fictional murder mystery short stories

Well, first off, there's almost always a crime scene. It's the place where the murder happened and where a lot of the initial clues are found. Then there's the motive. Why would someone want to kill the victim? It could be for money, love, revenge, or power. And the plot usually has some sort of red herrings, things that mislead the detective and the reader. This keeps the suspense going until the very end when the real killer is finally revealed.

One great fictional murder mystery short story is 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's considered a pioneer in the detective story genre.

One of the most famous is 'Sherlock Holmes' series by Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes' brilliant deductions and his partnership with Watson make the stories engaging. Another is 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie. It has a unique and suspenseful plot where ten people are lured to an island and killed one by one. Also, 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' is a great example. It combines elements of the supernatural and murder mystery, with Holmes solving the mystery of the Baskerville family curse.

One great murder mystery short story is 'The Speckled Band' by Arthur Conan Doyle. It has a very tense atmosphere and a clever detective in Sherlock Holmes who solves the mystery of a woman's death in a locked room situation. Another good one is 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl. In this story, the unexpected twist is really engaging as the wife uses a frozen leg of lamb to cover up her crime. And then there's 'The Cask of Amontillado' by Edgar Allan Poe. The dark and brooding setting, along with the narrator's revenge plot, makes it a classic murder mystery short story.

One of the best is 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's a classic that introduced many elements we now associate with detective stories.

A mysterious death is a common element. There's usually a victim whose death seems strange or unexplained at first. Another element is the detective or investigator figure, like Sherlock Holmes. And there are always suspects, people who might have a motive for the murder.

Start with a captivating crime scene. Build suspense by introducing clues gradually. Make the characters complex and their motives ambiguous.

One idea could be a murder in a small, seemingly idyllic town. The victim is a local shop owner. The detective discovers that the motive is related to a long - hidden family secret. Years ago, the shop owner's family had cheated another family out of a valuable piece of land, and the killer is seeking revenge for that injustice.

A murder occurs in a theater. The victim is an actor. The killer could be a jealous understudy who was constantly overshadowed by the victim. The understudy saw an opportunity when the actor was alone backstage and struck. The detective finds out by looking at the understudy's rehearsal schedule which shows they had ample opportunity to plan the murder.

Once upon a time in a small, gloomy town, a wealthy businessman was found dead in his locked study. The police suspected foul play. Detective Smith was called in. He noticed a half - empty glass of brandy on the desk and a strange symbol carved into the wooden floor. As he investigated, he discovered that the businessman had many enemies. His business partner had a motive as they had a recent argument over money. The partner's fingerprints were found on a letter opener near the body. In the end, the partner confessed to the murder, driven by greed.