circumstances into which
they find themselves. In my thrillers, the main characters are simply doing their "day job" and are
literally sucked into the specific bone chilling conflict swirling around him/her knowing full well that
they are risking their life and/or career if they do act and engage the conflict embodied in the story
while at the same time clearly understanding and recognizing that something horrific will happen to
many others or to society at large if the main characters turn a "blind eye" or choose to ignore
becoming involved in solving the mystery to save their own skins.

Be bold. Get to the conflict as soon as possible. Develop multi-demensional characters that the readers
will either love or hate. Don't be bland or neutral, at least not for the main characters. Write your novel
in three sections, a strong beginning on the main conflict at hand, moving to a middle that does not sag
because you have interwoven an exciting back-story that adds depth to your main characters, and
conclude with the highest level of conflict in the story by writing a thrilling emotional climax that will
have more surprise twists and turns than your own small intestine, leaving your reader with goose
bumps, shaking their heads in utter amazement over a shocking ending that ties up all loose ends with a
finish that was foreshadowed throughout the story with subtle clues, and which leaves the reader
clamoring for my next mystery thriller story.

Please feel free to interact with me through social networking on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Check out my web site to purchase my novels and to read testimonials such as NY Times bestselling
author Michael Palmer who called my first novel Terminal Neglect -- "one of the very best medical
thrillers I have read, not recently, EVER!" http://www.michaelrushnakbooks.com

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Write-a-Mystery-Novel---Essential-Elements-of-
Mystery-Writing&id=7077691] How to Write a Mystery Novel - Essential Elements of Mystery
Writing

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5 Tips for Writing Mystery Stories
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dawn_Arkin]Dawn Arkin

Mystery stories are a special type of writing. Fast paced and complex, they are a problem solving
person's idea of a great read. Good mysteries keep a reader wondering while solving the crime. Great
mysteries keep a reader in the dark until the very end.

Though you can have almost any combination of genre in one, there are certain rules you must follow
for the tale to be considered a mystery.

1. Plot - Mysteries are plot-driven tales. They go beyond the standard victim is killed - detective
searches for clues - killer is caught plotlines. Good mysteries have all that. Great mysteries have twists,
turns and enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing until the moment the killer is revealed. A
mystery story's plot must be plausible or the story will fall flat on its covers.

2. Crime - The crime should be introduced as early as possible, preferable in the firs chapter. Not many
readers will be willing to read hundreds of pages without a victim. Most would not be willing to read
past the first chapter. The crime should be believable, something the reader can see happening.

3. Main Characters - Introduce your detective and villain early on. Your detective is the hero of the
story and your reader wants to see him in action from the get go. Your villain can be shown early, but if
you want to keep your reader guessing, then keep your villain in the shadows until his unmasking.

4. Take your time - Keep your villain a secret until the last possible moment. If you show the reader
who he is too soon, they might lose interest in the rest of the story. Be sure you reveal the clues as your
detective uncovers them so your reader has a chance to solve the crime first.

5. Research - Make sure you read up on the type of crime, police procedures, and forensic information
to make your story come to life. Also, make sure you know your story's setting inside and out. Nothing
ruins a story faster than a writer who doesn't understand their own setting and makes errors the reader
can see.

Mystery stories tend to follow more standard rules than other genres. Following those rules will help
you write the kind of mystery your readers are looking for, and create the kind of suspenseful storyline
that will have your readers turning the page until the very ending.

Dawn Arkin is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/
which is a site for Fiction Writing. Her portfolio can be found at http://darkin.Writing.Com/ so stop by
and read for a while.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Tips-for-Writing-Mystery-Stories&id=722552] 5 Tips for
Writing Mystery Stories

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Elements of Writing a Mystery Novel
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kasaundra_Riley]Kasaundra Riley

Like anything, a mystery novel is composed of different parts, which are referred to as elements. Each
are critical in capturing the readers interest. If your story is researched and well written, it is sure to be
a winner. By now, you are probably wondering what the elements are. They are the science, plot,
characters with settings and writing technique.

First is the science. This needs to be accurate due to the fact several mystery novel readers are welled
versed in forensic techniques. They can see through phony stuff in an instant, and you want to avoid
that. If you can write a good story and have correct science then your book just went from decent to
great.

Next is the development of the plot. This will make or break your story. It is crucial to have a plot that
makes sense, is intriguing, and has many twists and turns to keep the reader not knowing what is going
to happen next. The more they do not know what is coming the more suspense you will create and of
course in a mystery novel, suspense is everything! If there was a part to really focus on, it would be the
plot!

Following is creating the characters with stories settings. It is important to really develop them and
make them something authentic. You want to have the audience relate them. This will increase the
connection with the reader and makes it easier for you to write the rest of the novel. The more you
know about your character, the easier it is for you to write about them. After the characters, the setting
is extremely important to set the atmosphere for the story.

Lastly, the element of writing technique is significant when constructing your mystery novels. This is
simply because this is part of what creates the emotion within the reader. It is good to include literary
elements such as similes, personification, and metaphors. It is good to also include more advanced
techniques such as suspense and foreshadowing. These are big keys when writing a mystery story.
What is even more important is what is called red herrings. These will make reader think the story is
going one way when it is actually the other. Incorporating these will enhance your story and make for a
better read.

If you can have all these elements intertwined into your story, you are on the right track to write a great
mystery novel!

Learn how to write your own mystery novel at [http://www.writeamysterynovel.com]

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Elements of Writing a Mystery Novel

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Thinking of Writing a Mystery Novel? Remember These Principles
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=A._W._Guerra]A. W. Guerra

Probably one of life's greatest simple pleasures has been the act of reading a well-written piece of
fiction, especially when it's something like a classic "whodunit." The names of famous authors in this
genre are legion: Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler were famous in their day, as are Sue Grafton
and Mary Higgins Clark today.

What's also for certain is that there probably aren't many people who like to write who haven't thought
of sitting down and penning a juicy mystery novel. For aspiring mystery writers one of the first things
to understand is that there are general principles involved in the writing of any story, and especially so
when it comes to mysteries in general.

For the most part, there are a number of broad themes when it comes to working out a plot for the novel
of your dreams in this sort of genre. Almost all of the most successful writers in the business use some
variation or another of these principles when it comes to the writing of their own stories, and these
variations have worked well for pretty much as long as the mystery novel has been around.

To begin with, don't obsess over filling in parts of characters' lives or even the story itself that most
readers will just skip or skim over anyway. Many newer mystery writers fall into this trap, and waste
precious pages trying to explain things that the average reader just doesn't care about, sad to say.

Also, work very hard at plotting a mystery that's actually going to be a mystery and not just something
written to create confusion in a reader's mind. Give your reader enough info to stay interested in the
story but not so much that the storyline just becomes tiring instead. In mysteries, streamlining is vital,
so never lose sight of that particular rule when it comes down to plot.

Keep in mind, also, that good whodunits have a number of "what?" questions. Simply put, these are
either explicitly or implicitly stated throughout a novel and consist of "what will...?" or "what is...?"
lines of plot development.

For instance, a writer might pose a "What will the main character do when he's confronted with the real
truth of things?" question indirectly to his or her reader. Readers love those sorts of questions, for a
fact, and sometimes - but be sparing when using them - they also love a few "why did...?" questions,
which can be good to occasionally throw into the plot mix.

