a whodunit or detective novel

The mystery and suspense! A good whodunit keeps you guessing until the very end. The clues need to be there but not too obvious.

A good plot twist, complex characters, and a cleverly constructed mystery. These elements keep readers engaged and guessing until the end.

One classic is 'Sherlock Holmes' series by Arthur Conan Doyle. It features the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend Dr. Watson solving complex mysteries in Victorian London. Another is 'Agatha Christie's 'Murder on the Orient Express'. In this novel, Hercule Poirot has to figure out who committed the murder on a train filled with a diverse cast of characters. Also, 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett is a great example. It follows detective Sam Spade as he gets involved in a hunt for a valuable statuette.

In 'whodunit' in detective fiction, one key element is the cast of characters. There are usually a number of suspects, each with their own motives, alibis, and secrets. Another important element is the setting. It can provide clues or be used to mislead the reader. For example, a locked room mystery often has a very specific setting that adds to the intrigue. And of course, the clues are crucial. They can be physical items like a weapon or a piece of jewelry, or they can be statements made by the characters that seem odd or out of place.

First, create an interesting detective character. Give them unique quirks like Sherlock Holmes' deductive reasoning skills. Second, have a complex mystery. Maybe it involves a secret society or a hidden treasure. Third, introduce a variety of suspects, each with their own motives. For example, in a murder mystery, one suspect could be after the victim's money, another for revenge.

The pacing is crucial in building suspense. The plot moves in a way that alternates between revelations and new mysteries. For example, just when the detective seems to be getting close to the truth, a new piece of evidence emerges that throws everything into question again, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat throughout the entire novel.

Authors create suspense in 'whodunit' detective fiction by withholding information. They don't reveal all the clues at once. For example, they might only drop hints about a suspect's true identity little by little. Another way is by creating a sense of urgency. Maybe the detective is racing against time to solve the case before the killer strikes again. And they can also build suspense through the relationships between the characters. Tense interactions among the suspects can keep the reader on edge.

A whodunit novel is a type of mystery story where the main focus is on solving a crime and figuring out who the culprit is. It keeps you guessing until the end.

They have set the basic formula. For example, the idea of a brilliant detective and a series of clues. Modern stories still use this.

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.