People
This is a character skilled in analytical observation and powers of deduction who eventually solves the mystery, the most famous of which is Sherlock Holmes.
detective
This is the first step in analyzing a crime scene, before any of the clues are disturbed. It might also be helpful when interviewing witnesses because sometimes what they do is more important than what they say.
observation
High on intrigue and overstuffed with nifty spy gadgets, this subgenre focuses on the international conspiracies and intricate trickery of top-secret agencies. Original genre entries focused on the battle between nations, often pitting Soviets against the West. Newer entries explore the borderless realm of international terrorism.
espionage
A clue that turns out to be insignificant or not useful. It is meant to distract the detective and the reader.
red herring
According to Guinness World Records, she is the world's best-selling fiction author. Among her 66 detective novels are well-known titles such as "And Then There Were None" and "Murder on the Orient Express."
Agatha Christie
"You're the Watson to my Sherlock."
Dr. Watson is probably the most famous of this type of mystery ficiton character.
companion/sidekick
Solving a "whodunit" usually means understanding why they did it.
motive
These tales feature a sleuth who is not an official criminal investigator. Often the protagonist is an everyday Joe with a gifted sense of curiosity, or has a chatty pal on the force willing to divulge department secrets. Explicit violence is avoided in favor of intriguing character puzzles and clever narrative twists.
amateur sleuth
A behavior or trait that makes someone or something unique or unusual. This can help develop a detective's character or serve as a clue that incriminates a suspect.
synonyms: eccentricity, peculiarity
idiosyncrasy
Who is the author of your mystery fiction novel?
Answers will vary.
a person thought to be guilty of crime or offense
suspect
Asking a witness questions.
interrogation
These stories feature a perplexing murder committed under seemingly impossible circumstances, with a crime scene that no intruder could have entered or exited. While clues are present, they initially make little sense. It is only through the brilliant mind of the story’s sleuth – or its reader, if you’re quick enough – that a head-slappingly obvious solution is realized.
locked room
This person's credibility has been seriously compromised. They perceive and/or present the events of the story in a way that is skewed or disconnected from the real world. Whether due to age, mental disability, or personal involvement, they provide the reader with either incomplete or inaccurate information as a result of these conditions; and thus contribute to the mystery.
unreliable narrator
This British author is the creator of Sherlock Holmes, the most famous of fictional detectives.
Arthur Conan Doyle
a person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, take place
witness
A claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an act, typically a criminal one, is alleged to have taken place.
alibi
This genre's typical protagonist is a detective who battles the violence of organized crime that flourished during Prohibition (1920–1933) and its aftermath, while dealing with a legal system that has become as corrupt as the organized crime itself. Rendered cynical by this cycle of violence, the detectives or P.I.'s are often antiheroes.
hard-boiled
When the audience knows something but the characters don't. Because of this understanding, the words and actions of the characters take on a different meaning. This can create intense suspense (or humor).
dramatic irony
In 2020 this American crime novelist received the National Book Award, making him the first Black man to win the lifetime achievement medal in its 32 year history. His first book called "Devil in a Blue Dress" (1990) features a hard-boiled detective named Easy Rawlins.
Walter Mosley
a person who carries out a harmful, illegal, or immoral act
perpetrator
Scientific tests or techniques used in connection with the detection of crime.
forensics
These stories often incorporate elements of mystery and include themes of crime, morality, mental illness, substance abuse, multiple realities or a dissolving sense of reality, and unreliable narrators.
psychological thriller
omniscient
This American wrote "Murders in the Rue Morgue" in 1841 and is considered the father of the detective fiction story.
Edgar Allan Poe