1. Mystery
The Game is Afoot.
-- Sherlock Holmes

2. What is a mystery?
A secret, a riddle, a puzzle.
Essential ingredients are an element of crime
mixed with an element of detection.
You have to find out the secret, and solve the
riddle or puzzle to find the criminal or enemy and
crack the case.
The hero or heroine appears in a series of
adventures.

3. KEY ELEMENTS IN
MYSTERIES
Introduction of the protagonist
Presentation of the mysterious or criminal situation
Suspects, motives, clues are given, including “Red Herrings”
Addition of the subplots
The denouement or discovery of the killer.

4. Detectives
Hardboiled – Thrilling
action, danger, tough,
often flawed, characters.
Amateur – Becomes
involved in the crime by
accident or chance,
someone with logical
mind and common sense.
Female P.I. – Different
POV, started taking the
lead role in the late
1970’s.

5. Mystery Sub-Genres
• Cozy Mystery
• Detective Novel
• Police Procedural
• Historical Mystery
• Private Eyes
• Humorous Mystery

6. Cozy Mystery
Little violence or action.
Focus is on the clues and the plot.
Mind game between criminal and the
detective.
Features common folk with common
problems.
May use a gimmick, such as a quilting
club, gardening, single mom, spinster,
cats or dogs.

7. Popular Cozies
Lilian Jackson Braun
(Jim Qwilleran,
reporter and
billionaire)
Simon Brett (Melita
Pargeter, widow)
Agatha Christie (Miss
Marple, spinster)
Diane Mott Davidson
(Goldie Bear, caterer)

8. Police Procedurals
Characters follow
standard procedures
within a structured
institution, such as FBI,
Scotland Yard, NYPD.
Detective has more
resources at his/her
disposal.
Characters may act
independently of their
departments or break the
rules.

9. Popular Police Procedurals
Michael Connelly (Harry
Bosch)
Elizabeth George
(Inspector Thomas
Lynley)
Tony Hillerman (Chee and
Leaphorn)
Carol O’Connell (Kathleen
Mallory)
Colin Dexter (Inspector
Morse)

10. Historical Mysteries
The era or the location may appeal more to the reader
than the mystery.
Much more research and detail go into a period mystery.
May have more sinister plotting and political overtones.

11. Popular Historical Mysteries
Lindsey Davis (Marcus Didius Falco)
Ellis Peters (Brother Cadfael)
Laura Joh Rowland (Ichiro Sano)
Anne Perry (Thomas Pitt)

12. Private Eyes
Developed from the
pulp magazines of the
1920’s.
Continued popularity
due to the appeal of
each detective.
Usually a flawed
character or may be
one who used to be a
cop or a lawyer.

13. First Rate Private Eyes
Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone)
Dashiell Hammett (Sam
Spade)
Lawrence Block (Matthew
Scudder)
Bill Pronzini (Nameless
Detective)
Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe)
Sara Paretsky (V.I.
Warshowski)
Robert B. Parker (Spenser)

14. Humorous Mysteries
Just when life can’t get
any more complicated,
murder happens.
The supporting
characters are often
sources of the humor.
Sometimes the
relationships among the
players are equal in
importance to the
mystery plot.

15. Popular Humorous Mysteries
Janet Evanovich
(Stephanie Plum)
Selma Eichler
(Desiree Sapiro)
Carl Hiaasen
Sarah Strohmeyer
(Bubbles)

16. Mystery Sites to Die For
• Who Dunnit www.who-dunnit.com
Reviews and synopses of old and new mysteries;
author information.
• Murder by the Book www.murderbooks.com
Local mystery book store information.
• Stop You’re Killing Me
www.stopyourekillingme.com
Authors, characters, new releases, fun
newsletter.