Many newer writers - not only of mysteries but also just about any other sort of fiction - fail to
remember that in such styles of writing the story must be moved along with pace and speed. Especially
in the mystery genre, it's not necessary to waste page after page on extraneous plot set-ups and deep
character development.

In the above observation, really, who cares -- when reading a mystery -- what color ties the dead guy
wore unless it's absolutely essential to explaining why he ended up dead and who might have whacked
him for wearing such a color tie? Instead, get to the point and throw out the red meat plot stuff that any
mystery lover adores.

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Another principle in mystery writing to observe is the need to come up with a juicy moral or ethical
problem or dilemma for the story's protagonist, and then weave that problem into the fabric and pace of
the story itself. The best stories always seem to present at least one difficult moral quandary that the
character will have to resolve, so work hard to develop one for your protagonist.

Perhaps the most important plot element in any good mystery is that there's tension all throughout it.
This tension, for the most part, exists between the good guy (the protagonist) and the bad guy (the
antagonist).

What this means is that the protagonist needs to be at work trying to solve a problem and that the
antagonist needs to be working to try to prevent its subsequent solution. Remember, most of the great
stories are about good and bad and how we address either or both of the two, and the problem that
needs to be solved will always be a statement about the tension or struggle between good and bad.

Generally, it's the case that when all of the above plot elements exist in a mystery the story will usually
be high quality and of interest to readers, which is should be the aim of any aspiring mystery writer. If
you can discipline yourself to stay within the broad themes of classic mystery writing, there's a good
chance that any story you produce will have at least a fighting chance at eventual success.

A. W. Guerra is a retired military officer, current writer and also author who presently pens articles and
posts for over 15 personal websites and blogs, including WriteWell Communications.

This blog, [http://writewellcommunications.com], is dedicated to teaching the mechanics and processes
involved in learning to write well.

He may be reached through his personal website at [http://www.tonyguerraonline.com].

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Thinking-of-Writing-a-Mystery-Novel?-Remember-These-
Principles&id=2629260] Thinking of Writing a Mystery Novel? Remember These Principles

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Writing Mystery Series: Ten Tips That Work
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Camille_Minichino]Camille Minichino

Readers of crime fiction love series. They like nothing better than to get to know a protagonist and his
world over the course of many books, much as we enjoy the episodes of a television drama series. Each
story must stand alone, with its own character and story arcs, but with a larger character arc that
encompasses the whole series. It's the writer's job to reveal character over many books, making sure
that new readers will understand and old readers will not be bored. Once all of your investigator's
personal issues are resolved, the series is over.

Tip 1. Plan ahead. Think carefully about your protagonist before you begin a mystery series. Your
sleuth, if amateur must have an interesting enough job to ride out many books; thus, a loner in an
accounting office might not work. If your protagonist is a professional investigator, he should work
enough outside the box to be appealing and worthy of return visits.

Tip 2. Ride the best friend wave. Give your protagonist/sleuth a complementary friend! Is your sleuth
logical and literal to the point of obsession? Give her a friend who will force her to dig into her
intuitive side, someone who shows her another way to approach problem solving-and life. This Best
Friend Forever can be a partner, a spouse, a grandchild, or the old fashioned Watson-like sidekick.
You'll be able to bring the best friend forward in other entries to your series.

Tip 3. Make each cohort count. Other than having a best friend, how "connected" should your
protagonist be? Not as much as you the author need to be to sell and promote your book! Giving your
sleuth too many friends makes the story hard to handle, but give him too few and you're stuck with not
enough of a cast to keep a series going. Avoid the trap of needing to conjure up a long-lost cousin in the
fifth book.

Tip 4. Location, location, location. Whether your setting is real or fictional, make it sparkle. If it's a real
city, be sure to use its special character, whether climate, storied neighborhoods, or physical attraction.
If you make up a town, you're free to give it a specialness of your own choosing, like an annual festival
or performance, or a unique cuisine. Convince the reader that it's worth revisiting your setting over and
over in the series.

Tip 5. Become a bookkeeper. Keeping track of details is especially essential when writing a series.
Create a handy chart where you list each character's physical attributes and back story, plus her
preferences for things like music, books, hobbies, and fashion. Each time you start a new book in the
series, check to be sure that if Virgil has a son in book two, he still has a son in book three.

Tip 6. Become a sketch artist. Even a crude sketch of your crime scene will come in handy for keeping
the details of the crime straight throughout the book. Sketch every room that's important in your story.
The sketches also serve as inspiration if you find yourself blocked and needing a new avenue to
explore. Go back to the sketches. Where's the bullet casing? What purpose is served by the window
overlooking the garden?

Tip 7. Start in the middle. Be ready when readers want the first in your series and the bookstore has

Page 15 of 78


only your latest in stock. Remind readers through promotion that each book stands on its own with a
fully developed and resolved story and that your protagonist can be completely understood as he
appears in each book. Just as you can make new friends mid-life, you can meet a character mid-series
and have a satisfying relationship.

Tip 8. Make your own calendar. Books in a series are typically released a year apart. Does your sleuth
also age a year? Are you ready for a sleuth that's twelve years older in the twelfth book? It's your
choice, but if you make your sleuth ageless, be sure to deal correctly with factors like changes in
technology. A fictional investigator operating even five years ago has significantly fewer resources at
her disposal. Keep track of your schedule of aging!

Tip 9. Kill creatively. Be aware that readers of series like to be surprised, but not too much! Stay true to
the personalities and voices of your characters, but be creative with your villains, weapons, and the
resources your protagonist uses to solve the crime. Find a new way to build suspense in each book and
a new escape route for your sleuth in each threatening situation.

Tip 10. Postpone the wedding. Romantic threads are common in mystery series and there's much debate
about whether keeping the romantic tension between unmarried characters is preferable to marrying
them off quickly. It does seem that there are more opportunities for adventures and hazardous duty if
your sleuth doesn't have to be home for dinner every night! Your choice, and it's your job to be sure no
excitement is lost whether your sleuth says "I do" or not.

Camille Minichino, aka Margaret Grace and Ada Madison, has published 13 mysteries in two series. In
July 2011 she'll launch a third series, the Professor Sophie Knowles series. More at
http://www.minichino.com

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Writing Mystery Series: Ten Tips That Work

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How to Write a Mystery Novel - 5 Awesome Tips For Writing Your Mystery Or Thriller
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Anabelle_J_Paisley]Anabelle J Paisley

Are you an aspiring author who would like to know how to write a mystery novel? Read on for 5 really
great tips to get you started on your way.

1. Read all the time in your genre, but also read on a wide variety of subjects as well. Read magazines
and newspapers. You'll be really surprised at the great ideas you will get just from reading articles in
the paper, especially for mystery novels. There are tons of things going on all the time that could be
turned into a novel. Keep your eyes and mind open.

2. Observe people. Notice how they speak. Watch adults and watch children. Watch their reactions to
things, especially unexpected things, and see what they do. You might consider carrying a small
notebook or voice recorder around with you to write down or record these observations. You'll be able
to use a lot of it later in your novel.

3. When plotting your mystery, decide what the "twist" is going to be before you begin writing. What is
the twist? That's the really interesting and surprising ending where your reader realizes that what he or
she was lulled into believing throughout the novel wasn't actually what was going on after all. Some of
the most popular mystery books have twists. But be careful not to throw out too many red herrings, as
this will probably anger the reader.

