Definition of a Mystery
Someone does something morally wrong (usually a murder) near the beginning of the story and the protagonist(s) must restore balance in the universe by exacting some measure of justice for this wrongdoing at or near the end of the story.Mystery vs. Suspense
Mystery stories focus on the question of “whodunit.” The reader and the protagonist both have to figure it out. (The protagonist is guaranteed to figure it out at the end of the story, but the reader is on her/his own.)Suspense stories focus on the question of how, and if, the protagonist will figure out “whodunit.” The reader may know from page one who the villain is. Even if the villain is not explicitly identified, the reader’s interest is (hopefully) held by the protagonist’s search and not by the reader’s own attempt to solve the puzzle.
Mystery Sub-Genres – A Non-Comprehensive List
Amateur DetectiveJust like it sounds – the protagonist is someone who does not solve murders for a living.
British
Pretty much any kind of mystery set in England.
Comic
Makes you laugh about murder – what more could you want?
Cozy
Amateur detective with a few extra rules: no overt violence; no (or very little) bad language; no overt sex; set in a small town or similar enclosed community; and nothing bad happens to anyone good. If you don’t feel like your enjoying a nice cup of tea in your grandmother’s kitchen you’re not reading a cozy.
Gay/Lesbian
As the name implies, the protagonist, be he or she an amateur, private, or police detective, is homosexual. The sexual preference of other major characters is optional.
Hard-Boiled
The criminal tends to be the protagonist rather than the crime fighter. Lots of bad language, graphic violence, and general examination of society’s underbelly.
Historical
If it’s a mystery and it’s set in a time period substantially earlier than when it was first published, it’s an historical mystery. These often have real people and/or events in the background, and must be well researched.
Noir
Hard-boiled with a few more rules: set in the 1940’s or 50’s; the men are disenchanted, disillusioned, corrupt or down on their luck (no rewards for moral fortitude here); the women are completely loyal, dutiful, loving, and plain, or completely self-centered, manipulative, mysterious, and gorgeous.
Police Procedural
Traditionally, the protagonist is a police detective. Urban settings, dark humor, hard working, street-smart police populate these stories. Recently this category has expanded to include profilers, medical examiners, forensic anthropologists, and many other types of public-servant crime fighters. Fans demand detailed and highly accurate descriptions of crime investigation procedures.
Private Detective
Once again, just like it sounds – the protagonist is a private detective. (In recent years female protagonists have for the first time become popular.)
Romantic
There must be a romantic storyline between the two main characters (not just a “love interest” for the main character), and that romantic storyline must be given page-time roughly equal to the mystery storyline.
Supernatural (aka “Woo-Woo”)
Anything from ghosts to psychics to time-traveling detectives.
Traditional/Classic
A puzzle is presented to the reader at the beginning. The plot then follows a fairly straight path, strewn with clues, to the solution of that puzzle. Think Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
