A really good horror mystery closed - room whodunit is 'In the Woods' by Tana French. It has a complex mystery set in a small, closed - off community. The main character is a detective trying to solve a murder that took place years ago in the same woods where he had a strange and traumatic experience as a child. The small - town setting acts like a closed room in a way, with secrets hidden among the locals and a sense of unease throughout the story.
A good one has a complex plot. There are lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.
The sense of confinement. In a horror mystery closed - room whodunit novel, the closed - room setting restricts the possibilities. It's like a pressure cooker. For example, in a locked mansion where a murder has occurred, the murderer has to be someone within that limited space. This makes every character a potential suspect and heightens the suspense. You can't just blame some random outsider.
Another good one is 'The Mystery of the Yellow Room' by Gaston Leroux. The story revolves around a locked room where a crime has been committed, and the detective has to figure out how it was possible, with a lot of twists and turns in the plot.
One great horror mystery whodunit novel is 'The Silence of the Lambs' by Thomas Harris. It features the brilliant and terrifying Hannibal Lecter, and FBI agent Clarice Starling's investigation to catch a serial killer known as 'Buffalo Bill'. The psychological horror and mystery elements blend together perfectly.
One of the most famous is 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie. It's a masterpiece of the 'whodunit' genre, with a group of people trapped on an island and being killed off one by one, keeping readers guessing until the very end.
The slow revelation of information is key. In a closed room mystery, the author gradually discloses details about the room, the people present, and the events leading up to the mystery. This drip - feed of information builds suspense. For instance, as the detective in the story starts to notice small things like a scratch on the window sill or a strange mark on the floor, the reader is eager to find out what these details mean in relation to the overall mystery. It's like a puzzle that the reader is trying to solve along with the detective in the book.
The 'Outlander' series by Diana Gabaldon can also be considered. It has elements of romance and mystery set in a historical backdrop. The love story between Claire and Jamie is beautifully told while they face various mysteries and challenges in different time periods.
Some of the well - known whodunit novels include 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' by Arthur Conan Doyle. Another is 'Murder on the Orient Express' by Agatha Christie. And 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler.
The top 10 whodunit novels can vary depending on personal preferences, but commonly mentioned ones are 'The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown, 'In Cold Blood' by Truman Capote, and 'The Silence of the Lambs' by Thomas Harris. They keep readers engaged with their mystery and suspense.
A good one has a complex plot with lots of twists and turns. The mystery has to keep you guessing till the end, and the characters need to be well-developed and interesting.