4. Figure out your plot first, then add the characters. Your characters should arise from the plot itself.

5. If you are stuck for an idea for your novel, think about routine and mundane things that happen every
day in your life, just those normal daily activities, and put an interesting twist on them. Like, for
example, let's say that every night before you go to bed you check all the doors and windows but every
morning your kitchen window is unlocked. Nothing is ever missing and no sign of forced entry, yet the
window is mysteriously unlocked each and every day. Just that simple little thing is enough to grab
your reader's interest.

You can write a mystery novel easy and fast! Go here now: http://www.writeyourfirstnovel.com

You will not believe how quick and painless it can be to get that novel finished and ready to go to the
publisher.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Write-a-Mystery-Novel---5-Awesome-Tips-For-
Writing-Your-Mystery-Or-Thriller&id=2629645] How to Write a Mystery Novel - 5 Awesome Tips For
Writing Your Mystery Or Thriller

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How to Write a Mystery Novel - 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Anabelle_J_Paisley]Anabelle J Paisley

As an aspiring author and beginning novelist, you may be looking for information on how to write a
mystery novel. There is plenty of information out there for you in the form of books and lots of
information online. But although it's very important to know what to do, it's also extremely crucial to
know what to avoid as well. So here are 5 common mistakes you should avoid.

1. The first thing not to do is don't fail to grab your reader's attention from the very first line of the very
first page. It's quite common for novice authors to begin chronologically and not want to start right at a
moment of action. Then they'll be describing some scenery and losing readers left and right. Engage the
reader immediately or they will not bother to read your novel.

2. This leads us to problem number two in your mystery novel which is too much description in
general. Your reader will simply begin skimming. You must introduce the conflict of the novel and
introduce the protagonist. You must make the reader care. They don't care about a bunch of lengthy
descriptions.

3. The next issue is not giving your characters believable motivations and having them act in believable
ways. You must know your characters before you start to write.

4. Dropping too many clues and too many "red herrings" in your mystery novel is another mistake.
Everything needs to flow logically, and your clues should be interspersed as the book progresses, not
thrown about willy nilly in an effort to cause confusion.

5. Deliberately misleading the reader. There is actually a fine line here. You obviously need some
suspense because after all, it is a mystery, and you do need that red herring mentioned above. But don't
go out of your way to throw something out there that, 3 chapters later. is shown to be totally unrelated
to the story in any way. A lot of people will get angry and toss your book down in disgust. So
meticulous planning is required on your part with the use of foreshadowing which gives readers a few
"real" clues to lead them along and allow them to try and figure things out. After all, that's why people
read mysteries and "whodunits," to try and figure them out.

You can write a mystery novel easy and fast! Go here now: http://www.writeyourfirstnovel.com

You will not believe how quick and painless it can be to get that novel finished and ready to go to the
publisher.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Write-a-Mystery-Novel---5-Common-Mistakes-to-
Avoid&id=2621162] How to Write a Mystery Novel - 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Page 18 of 78


Writing The Modern Mystery
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Billie_A_Williams]Billie A Williams

From private eye, police procedural, professional Amateur, John and Jane Q Public, Heists, Capers,
Kidnapping, Romantic Suspense the genres and sub-genres are endless when it comes to what
constitutes a mystery. Correction, a Modern Mystery.

Let's begin with a definition of mystery - it comes from the old Greek mysterian - to keep silence
(myein- to be closed as with eyes or lips sealed.) Keeping a secret is the idea behind it all. The modern
mystery finds its roots in morality plays. The felonious assault against neighbors and crimes against
entire populaces, though the crimes may remain the same the intensity, the horrid actuality of those
crimes has increased. It seems the stakes are higher, the punishment harsher in the modern day mystery.

Some modern mystery writers prefer their imagination to reality creating their own criminal milieu.
Whether or not they use modern technology to solve the crimes is their choice. They ring out, draw-out,
and leverage their creative powers until they squeeze the last thrill out of the whodunit and give the
reader a full measure of satisfaction.

"It is characterized by its own rules and is judged by those rules." According to Barbara Norville, in
Writing the Modern Mystery. This book was published in 1986 but the information is as true as if it
were written today.

Supposedly there is no such thing as a simple linear plot in a mystery. A mystery thought when a writer
begins s/he better have a plot outline in place so s/he does not run a muck. Painting him or her into the
proverbial, unsolvable corner is not an option. Even though it may not appear that the mystery is as
orderly as a plot outline on the page, it must be thoroughly thought through to keep you on target so
that you reach your perceived goal at the end.

There is no room for irrelevant material or loose ends. Absolutely no room to change course midstream,
unless you want to see the reader toss your book in to the circular file and cross you off their "to be
read" list.

Characters, fully developed characters, are always consistent in their attitudes and actions. Usually who
they are isn't as important as what they do. Hero/heroines solve the problems or promises made at the
beginning of the story. Antagonists disrupt, thwart and create chaos that tears a hole in the fabric of
known society. Theme choice of the crime and authors attitude toward the crime are also key factors.

The many sub-genres help define what type of story the mystery reader can expect. Detective, romantic
suspense or true crime. Characters and plot define, and genre rules, ultimately, illuminate the category
or sub-genre for the reader. Create a world you are comfortable with, people it with characters, a crime,
a world you are contented with and want to write about-choose your sub-genre, and write.

Your sleuth can have any career you can think of. Billie A Williams has used a single mother waitress,
hobby candle making; an antique store owner, a bed and Breakfast owner, a town chairwoman, book
store owner, investigative reporter, teacher, archeology professor, peace corps worker, a homeless

Page 19 of 78


woman, CNA at a nursing home-all accidental sleuths who solve the crimes in their own style. The
modern mystery has many options for the writer, depending on the crime and author experience or
imagination as mentioned above.

Many times in real life, crimes, cold case crimes, as in Patricia Cornwell's Jack-the-Ripper solved, or
others unsolved, but begging all sleuths to render their version of whodunit, a solution -they become
mystery novels.

The modern mystery is not shackled by earlier conventions; locked rooms are pass�, but could still be
used with a twist and your unique take on it. Your imagination, your comfort zone and your skill are the
only limitations you must obey.

Write Like the Wind and Solve it your way.

Make your reading time absorbing. Pit your wits against the accidental sleuth, who may be in a job like
yours. Subscribe to my free e-zine "Mystery Readers and Working Writers," the free e-zine for mystery
lovers readers or writers Get a free e-booklet " A Nice Quiet Family" a very short flash mystery.
http://www.billiewilliams.com

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Writing-The-Modern-Mystery&id=5808219] Writing The
Modern Mystery

Page 20 of 78


How to Create Believable Stories by Nick Sanders

Creating believable stories is probably at the forefront of many writer’s minds when you are looking to
put pen to paper and excel in writing a truly monumental story/novel.

Through this article, you will be provided some helpful tips and hints that will help you in the
construction and creation of an entertaining and believable story that your peers will envy. With the
information, you will find yourself in a better position to write a story that is not only realistic, but is
meaningful to your reader.

One main agreement by many authors is that when you actually get down to writing a story or piece of
writing is that you should only write about what you actually have experienced or know about. You
don’t have to be an expert in your field, but having actually done some gardening, when writing about
gardening tolls, for example, is a good place to start. This will also help you when you are writing
much longer pieces that are going to be published, as you can draw on any life experiences that you
have had in the past to help emphasize your points, opinions and guide the reader in understanding
what they are actually reading in from of them.

