In stories, madness can be a reason for murder. A deranged character may not have a 'logical' reason in the traditional sense but is driven by their inner demons. Their fractured mental state leads them to commit heinous acts. This is often used in horror stories, where the killer is some sort of lunatic, and the story revolves around the mystery of their actions and the attempts to stop them.
To save a large number of people. In some dystopian or apocalyptic stories, a character might kill one person who is a threat to the survival of a whole group. For example, if there's a person infected with a deadly and highly contagious virus who refuses to be quarantined and is about to spread it to a large community, another character might murder them to save the rest.
One good reason in stories could be self - defense. For example, if a character is being unjustly attacked and has no other way to save their own life, they might resort to murder. This is often seen in detective or thriller stories, where the character who committed the murder has to prove it was in self - defense.
Self - defense can be a reason. If a character is in immediate danger of being killed or seriously harmed by another, they might murder in self - defense. For example, in some detective stories, the victim might be an aggressor first, and the killer acts to protect themselves.
The Sherlock Holmes stories often involve murder mysteries. For example, 'A Study in Scarlet'. Holmes uses his brilliant deductive reasoning to solve the murder case. He examines the crime scene, the victim, and the suspects carefully, which makes for a really engaging read.
How about 'The Dark Deed', 'The Fatal Frame', 'The Deadly Dusk'?
Some good titles could be 'The Silent Killer', 'Murder in the Shadows', 'The Deadly Secret'.
For others, they may view the murder stories as pure fiction and be able to separate it from reality. They know that what they've read is not real and thus, can quickly return to a calm state. For example, someone who reads a lot of detective murder mysteries may see it as a mental exercise or entertainment, and not let it affect their emotional state too much.
Start with a missing person. Just say that someone has vanished without a trace. The family and friends are worried sick. This makes the reader curious about what happened to the person. Was it foul play? Who could be responsible? It's a simple yet effective way to draw the reader in.
The motive for the murder was not what it seemed. Everyone thought it was about money or revenge, but it was actually to protect a secret that the victim knew. The murderer was part of a powerful organization, and the victim was going to expose their illegal activities. So, the murderer had to kill to keep the secret safe. This kind of plot twist makes the story more complex and interesting as it challenges the readers' initial assumptions.
A good murder mystery story typically has a strong sense of mystery from the start. It hooks the reader right away with a puzzling crime. They also often involve some form of deception. This could be a character lying about their whereabouts or their relationship to the victim. In addition, the setting can play a crucial role. A small, isolated town can create a claustrophobic and tense atmosphere, as seen in many murder mysteries set in such locations. The resolution at the end should be satisfying, tying up all the loose ends and making sense of all the previous events.
A murder mystery set in a small, idyllic village. A wealthy landowner is found dead. The local villagers all seem to have motives. The baker might be angry because the landowner wanted to raise the rent of his shop. The gardener could be suspect as he was often mistreated by the landowner. And there could be a mysterious stranger who was seen in the village around the time of the murder. The key to solving the mystery could be a rare flower found at the crime scene which is only grown in the gardener's greenhouse.