Elements of a Mystery

For many, sitting down on a rainy night involves curling up with a paperback novel in an overstuffed chair while listening to the pounding fury of the rain. These surroundings lend themselves to the reading of a good mystery.

Most writers of a good mystery include several elements taht hook the reader, that keep the reader interested and active in the plot. They employ many different uses in order for the reader to race against the detective in hopes to solve the mystery first.



Below are the elements used in a mystery:

1) THE CRIME IS PLANNED. Generally novels of the mystery genre begin with the planning of a crime. Most of the novels do not have crimes that happen by accident.

2) THE CRIME IS DISCOVERED. Someone enters a room and sees a body, a person is missing without a trace, or some other mode of discovery is employed. This spurs on the action.

3) THE SLUETH ENTERS. This is when the detective arrives on the scene. The detective's job is to discover who commited the crime.

4) THE DETECTIVE DETERMINES IF THERE ARE ANY WITNESSES. An essential point of a novel, this helps the detective with a place to start.

5) THE REVELANCY OF EACH PIECE OF EVIDENCE IS CONSIDERED. The slueth looks at what they are presented with and begins to decide if those clues are imporant.

6) SUSPECTS AND MOTIVES ARE CONSIDERED. This is the part of a mystery where the detective begins to pinpoint suspects and the reasons for the crime. Sometimes all of the clues appear to point to one person, but indeed, that person is not the culprit. They act as a distraction- a red herring. This then causes the slueth to begin at the beginning.

7) THE SLUETH FORWARDS A HYPOTHESIS. In a mystery novel the detective comes up with a reason why the crime was commited and who did it. Such a conjecture is a hypothesis. Then they try to prove it with further clues.

8) A CHASE SCENE MAY OCCUR. Generally this happens in movies. It is when the suspect, or perpetrator, runs from the police. These are generally high action scenes.

9) REASON MUST PREVAIL. The suspect must have a reason for commiting the crime, the detective can not accuse someone without them having no reason. This leads to a lack in conclusion of a mystery. It leaves unanswered questions.

10) JUSTICE SHOULD PREVAIL. Although readers tend to enjoy a happy ending, sometimes justice (what is right) does not prevail.

These are the common elements that make up a well written mystery novel or movie.

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