Also, creating a believable story and writing of your own is significantly influenced by reading the
work of others, and this is a techniques you should remember. When evaluating your own work and
direction, you should also think about the past works you have read by many different authors, as these
will influence your decisions on direction of your believable story. To actually write a believable story
you should always read the work of others who are writing other stories.

Creating a story that is going to be understood by your readers is paramount, so creating characters that
they can associate with will be a must when you are writing away. You should keep track of your
characters too, having an old lady riding around on a scooter probably isn’t the best thing to have her
do. Plus its unnatural and not likely to happen.

Together with your characters, you should also make sure that the scenery and settings are utilizing the
development of your story and plot. A major problem in novels that occurs is in an incorrect
description of an existing place, do your research before writing something; using google is a great
source to find out information on just about anything.

Good writers tend to sketch out their outline in what they are going to write about as this allows them
to question whether or not someone would take a point of view on their novel with positive eyes. Not
having an outline in what you are going to be writing about will be a bad idea, as you will be writing
away and get to the end with a muddled and disjointed story.

When you are revising your work you will want to edit the novel to ensure that you have created a
piece of writing that is going to stand out and people are going to enjoy. Many writers don’t take
enough time in the editing process to spot mistakes and inconsistencies in their writing, and not doing
so causes their story to be misleading and not clearly understood.

Before you submit your work to be published you will want to source an experienced editor who can

Page 21 of 78


take a look through your work and acknowledge whether your manuscript is of the highest quality to be
submitted to be published.

By recognizing and taking on board the tips provided in this article, you will be able to recognize
where your writing needs to be improved and how you are able to produce a manuscript that is both
believable to readers and is a story produced by an accomplished writer. This in turn will lead to you
becoming an admired writer in your own field.

Neil is an editor at Supaproofread, an online proofreading company, specialising in book copyediting
services. You should visit them if you are looking for a professional proofreading service

Article Source: http://www.article-buzz.com

Page 22 of 78


How To Publish A Book To Generate Sales Leads by Bob Burnham

For many, sales are the least desirable aspect of being a business owner. It means knocking on doors
and making cold calls, the majority of which end up in rejection. Publishing a book can literally end
the need to go out and get sales. Here's how.

Writing a book will end cold calling. Imagine talking to a potential customer and being able to say,
"Let me give you a copy of my book." This is a huge selling point. They may never actually read your
book, however simply because you have one tells your prospective client you are an expert in your
industry and you are so confident in your knowledge and abilities you have written a book on the
subject.
Seriously, would you rather do business with a company you know nothing about or a company who
has written a book on the subject? Most of us would rather go with a company who has written a book,
we are more comfortable with them. We are instantly more confident in their skills. Your customers
will be too. In fact, I have know business owners who simply had to say "let me send you a copy of my
book," and the potential customer made a purchase on the spot. They did not even have to see the
book, just the mention of publication was enough to give them confidence.

Writing a book will bring customers to your door. Having a book available and on the market will
bring customers to your door. For example, imagine you are exploring the possibility of running a
marathon. You buy a book or two on the subject. During your training you decide you need more help
getting proper form so you go back to the author of your book, visit their website and book a weekend
training camp with them. Now if you had not read the book, how likely is it you would have booked
their particular training camp? Not likely. The same is true for your customers. Regardless of your
business, when people read your book they will look to your for more information. It does not matter if
you run a product oriented business like selling running shoes or a service related business like fitness
training, the concept works the same. You won't have to pound on doors to make sales because
customers will be pounding on your door.

Writing a book will open up opportunities for you and your business. Continuing with the same
example from above, the fitness trainer writes a book and runs marathon training camps. The book
catches the attention of a television producer, a news program, or maybe even the manufacturer of a
running product like shoes. They contact you and offer you an opportunity. Maybe you are asked to be
an expert on the local news, maybe you're offered a radio or television program or maybe your name is
attached to a new product. All of it means more money for you and an expansion of your business and
your company name.

There's no doubt about it, a book can eliminate the stress associated with HAVING to make sales.
When you write a book, sales will automatically happen and you can focus on the more interesting
tasks of being an entrepreneur - namely growing your business!

For Your FREE MP3 (Value $97.00)
How To Make A 6 Figure Income Writing and Publishing Your Own Book

Page 23 of 78


Go To: Book Marketing

Bob Burnham
Entrepreneur, Consultant and # 1 Amazon Best Selling Author of "101 Reasons Why You Must Write A
Book"

Information on How to Write and Publish your Own Book go to Expert Author -
http://www.expertauthorpublishing.com


Page 24 of 78


Publishing A Book, 10 Money Saving Secrets by Bob Burnham

If you have ever looked into publishing a book, you may have found that an abundance of the
information makes it sound like writing and publishing a book is a very expensive endeavor. This does
not have to be the case. You can write and publish a fantastic and well received professional book,
without breaking the bank or taking out a second mortgage on your home. In fact, some people have
even found a way to publish a book for free! Here's how to save money writing and publishing your
book:

Money saving secret #1 Get others to write the book for you. This may sound sneaky, however many
successful authors have used this tactic quite successfully. We are not talking about paying a
ghostwriter, we are talking about asking experts in the field to contribute. For example, Chicken Soup
for the Soul books are collections of inspirational stories written by others. The Secret, is a collection
of information from experts in manifestation and the Law of Attraction. Experts will often gladly
contribute to your book in exchange for the ability to put their contact information in the book. It is
excellent marketing for them and a product for you.

Money Saving Secret #2 Use information you have already written. If you have written articles,
reports, and even blog posts these can be collected and organized to create a book. All you will spend
is time organizing the material into a cohesive package.

Money saving secret #3 Interview experts. One excellent way to provide value and create a book is to
interview experts in your field and organize the transcripts into an easy to read and logical manner.
Transcription generally costs about $2.20-$3.00 per minute depending on the transcriptionist and their
level of service, some simply transcribe and others will edit the document to make it read well.
Regardless, this simple process makes writing and publishing a book very cost effective and it takes no
time at all.

Money saving secret #4 epublish. Printing costs money. Distribution costs money. Many successful
authors decide to first publish their book electronically. This means customers can quickly download
the book onto their computer. Many customers actually prefer to get their information in this format
however if you are determined to see your book in print, consider funding the printing with an
electronic first run. You may find that it sells so well as an e-book that printing it does does not make
sense.

Money saving secret #5 Create a joint venture. Partner with an expert writer or if you do prefer to write
the book, partner with an expert marketer. Joint ventures are excellent ways to split the costs of
publishing a book. When seeking a joint venture partner, make certain to find someone who has
strengths where you have weaknesses. For example, if you're a good writer then find a partner who is
an excellent marketer and you both split the profits.

Money saving secret #6 Partner with a company to pre-purchase your book in exchange for promotion
in your book

Money saving secret #7 Promote affiliate products to cover the price of publication. Promoting

Page 25 of 78


products, and receiving a percentage of the sales, is a great way to fund the printing and marketing of
your book. Simply including a link in your book or on your website will initiate the affiliate income
process. Remember to only promote products that are relevant to your book's topic and are products
you would use yourself.

