good mystery plots for stories

One good plot is a missing heir mystery. There's an old, wealthy family and suddenly a will is discovered, but the heir named in it has vanished. This sets off a search among various characters who all have motives to either find the heir first or keep them from being found. It could involve a lot of family secrets and hidden pasts.

One good mystery plot could be a disappearance in a small town. A local person vanishes without a trace. The main character, perhaps a journalist or a detective, starts to dig into the victim's life, uncovering secrets about their relationships, debts, and hidden past. As the investigation progresses, the suspect list grows, including the victim's family members and business partners. Every clue leads to more questions, like a strange note found in the victim's house that seems to be a coded message.

A plot where a famous author dies under mysterious conditions right before the release of their most anticipated book. The main character, perhaps a journalist or a die - hard fan, starts to investigate. As they look into the author's life, they find out that there are many people with motives, from jealous rivals to those who might be hiding secrets in the book itself.

To create good mystery plots for stories, think about a setting that adds to the mystery. A deserted island, an old, abandoned asylum, or a fog - covered forest. Then, introduce a strange event like a strange light in the asylum at night. Now, create characters with their own agendas. A caretaker who seems to be hiding something, a group of curious teenagers who break into the place. As the story unfolds, the mystery deepens as new and unexpected things happen. For example, one of the teenagers goes missing. The key is to keep the reader guessing until the very end.

One common plot is the 'whodunit' where the mystery revolves around finding out who committed a crime, like a murder. Another plot could be a mystery involving a missing heirloom with a complex web of suspects who all have motives to steal it. There's also the plot of a detective trying to solve a series of seemingly unconnected crimes that turn out to be part of a larger, more sinister plan.

Sure. A plot where a small town is haunted by a series of unexplained events. Strange noises at night, objects moving on their own, and people seeing shadowy figures. It turns out that there's a long - forgotten secret in the town's past, and someone is using these 'hauntings' to cover up their real motives, which could be related to money or revenge.

One mystery plot could be a missing heirloom. A family has a precious heirloom that suddenly disappears. The main character, a young detective in the family, starts to investigate. They question each family member, looking for motives and alibis. It turns out that the family's butler, who has long been overlooked, took it because he was in debt and thought he could sell it to pay off his debts.

How about a mystery plot set in a boarding school? A student discovers a series of coded messages hidden in the old library. As they try to decode them, they realize that it might be related to a long - ago incident at the school that someone is trying to keep secret. This could involve teachers, other students, or even the school's founders.

Create a sense of urgency. For example, if there's a mystery about a missing person, set a time limit for finding them. Like, the person is kidnapped and will be killed if not found within 24 hours. This makes the reader eager to know what will happen next.

You could write about a missing valuable artifact and the detective's quest to find it. Or a mysterious disappearance of a person in a small town where everyone seems to have something to hide.