Mystery Elements

Mystery

something secret or unknown that appeals to one’s curiosity

Suspense

___ and ___ that _____ __________ and ______ ______ in the reader (use notes to fill in blanks)

Sleuth

a detective →(sleuthound →dog)

When did modern mystery stories begin?

mid 19th century →1800’s

Who are the masters of mystery? (hint: there is 3)

Sir Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie

Alibi

in Latin, it means “elsewhere”

Red Herring

a clue to mislead or distract the reader/audience

Chekhov’s G*n

concept that elements and objects put in a story must have a purpose

Plot Twist

unexpected turn of events in a story

Name the 6 approaches most commonly used in mystery stories

1. False Trail created by the real criminal

2. Use of Ballistic (firearm/murder weapon)

3. Interrogation to get a confession

4. The most unlikely is the real solution

5. Sleuth solving crimes through thought and data →make conclusion

6. “locked room approach” →killer could not escape

Name the 5 SACMMG

Smart detective

Assistant of lesser intelligence

Cop who is not as effective or as smart as detective

Many Misleading and helpful clues

Detective Gathers clues and suspects

Name the 6 genres of mystery stories

1. cozy

2. amatuer sleuth

3. caper

4. hardboiled p.i.

5. paranormal/urban fantasy

6. noir

Cozy (genre)

bloodless crime and a victim who won’t be missed

Amateur Sleuth (genre)

the amateur Sleuth tries to solve the murder of someone close

Caper (genre)

comic crime story

Hardboiled P.I. (genre)

loner working for justice in a corrupt world

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy (genre)

otherwordly elements

Noir

noir is a mood: gritty, bleak, and unforgiving