Money saving secret #8 The more you print the cheaper the cost per book. Printing operates just like
any other business. The more you buy, the cheaper it is. Of course, when exercising this strategy,
make sure you are confident you can sell what you print and make sure you have a safe place to store
all those books!

Money saving secret #9 Use technology to make distribution easy. For example Amazon offers
distribution and instead of charging you, they take a portion of your sale. This can easily be made up
by increasing the price just a touch. Clickbank also makes it easy and economical to distribute your e-
book.

Money saving secret #10 Take advantage of open source products. For example word processing,
website design and hosting, and even accounting software, all a vital part of becoming a successful
publisher, don't have to be expensive. If you buy software products to handle all of your publishing
tasks it can cost you thousands. Open source is free.

Writing and publishing a book does not have to be expensive. True, it may take a little creativity but
when you have all those dollar signs at the end of the road it's worth a little creative time to make it
work.

For Your FREE MP3 (Value $97.00)
How To Make A 6 Figure Income Writing and Publishing Your Own BookGo To: Make Money Writing

Bob Burnham
Entrepreneur, Consultant and # 1 Amazon Best Selling Author of "101 Reasons Why You Must Write A
Book"

Information on How to Write and Publish your Own Book go to Expert Author-
http://www.expertauthorpublishing.com


Page 26 of 78


Now, the Encyclopedia!
Here follows are some Wikipedia articles on various types of Mystery Fiction.
Enjoy!

Page 27 of 78


Mystery fiction
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.
1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short
story in which a detective (either professional or amateur) investigates and solves a crime mystery.
Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction. The term "mystery fiction" may sometimes be limited to the
subset of detective stories in which the emphasis is on the puzzle/suspense element and its logical
solution (cf. whodunit), as a contrast to hardboiled detective stories, which focus on action and gritty
realism.
2.Although normally associated with the crime genre, the term "mystery fiction" may in certain
situations refer to a completely different genre, where the focus is on supernatural or thriller mystery
(the solution doesn't have to be logical, and even no crime is involved). This usage was common in the
pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s, where titles such as Dime Mystery, Thrilling Mystery and
Spicy Mystery offered what at the time were described as "weird menace" stories – supernatural horror
in the vein of Grand Guignol. This contrasted with parallel titles of the same names which contained
conventional hardboiled crime fiction. The first use of "mystery" in this sense was by Dime Mystery,
which started out as an ordinary crime fiction magazine but switched to "weird menace" during the
latter part of 1933.[1]

Contents
• 1
Beginni
ngs
• 2
Classifi
cations
• 3 See
also
• 4
Referen
ces
• 5
Externa
l links

Page 28 of 78


Beginnings
An early work of modern mystery fiction, Das Fräulein von Scuderi by E.T.A. Hoffmann (1819), was
an influence on The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe (1841). Wilkie Collins' epistolary
novel The Woman in White was published in 1860, while The Moonstone (1868), is often thought to be
his masterpiece. In 1887 Arthur Conan Doyle introduced Sherlock Holmes, whose mysteries are said to
have been singularly responsible for the huge popularity in this genre. The genre began to expand near
the turn of century with the development of dime novels and pulp magazines. Books were especially
helpful to the genre, with many authors writing in the genre in the 1920s. An important contribution to
mystery fiction in the 1920s was the development of the juvenile mystery by Edward Stratemeyer.
Stratemeyer originally developed and wrote the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries written under
the Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene pseudonyms respectively (and were later written by his
daughter, Harriet Adams, and other authors). The 1920s also gave rise to one of the most popular
mystery authors of all time, Agatha Christie, whose works include Murder on the Orient Express
(1934), Death on the Nile (1937), and the world's best-selling mystery And Then There Were None
(1939).[2]
The massive popularity of pulp magazines in the 1930s and 1940s increased interest in mystery fiction.
Pulp magazines decreased in popularity in the 1950s with the rise of television so much that the
numerous titles available then are reduced to two today: Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. The detective fiction author Ellery Queen (pseudonym of Frederic
Dannay and Manfred B. Lee) is also credited with continuing interest in mystery fiction.
Interest in mystery fiction continues to this day because of various television shows which have used
mystery themes and the many juvenile and adult novels which continue to be published. There is some
overlap with "thriller" or "suspense" novels and like authors in those genres may consider themselves
mystery novelists. Comic books and like graphic novels have carried on the tradition, and film
adaptations have helped to re-popularize the genre in recent times.[3]

Classifications
Mystery fiction can be divided into numerous categories, among them the "traditional mystery", "legal
thriller", " medical thriller", "cozy mystery", "police procedural", and "hardboiled" (for instance,
Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon's main detective, Sam Spade).

See also
• Detective fiction
• List of crime writers
• List of female detective characters
• Art theft
• Category:Mystery novels
• List of mystery writers
• List of thriller authors
• Mystery film

Page 29 of 78


• The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time
• Giallo

References
1. ^ Haining, Peter (2000). The Classic Era of American Pulp Magazines. Prion Books. ISBN 1-
85375-388-2.
2. ^ Davies, Helen; Marjorie Dorfman, Mary Fons, Deborah Hawkins, Martin Hintz, Linnea
Lundgren, David Priess, Julia Clark Robinson, Paul Seaburn, Heidi Stevens, and Steve
Theunissen (14 September 2007). "21 Best-Selling Books of All Time". Editors of Publications
International, Ltd.. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
3. ^ J. Madison Davis: How graphic can a mystery be?, World Literature Today, July-August 2007

External links
• Mystery genre at the Open Directory Project
• Mystery Fiction at TV Tropes.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mystery_fiction&oldid=517008556"

Categories:
• Mystery fiction
• Crime fiction
• This page was last modified on 10 October 2012 at 14:05.
• Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms
may apply. See Terms of use for details.
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit
organization.

Page 30 of 78


Detective fiction
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator (often a
detective), either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.

Page 31 of 78


Contents
• 1
Beginni
ngs of
detectiv
e
fiction
• 1
.
1

I
n

a
n
c
i
e
n
t
l
i
t
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

• 1
.
2

E
a
r
l
y

A

Page 32 of 78


Beginnings of detective fiction
In ancient literature
Some scholars have suggested that some ancient and religious texts bear similarities to what would
later be called detective fiction. In the Old Testament story of Susanna and the Elders (Daniel 13; in the
Protestant Bible this story is found in the apocrypha), the story told by two witnesses breaks down
when Daniel cross-examines them. The author Julian Symons has commented on writers who see this
as a detective story, arguing that "those who search for fragments of detection in the Bible and
Herodotus are looking only for puzzles" and that these puzzles are not detective stories.[1] In the play
Oedipus Rex by Ancient Greek playwright Sophocles, the title character discovers the truth about his
origins after questioning various witnesses. Although "Oedipus's enquiry is based on supernatural, pre-
rational methods that are evident in most narratives of crime until the development of Enlightenment
thought in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries" it has "all of the central characteristics and formal
elements of the detective story, including a mystery surrounding a murder, a closed circle of suspects,
and the gradual uncovering of a hidden past."[2]

