Who did it?

Murder mystery stories have been on the rise in the last couple of years, whether it’s a comedy or thriller. From films like Netflix’s Murder Mystery and Knives Out to novels including Jim Eldridge’s Museum Murder series, and the original queen of murder mysteries, Agatha Christie, it seems like we just can’t get enough of a classic who done it.

A psychology today article by David Evans suggested that murder mysteries are in their own way, are sort of “fairy tales for adults”. This goes to show how the “classic murder mystery is [seen] as archetypal, in its way, as the Hero’s Journey” and the hero in these stories would be the detective. Evans suggested that these types of stories were “redemptive” for readers because “they give us hope and help us move from fear to reassurance” that the murder will be solved and the goodwill over the bad.

There is also the intellectual thrill of solving the murder mystery of the novel, alongside the detectives. It is thanks to the writers of this genre for creating the chance for us to try and piece together the mystery or be pleasantly surprised and shocked by the mystery’s turn of events and outcomes.

Masterclass suggests tips for murder mystery writers, for what we as readers will enjoy about murder mystery novels, and solving the mystery or being shocked by its development, just like the detectives. Masterclass suggests that writers should “use descriptive writing to create scenes that allow your reader to explore and discover clues—even those that your main character might miss. Rather than explain what’s happening and why, keep the reader in the center of the action, invested in the stakes of the story like it’s real life.”

It gives us the readers the opportunities to look at all the clues given and try to piece the puzzle together and solve the mystery ourselves. This is one of the reasons why murder mysteries are a popular genre all on its own in the world of the crime and thriller genre.

Readers do enjoy figuring out all the clues and getting the satisfaction of figuring out the mystery. We also enjoy being surprised and shocked by twist reveals and misdirection: Misdirect your reader. Master class said: “The mystery genre is filled with false clues, known as red herrings, that lead readers down the wrong path as they’re trying to suss out the truth. That misdirection is part of the fun, upping the suspense and building engagement as your audience runs into sudden twists and dead ends in tandem with your sleuth”.

If you’re looking for that combination of enjoying the possible misdirection when we didn’t see something coming and any clues the writers give us to solve the mystery, there’s plenty of books and films out there that will fit the bill this Halloween.