One characteristic is a clever plot twist. In a short mystery, like 'Lamb to the Slaughter', the unexpected way the woman gets away with murder is a great plot twist. Another is the use of atmosphere. A spooky or tense atmosphere can enhance the mystery. For example, in 'The Tell - Tale Heart', the description of the old man's room and the narrator's paranoia create a very tense atmosphere. And the clues should be well - placed. They can't be too obvious or too hard to find, just like in 'The Cask of Amontillado' where the hints about the narrator's plan are subtly given.
Mystery short fiction often has a puzzling situation at its core. It usually features an enigma or a crime that needs to be solved. The plot is full of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. For example, in many classic mystery short stories, there is a mysterious death and the detective has to piece together clues like a jigsaw puzzle.
Mystery fiction short stories usually feature a detective or an investigator. This character uses their intelligence and observation skills to figure out the mystery. They might look for clues like fingerprints or strange behavior of the suspects. And there is often a sense of suspense throughout the story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, like in 'The Red - Headed League' where the strange goings - on gradually build up the tension until the mystery is finally unravelled.
They often have a limited number of characters. This helps to focus the mystery and make it easier for the reader to keep track of suspects. For example, in many short mystery fictions, there might be just three or four main characters involved in the mystery.
In a small, isolated town, a valuable diamond went missing from the local museum. The only clue was a strange mark on the floor. Detective Gray arrived. He questioned the curator, who seemed nervous. As Gray dug deeper, he found that the curator had gambling debts. But the curator had an alibi for the time of the theft. Gray then noticed that the strange mark led to a ventilation shaft. After crawling through it, he found the diamond in the curator's secret office. The curator had used a trained monkey to steal the diamond through the shaft while he was elsewhere to create his alibi.
One common element is the presence of a mystery or enigma. This could be a missing person, a strange event, or an unexplained situation. Another is the use of suspense. Writers build tension to keep readers interested. For example, in 'The Tell - Tale Heart', the suspense builds as the narrator's guilt starts to consume him. Also, there are often clues scattered throughout the story. In Sherlock Holmes stories, Holmes is always on the lookout for these clues to solve the mystery.
One great mystery fiction short story is 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' by Edgar Allan Poe. It is often considered a pioneer in the detective story genre.
Edgar Allan Poe is a very well - known author of mystery short fiction. His stories like 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' are considered masterpieces. Another is Arthur Conan Doyle. He created Sherlock Holmes, and many of the Sherlock Holmes short stories are great examples of mystery short fiction.