Early Arab detective fiction
The earliest known example of a detective story was The Three Apples, one of the tales narrated by
Scheherazade in the One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights). In this tale, a fisherman
discovers a heavy locked chest along the Tigris river and he sells it to the Abbasid Caliph, Harun al-
Rashid, who then has the chest broken open only to find inside it the dead body of a young woman who
was cut into pieces. Harun orders his vizier, Ja'far ibn Yahya, to solve the crime and find the murderer
within three days or be executed if he fails his assignment.[3] Suspense is generated through multiple
plot twists that occur as the story progresses.[4] This may thus be considered an archetype for detective
fiction.[5]
The main difference between Ja'far in "The Three Apples" and later fictional detectives such as
Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, however, is that Ja'far has no actual desire to solve the case. The
whodunit mystery is solved when the murderer himself confesses his crime,[6] which in turn leads to
another assignment in which Ja'far has to find the culprit who instigated the murder within three days
or else be executed. Ja'far again fails to find the culprit before the deadline, but owing to his chance
discovery of a key item, he eventually manages to solve the case through reasoning, in order to prevent
his own execution.[7]

Early Chinese detective fiction
The "Gong An story" （公案小说, literally："case records of a public law court"）is the earliest known
genre of Chinese detective fiction.
Some well known stories include the Yuan Dynasty story Circle of Chalk (Chinese:灰闌記), the Ming
Dynasty story collection Bao Gong An (Chinese:包公案) and the 18th century Di Gong An (Chinese:狄
公案) story collection. The latter was translated into English as Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee by

Page 33 of 78


Dutch sinologist Robert Van Gulik, who then used the style and characters to write an original Judge
Dee series.
The hero/detective of these novels is typically a traditional judge or similar official based on historical
personages such as Judge Bao (Bao Qingtian) or Judge Dee (Di Renjie). Although the historical
characters may have lived in an earlier period (such as the Song or Tang dynasty) most stories are
written in the latter Ming or Qing period.
These novels differ from the Western tradition in several points as described by van Gulik:
• the detective is the local magistrate who is usually involved in several unrelated cases
simultaneously;
• the criminal is introduced at the very start of the story and his crime and reasons are carefully
explained, thus constituting an inverted detective story rather than a "puzzle";
• the stories have a supernatural element with ghosts telling people about their death and even
accusing the criminal;
• the stories are filled with digressions into philosophy, the complete texts of official documents,
and much more, making for very long books;
• the novels tend to have a huge cast of characters, typically in the hundreds, all described as to
their relation to the various main actors in the story.
Van Gulik chose Di Gong An to translate because it was in his view closer to the Western tradition and
more likely to appeal to non-Chinese readers.
One notable fact is that a number of Gong An works may have been lost or destroyed during the
Literary Inquisitions and the wars in ancient China. Only little or incomplete case volumes can be
found; for example, the only copy of Di Gong An was found at a second-hand book store in Tokyo,
Japan.

Early Western detective fiction

Daguerreotype of Edgar Allan Poe
One of the earliest examples of detective fiction is Voltaire's Zadig (1748), which features a main
character who performs feats of analysis.[8] The Danish crime story The Rector of Veilbye by Steen
Steensen Blicher was written in 1829, and the Norwegian crime novel Mordet på Maskinbygger
Rolfsen ("The Murder of Engine Maker Rolfsen") by Maurits Hansen was published in 1839.[9]
"Das Fräulein von Scuderi", an 1819 short story by E. T. A. Hoffmann, in which Mlle de Scudery
establishes the innocence of the police's favorite suspect in the murder of a jeweller, is sometimes cited
as the first detective story and a direct influence on Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue

Page 34 of 78


Morgue".[10] Also suggested as a possible influence on Poe is ‘The Secret Cell’, a short story
published in September 1837 by William Evans Burton, describing how a London policeman solves the
mystery of a kidnapped girl. Burton’s fictional detective relies on practical methods - dogged legwork,
knowledge of the underworld and undercover surveillance - rather than brilliance of imagination or
intellect, but it has been suggested this story may have been known to Poe, who in 1839 worked for
Burton. [11]However, true detective fiction is more often considered in the English-speaking world to
have begun in 1841 with the publication of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" itself,[8] featuring "the
first fictional detective, the eccentric and brilliant C. Auguste Dupin". Poe devised a "plot formula that's
been successful ever since, give or take a few shifting variables."[12] Poe followed with further
Auguste Dupin tales: "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt" in 1843 and "The Purloined Letter" in 1845.
Poe referred to his stories as "tales of ratiocination".[8] In stories such as these, the primary concern of
the plot is ascertaining truth, and the usual means of obtaining the truth is a complex and mysterious
process combining intuitive logic, astute observation, and perspicacious inference. "Early detective
stories tended to follow an investigating protagonist from the first scene to the last, making the
unraveling a practical rather than emotional matter."[12] "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt" is particularly
interesting because it is a barely fictionalized account based on Poe's theory of what happened to the
real-life Mary Cecilia Rogers.
Émile Gaboriau was a pioneer of the detective fiction genre in France. In Monsieur Lecoq (1868), the
title character is adept at disguise, a key characteristic of detectives.[13] Gaboriau's writing is also
considered to contain the first example of a detective minutely examining a crime scene for clues.[14]

Dickens in 1858
Another early example of a whodunit is a subplot in the novel Bleak House (1853) by Charles Dickens.
The conniving lawyer Tulkinghorn is killed in his office late one night, and the crime is investigated by
Inspector Bucket of the Metropolitan police force. Numerous characters appeared on the staircase
leading to Tulkinghorn's office that night, some of them in disguise, and Inspector Bucket must
penetrate these mysteries to identify the murderer.

Wilkie Collins

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Dickens's protégé, Wilkie Collins (1824–1889)—sometimes referred to as the "grandfather of English
detective fiction"—is credited with the first great mystery novel, The Woman in White. T. S. Eliot
called Collins's novel The Moonstone (1868) "the first, the longest, and the best of modern English
detective novels... in a genre invented by Collins and not by Poe",[15] and Dorothy L. Sayers called it
"probably the very finest detective story ever written".[16] The Moonstone contains a number of ideas
that have established in the genre several classic features of the 20th century detective story:
• English country house robbery
• An "inside job"
• red herrings
• A celebrated, skilled, professional investigator
• Bungling local constabulary
• Detective inquiries
• Large number of false suspects
• The "least likely suspect"
• A rudimentary "locked room" murder
• A reconstruction of the crime
• A final twist in the plot

Arthur Conan Doyle
Although The Moonstone is usually seen as the first detective novel, a number of critics suggest that the
lesser known Notting Hill Mystery (1862–63), written by the pseudonymous "Charles Felix", preceded
it by a number of years and first used techniques that would come to define the genre.[17][18] In 1952,
William Buckler identified the author of the novel as Charles Warren Adams and in 2011 American
investigator Paul Collins found a number of lines of evidence that confirmed Buckler's initial claim.
[17][19]
In 1887, Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, the most famous of all fictional detectives.
Although Sherlock Holmes is not the original fiction detective (he was influenced by Poe's Dupin and
Gaboriau's Lecoq), his name has become a byword for the part. Conan Doyle stated that the character
of Holmes was inspired by Dr. Joseph Bell, for whom Doyle had worked as a clerk at the Edinburgh
Royal Infirmary. Like Holmes, Bell was noted for drawing large conclusions from the smallest
observations.[20] A brilliant London-based "consulting detective" residing at 221B Baker Street,
Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess and is renowned for his skillful use of astute observation,

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deductive reasoning, and forensic skills to solve difficult cases. Conan Doyle wrote four novels and
fifty-six short stories featuring Holmes, and all but four stories are narrated by Holmes's friend,
assistant, and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson.

