Police Tech Terms
A person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic, predictable behaviour pattern.
What is a serial killer?
The method that Sherlock Holmes uses (and has a website about in A Study in Pink).
What is deduction?
I only kill women, and my murder weapon is a hammer.
Who is the protagonist in The Man Who Loved Flowers?
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
Who is Sherlock Holmes?
The most frequent readers of crime fiction.
Who are (British) women?
A person who murders four or more people with no "cooling-off period" between the murders.
What is a mass murderer?
Crime writers often use these two methods to achieve realism in their works.
What is "detailed descriptions" and "referring to places and institutions in the real world"?
I have killed an old man, who I actually thought was very nice. I am not mad, it was because of his vulture eye.
Who is the protagonist in The Tell-Tale Heart?
This first-ever sleuth was created by Edgar Allan Poe: "There will always be a motive for crime. If we ever get to a point where people are attacking each other in the streets is commonplace, it is at that point society has failed."
Who is C. Auguste Dupin?
In this work, the killer's motive looks you straight in the eye.
What is "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe?
Evidence obtained by scientific methods such as ballistics, blood test, and DNA test and used in court.
What is forensic evidence?
The two typical settings of crime fiction
What are idyllic places and big cities?
I am smarter than most people. I don't hide and I don't use disguise, but people don't notice me. That's why it's so easy for me to kill people.
Who is the cabbie in A Study in Pink?
She can open her eyes during the night to spy...
Who is the little girl?
This character can see the true personality of one player each night.
Who is the fortune teller?
The technical term for the killing of one person by another.
What is a "homicide"?
The typical plot structure in crime fiction
What is crime, investigation, outcome? (= the 3 stages)
I have murdered quite a few children. But I didn't mean to...
Who is Father Donovan?
"The Need was very strong now, very careful cold coiled creeping crackly cocked and ready, very strong, very much ready now"
Who is Dexter?
Effects that can speed things up or keep the reader in suspense in crime fiction.
What are push and pull effects?
A minor crime (punishment is usually a fine or less than one year in jail).
What is a "misdemeanor"?
Name three things that characterize the loner detective:
e.g. s/he takes risks, has difficult relationships, a troubled past, refuses to play the society game, has an addiction
I don't know and don't care who my next victim will be. All I know is that it is going to happen when everybody else is asleep.
Who is the werewolf?
"Black. Two sugars please. I’ll be upstairs."
Who is Sherlock Holmes ind A Study in Pink (to Molly)?
In this genre, you cannot get out, you cannot escape, the murderer may still be close, breathing down your neck...
What is a locked room mystery?