How to write a mystery novel

Mystery novels are packed with all the exciting things; thrills, suspense, crime, interesting characters and of course, the element of mystery. They can make for some of the most interesting reads for a variety of audiences. If you’re an aspiring author, here’s how to write a mystery novel.

Suspense - The number one rule when it comes to suspense is to give your reader information. You can’t expect readers to be worried or on edge if they have nothing to be anxious about. That’s why you need to feed the reader with information in order to experience suspense. For instance, if you tell readers a bomb will go off in 5 minutes, then they’ll be waiting for it to happen.

Contrast - You need to balance one extreme for the other extreme, for instance, having a bit of humor to balance out the level of suspense in the novel. If a novel is constantly one level of extreme, then it’ll soon lose that edge. You need to get the balance right to make it more relatable and interesting for the reader.

Setting - When it comes to the whereabouts of your book, don’t just use the setting as merely a background, you’ll want to incorporate it into the plot in some way. It’s essential to incorporate the background in the drama, and somehow connect it with the flow of the story. This can be to do with where a crime was committed for example.

Momentum - It’s important in any good book to keep the pace of the story interesting. This could be done by switching locations, a sudden drama or changing up the pace of the story, such as fast forwarding in time.

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Mystery fiction which peels back the layers

One thing we know for sure in mystery fiction is that nothing is ever as it initially seems. If it was, the police would have everything wrapped up in the first few chapters. However, what is also apparent is that when they tug at one little thread, a lot of different things can start to unravel. Here are a couple of mystery novels which involve peeling back the layers.

Deadly Secrets by Terry Odell

Gordon Hepler didn’t bank on a desk job when he joined the police force and rose through the ranks, but Mapleton, Colorado is a quiet town and his promise to his former boss and mentor means he has to deal with the mundane day-to-day stuff.

However, it isn’t long before he’s back on the street when a series of traumatic events rock the sleepy down and Hepler quickly makes the connections. First a fatal car accident, then a mugging, a burglary and then a gruesome murder all throw a spotlight on Mapleton. Hepler must find out what’s behind it all while uncovering some pretty dark secrets about the town’s inhabitants.

The Dark Town I: When You’re Gone by Marguerite O'Callaghan

The first of a new mystery trilogy, When You’re Gone begins with the disappearance of Lydia’s twin sister Kate. She alerts that police and the CCTV footage shows that she was at a London nightclub shortly before her disappearance.

While the police pursue a sex-trafficking lead, Lydia does some investigating of her own and discovers some dark secrets about her sister which involve some seeding places and people. Can Lydia get to the bottom of Kate’s secret life before it’s too late?

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Three must read mystery books for kids

From Sherlock Holmes to Inspector Morse, everyone loves a mystery. And when it comes to a good mystery, you are never too young to enjoy a tale that keeps you guessing from start to finish. For younger readers in Grades 3 to 8 there are a plethora of fantastic mystery reads out there, but we’ve narrowed it down to our five favorite yarns that are guaranteed to delight.

1. The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton

There is nothing better than classic mystery and adventure rolled into one and the Famous Five series is one of the best examples of this. George (Georgina). Julian, Dick, Anne and Timmy the dog cannot help but stumble across mysteries that must be solved with danger and adventure at every turn.

2. The Diamond Brothers Detective Agency series by Anthony Horowitz

This series of mysteries is a wonderful retelling of some of the great adult mysteries such as the Maltese Falcon and North by Northwest, for children. With an older brother that is constantly bungling his way through cases and the sharp, quick-witted younger brother that is the real case solver, these are wonderfully engaging books.

3. The Black Stallion Mystery by Walter Farley

Part of the classic series about the Black Stallion, The Black Stallion Mystery is a story about Alec and the black stallion journeying around the world in search of the horse that sired the black stallion. Convinced that the horse is still alive, Alec goes to Spain and then Arabia risking his life with action, suspense, an unknown enemy and a ghostly horse.

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Uncovering the mystery: The evolution of crime fiction

Like many genres, the world of crime fiction has evolved and changed quite a bit over the years. From the days of Sherlock Holmes, the mystery novel has undergone many different overhauls and changes, right up to the present day with more diverse and sophisticated characters and storylines.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes was seen as the quintessential Victorian detective and spawned many similar novels and characters. However, the advent of the 20th century saw a new wave of crime fiction, particularly from the United States with authors such as Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett creating characters such as Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade, who went on to achieve even greater fame on the big screen. This new approach of the hard-boiled police detective proved a big hit with readers.

However, there remained a popular and vibrant British mystery tradition, not least with one the first superstar authors Agatha Christie, whose novels featuring Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, often mirrored a sense of adventure in her own life.

One of the major features of more modern mystery novels is that identity of the investigators and the duties the end up having to perform. It’s no longer just about studiously deducing clues and coming up with a well-thought-out conclusion.

Detectives these days often more closely resemble action heroes. The protagonist in a mystery novel isn’t always a member of the police force – they can be an FBI agent, a skilled amateur or a newspaper reporter seeking to get to bottom of something. Often, they are conflicted and flawed, blurring the lines somewhat between good and bad. However, what is clear is that crime fiction is no less engaging than it ever was.

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