Golden Age detective novels

Agatha Christie
The period of the 1920s and 1930s is generally referred to as the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
During this period, a number of very popular writers emerged, mostly British but with a notable subset
of American writers. Female writers constituted a major portion of notable Golden Age writers,
including Agatha Christie, the most famous of the Golden Age writers, and among the most famous
authors of any genre, of all time. Four female writers of the Golden Age are considered the four
original "Queens of Crime": Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham. Apart
from Ngaio Marsh (New Zealand born) they were all British.
Various conventions of the detective genre were standardized during the Golden Age, and in 1929 some
of them were codified by writer Ronald Knox in his 'Decalogue' of rules for detective fiction, among
them to avoid supernatural elements, all of which were meant to guarantee that, in Knox's words, a
detective story "must have as its main interest the unravelling of a mystery; a mystery whose elements
are clearly presented to the reader at an early stage in the proceedings, and whose nature is such as to
arouse curiosity, a curiosity which is gratified at the end." In Golden Age detective stories, an outsider
— sometimes a salaried investigator or a police officer, but often a gifted amateur — investigates a
murder committed in a closed environment by one of a limited number of suspects.
The most widespread subgenre of the detective novel became the whodunit (or whodunnit, short for
"who done it?"), where great ingenuity may be exercised in narrating the events of the crime, usually a
homicide, and of the subsequent investigation in such a manner as to conceal the identity of the
criminal from the reader until the end of the book, when the method and culprit are revealed. According
to scholars Carole Kismaric and Marvi Heiferman, "The golden age of detective fiction began with
high-class amateur detectives sniffing out murderers lurking in rose gardens, down country lanes, and
in picturesque villages. Many conventions of the detective-fiction genre evolved in this era, as
numerous writers — from populist entertainers to respected poets — tried their hands at mystery
stories."[12]
Many of the most popular books of the Golden Age were written by Agatha Christie, who produced a
long series of books featuring her detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, amongst others, and
usually including a complex puzzle for the reader to try to unravel. Christie's novels include, Murder
on the Orient Express (1934), Death on the Nile (1937), and And Then There Were None (1939). Also

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popular were the stories featuring Dorothy L. Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey and S. S. Van Dine's Philo
Vance.
The "puzzle" approach was carried even further into ingenious and seemingly impossible plots by John
Dickson Carr — also writing as Carter Dickson — who is regarded as the master of the "locked room
mystery", and Cecil Street, who also wrote as John Rhode, whose detective, Dr. Priestley, specialised in
elaborate technical devices, while in the US the whodunnit was adopted and extended by Rex Stout and
Ellery Queen, among others. The emphasis on formal rules during the Golden Age produced a variety
of reactions. Most writers were content to follow the rules slavishly, some flouted some or all of the
conventions, and some exploited the conventions to produce new and startling results.

The private eye novel
Martin Hewitt, created by British author Arthur Morrison in 1894, is perhaps the first example of the
modern style of fictional private detective.
By the late 1920s, Al Capone and the Mob were inspiring not only fear, but piquing mainstream
curiosity about the American underworld. Popular pulp fiction magazines like Black Mask capitalized
on this, as authors such as Carrol John Daly published violent stories that focused on the mayhem and
injustice surrounding the criminals, not the circumstances behind the crime. From within this literary
environment emerged many stories and novels about private detectives, also known as private
investigators, PIs and "private eyes" ("eye" being the vocalization of "I" for "investigator"). Very often,
no actual mystery even existed: the books simply revolved around justice being served to those who
deserved harsh treatment, which was described in explicit detail."[12]
In the 1930s, the private eye genre was adopted wholeheartedly by American writers. The tough, stylish
detective fiction of Dashiell Hammett, Jonathan Latimer, Erle Stanley Gardner and others explored the
"mean streets" and corrupt underbelly of the United States. Their style of crime fiction came to be
known as "hardboiled", which encompasses stories with similar attitudes concentrating not on
detectives but gangsters, crooks, and other committers or victims of crimes. "Told in stark and
sometimes elegant language through the unemotional eyes of new hero-detectives, these stories were an
American phenomenon."[12]
In the late 1930s, Raymond Chandler updated the form with his private detective Philip Marlowe, who
brought a more intimate voice to the detective than the more distanced, "operatives report" style of
Hammett's Continental Op stories. Despite struggling through the task of plotting a story, his cadenced
dialogue and cryptic narrations were musical, evoking the dark alleys and tough thugs, rich women and
powerful men about whom he wrote. Several feature and television movies have been made about the
Philip Marlowe character. James Hadley Chase wrote a few novels with private eyes as the main hero,
including Blonde's Requiem (1945), Lay Her Among the Lilies (1950), and Figure It Out for Yourself
(1950). Heroes of these novels are typical private eyes very similar to Philip Marlowe.
Ross Macdonald, pseudonym of Kenneth Millar, updated the form again with his detective Lew
Archer. Archer, like Hammett's fictional heroes, was a camera eye, with hardly any known past. "Turn
Archer sideways, and he disappears," one reviewer wrote. Two of Macdonald's strengths were his use
of psychology and his beautiful prose, which was full of imagery. Like other 'hardboiled' writers,
Macdonald aimed to give an impression of realism in his work through violence, sex and confrontation;

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this is illusory, however, and any real private eye undergoing a typical fictional investigation would
soon be dead or incapacitated. The 1966 movie Harper starring Paul Newman was based on the first
Lew Archer story The Moving Target (1949). Newman reprised the role in The Drowning Pool in 1976.
Michael Collins, pseudonym of Dennis Lynds, is generally considered the author who led the form into
the Modern Age. His PI, Dan Fortune, was consistently involved in the same sort of David-and-Goliath
stories that Hammett, Chandler, and Macdonald wrote, but Collins took a sociological bent, exploring
the meaning of his characters' places in society and the impact society had on people. Full of
commentary and clipped prose, his books were more intimate than those of his predecessors,
dramatizing that crime can happen in one's own living room.
The PI novel was a male-dominated field in which female authors seldom found publication until
Marcia Muller, Sara Paretsky, and Sue Grafton were finally published in the late 1970s and early
1980s. Each author's detective, also female, was brainy and physical and could hold her own.[21] Their
acceptance, and success, caused publishers to seek out other female authors.

The "whodunit" versus the "inverted detective story"
Main articles: Whodunit and Inverted detective story
A majority of detective stories follow the "whodunit" format. The events of the crime and the
subsequent events of the investigation are presented so that the reader is only provided clues from
which the identity of the perpetrator of the crime may be deduced. The solution is not revealed until the
final pages of the book.
In an inverted detective story, the commission of the crime, and usually also the identity of the
perpetrator, is shown or described at the beginning. The remainder of the story then describes the
subsequent investigation. Instead, the "puzzle" presented to the reader is discovering the clues and
evidence that the perpetrator left behind.

Police procedural
Main article: Police procedural
Many detective stories have police officers as the main characters. Of course these stories may take a
variety of forms, but many authors try to realistically depict the routine activities of a group of police
officers who are frequently working on more than one case simultaneously. Some of these stories are
whodunits; in others the criminal is well known, and it is a case of getting enough evidence.

