Well - developed characters are important. In a good murder short story, the murderer, the victim, and the detective (if there is one) all have distinct personalities. Take Dashiell Hammett's stories. His characters are often morally ambiguous, which adds depth to the story and makes the murder and its investigation more interesting.
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.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band' is also among the best. Sherlock Holmes uses his brilliant deductive reasoning to solve a seemingly impossible murder case. The story is filled with suspense, from the strange circumstances surrounding the death to Holmes' step - by - step unravelling of the mystery.
One of the great ones is 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's often considered a pioneer in the detective and murder mystery genre. The story features C. Auguste Dupin, who uses his brilliant deductive reasoning to solve the seemingly impossible murders.
Edgar Allan Poe is a very well - known author in this regard. His works, like 'The Purloined Letter', are full of mystery and intrigue. His writing style was innovative and set the stage for many future mystery writers.
The suspense. In the best short murder mysteries, like 'The Red - Headed League' by Conan Doyle, the author builds up suspense quickly. You're constantly wondering what will happen next.
One great short murder mystery story is 'The Speckled Band' by Arthur Conan Doyle. It has a really creepy atmosphere with the strange whistling sound and the mystery of the locked room. Another is 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl. In this story, a wife uses a frozen leg of lamb to kill her husband in a very unexpected way.
For murder stories, titles such as 'The Blood - Stained Clues', 'The Lethal Deception', and 'The Sinister Slaying' work well. 'The Blood - Stained Clues' immediately makes readers think about a crime scene and the evidence left behind. 'The Lethal Deception' implies that there is some sort of trickery or falsehood involved in the murder, which adds to the suspense. 'The Sinister Slaying' simply has a very menacing and dark feel to it, which is perfect for a murder story.
The 'Sherlock Holmes' stories also feature great murder mysteries. For example, 'A Study in Scarlet'. Holmes uses his extraordinary deductive skills to solve the murder. The story is filled with interesting characters and a web of clues that keep the readers engaged.