Other subgenres
There is also a subgenre of historical detectives. See historical whodunnit for an overview.
The first amateur railway detective, Thorpe Hazell, was created by Victor Whitechurch and his stories
impressed Ellery Queen and Dorothy L. Sayers.[22]
"Cozy mysteries" began in the late 20th century as a reinvention of the Golden Age whodunnit; these
novels generally shy away from violence and suspense and frequently feature female amateur

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detectives. Modern cozy mysteries are frequently, though not necessarily in either case, humorous and
thematic (culinary mystery, animal mystery, quilting mystery, etc.)
Another subgenre of detective fiction is the serial killer mystery, which might be thought of as an
outcropping of the police procedural. There are early mystery novels in which a police force attempts to
contend with the type of criminal known in the 1920s as a homicidal maniac, such as a few of the early
novels of Philip Macdonald and Ellery Queen's Cat of Many Tails. However, this sort of story became
much more popular after the coining of the phrase "serial killer" in the 1970s and the publication of
The Silence of the Lambs in 1988. These stories frequently show the activities of many members of a
police force or government agency in their efforts to apprehend a killer who is selecting victims on
some obscure basis. They are also often much more violent and suspenseful than other mysteries.

Analysis
Preserving the story's secrets
Even if they do not mean to, advertisers, reviewers, scholars and aficionados sometimes give away
details or parts of the plot, and sometimes — for example in the case of Mickey Spillane's novel I, the
Jury — even the solution. After the credits of Billy Wilder's film Witness for the Prosecution, the
cinemagoers are asked not to talk to anyone about the plot so that future viewers will also be able to
fully enjoy the unravelling of the mystery.

Plausibility and coincidence
For series involving amateur detectives, their frequent encounters with crime often tests the limits of
plausibility. The character Miss Marple, for instance, dealt with an estimated two murders a year; De
Andrea has described Marple's home town, the quiet little village of St. Mary Mead as having "put on a
pageant of human depravity rivaled only by that of Sodom and Gomorrah". Similarly, TV heroine
Jessica Fletcher of Murder, She Wrote is confronted with bodies wherever she goes, but over the years
corpses have also piled up in the streets of Cabot Cove, Maine, where she lives. It is arguably more
convincing if police, forensic experts or similar professionals are made the protagonist of a series of
crime novels.
The television series Monk has often made fun of this implausible frequency. The main character,
Adrian Monk, is frequently accused of being a "bad luck charm" and a "murder magnet" as the result of
the frequency with which murder happens in his vicinity.
Likewise Kogoro Mori of Detective Conan got that kind of unflattering reputation. Although Mori is
actually a private investigator with his own agency, the police never intentionally consult him as he
stumbles from one crime scene to another.
The role and legitimacy of coincidence has frequently been the topic of heated arguments ever since
Ronald A. Knox categorically stated that "no accident must ever help the detective" (Commandment
No. 6 in his "Decalogue").

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Effects of technology
Technological progress has also rendered many plots implausible and antiquated. For example, the
predominance of mobile phones, pagers, and PDAs has significantly altered the previously dangerous
situations in which investigators traditionally might have found themselves. Some authors have not
succeeded in adapting to the changes brought about by modern technology; others, such as Carl
Hiaasen, have.[citation needed]
One tactic that avoids the issue of technology altogether is the historical detective genre. As global
interconnectedness makes legitimate suspense more difficult to achieve, several writers — including
Elizabeth Peters, P. C. Doherty, Steven Saylor, and Lindsey Davis — have eschewed fabricating
convoluted plots in order to manufacture tension, instead opting to set their characters in some former
period. Such a strategy forces the protagonist to rely on more inventive means of investigation, lacking
as they do the technological tools available to modern detectives.

Introduction to regional and ethnic subcultures
Especially in the United States, detective fiction emerged in the 1960s, and gained prominence in later
decades, as a way for authors to bring stories about various subcultures to mainstream audiences. One
scholar wrote about the detective novels of Tony Hillerman, set among the Native American population
around New Mexico, "many American readers have probably gotten more insight into traditional
Navajo culture from his detective stories than from any other recent books."[23] Other notable writers
who have explored regional and ethnic communities in their detective novels are Harry Kemelman,
whose Rabbi Small series were set the Conservative Jewish community of Massachusetts; Walter
Mosley, whose Easy Rawlins books are set in the African American community of 1950s Los Angeles;
and Sara Paretsky, whose V. I. Warshawski books have explored the various subcultures of Chicago.

Proposed rules
Several authors have attempted to set forth a sort of list of “Detective Commandments” for prospective
authors of the genre.
According to "Twenty rules for writing detective stories," by Van Dine in 1928: "The detective story is
a kind of intellectual game. It is more — it is a sporting event. And for the writing of detective stories
there are very definite laws — unwritten, perhaps, but nonetheless binding; and every respectable and
self-respecting concocter of literary mysteries lives up to them. Herewith, then, is a sort of credo, based
partly on the practice of all the great writers of detective stories, and partly on the promptings of the
honest author's inner conscience."[24] Ronald Knox wrote a set of Ten Commandments or Decalogue
in 1929, see article on the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.

Famous fictional detectives
The full list of fictional detectives is immense. The format is well suited to dramatic presentation, and
so there are also many television and film detectives, besides those appearing in adaptations of novels
in this genre. Fictional detectives are generally applicable to one of four archetypes:

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• the amateur detective (Marple, Jessica Fletcher, Peter Wimsey);
• the private investigator (Dupin, Holmes, Marlowe, Cross, Spade, Poirot, Magnum, Simon &
Simon);
• the police detective (Dalgliesh, Kojak, Morse, Frost, Barnaby, Clouseau, Columbo);
• the forensic specialists (Scarpetta, Quincy, Cracker, CSI, John Thorndyke).
Notable fictional detectives and their creators include:
Great detectives (non-private)
• Jonathan Ames - Bored to Death
• Sexton Blake - many including Hal Meredeth, John Creasey, Jack Trevor Story and Michael
Moorcock
• Encyclopedia Brown – Donald J. Sobol
• Father Brown – G. K. Chesterton
• Amelia Butterworth - Anna Katharine Green
• Max Carrados – Ernest Bramah
• Lord Edward Corinth - David Roberts
• Jonathan Creek – Jonathan Creek
• Alex Delaware – Jonathan Kellerman
• Nancy Drew – Carolyn Keene
• Bulldog Drummond – Sapper
• C. Auguste Dupin – Edgar Allan Poe
• Erast Fandorin – Boris Akunin
• Gideon Fell – John Dickson Carr
• Jessica Fletcher – Created by William Link and Richard Levinson for Murder, She Wrote (TV
1984-96)
• The Hardy Boys – Franklin W. Dixon
• Thorpe Hazell – Victor Whitechurch
• Shinichi Kudo – Gosho Aoyama
• Yusaku Kudo - Gosho Aoyama
• Hattori Heiji - Gosho Aoyama
• Patrick Jane - Created by Bruno Heller for The Mentalist TV series (2008- )
• L Lawliet - Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
• Miss Marple – Agatha Christie
• Perry Mason – Erle Stanley Gardner
• Travis McGee – John D. MacDonald
• Dr. Lancelot Priestly – John Rhode
• Ellery Queen – Ellery Queen
• Tom Swift-Victor Appleton
• Violet Strange - Anna Katharine Green
• Dr. John Thorndyke – R. Austin Freeman
• Philip Trent - Edmund Clerihew Bentley

Page 42 of 78

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