Click here for a pdf version of this lesson.  This is a lesson I use each semester as a general introduction. 

It might surprise you to know that of all our most popular authors, it’s not Shakespeare or Tolkien or even Dr. Seuss who holds the honor of “most read.” The winner is actually Agatha Christie, whose books have been translated into a record 103 languages. She is still one of the best-selling writers of all time (with 4 billion copies).

This says a lot about our appetite to learn the truth…to untangle the unexplainable…to find out “whodunit.”  Why do we read mysteries?

Consider this interpretation, by former Mystery class member Robert Barnmeyer:

I believe that our fascination with crime mysteries and the horror genre is based in the human primal fear of death and darkness as manifested by a boogeyman or criminal in the stories.  As a biological entity our primary instinct is survival but we are in a world that constantly threatens that survival.  Our books and movies allow us to safely peer into the abyss but compartmentalize the danger and safely walk away at the end of the day.  We are voyeurs to the crimes or horror but in no true danger.  It makes us feel as if we have some control over the threats to our existence in the natural world.

Consider your own reasons for signing up for this class, and your interest in the Mystery. While we probably share many of the same thoughts and feelings about the Mystery genre, I think we’ll be surprised to hear the perspectives of many in our group.

Interesting Psychology Today article below...

Looking back in time, British mysteries tended to occur in villages, featuring heroes from wealthy families. The murder weapon tended to be a fancy letter opener or poison, but many red herrings were thrown in to fool the investigator. Christie’s Hercule Poirot falls into this category as well. Miss Marple, as we shall see, is in a class of her own.

Paperback books became more accessible in the 1930s, which allowed the spread of mysteries even more. They were affordable and could be found in department stores. This was an improvement over the hardback.

Since the early days of writers like Conan Doyle and Christie, the “formula” they established has morphed into many sub-genres (we have our “hard-boiled” detectives, thrillers, “cozies,” the caper, and so on.

Another Take on the History of Mystery

Last semester we read a story by mystery writer Carolyn Hart.  In searching her website, I found several insightful essays, including this one on the history of mystery.  I hope you'll take a look.

The mystery genre has developed many sub-genres over the years. While some stories straddle categories, correctly labeling your mystery will determine how an editor responds to your submission. Following are thirteen of the most common slots.

Cozy: When the rich uncle is found poisoned, the kindly lady from across the heath skips her afternoon tea to discover which of the family members committed the dastardly deed.

The cozy, typified by Agatha Christie, contains a bloodless crime and a victim who won't be missed. The solution can be determined using emotional (Miss Marple) or logical (Poirot) reasoning. The Malice Domestic convention celebrates this tradition and produces an annual anthology.

Amateur Sleuth: Even though his business partner's death is declared a suicide, Frank can't shake the feeling that his partner was killed to sabotage the defense contract.

The amateur sleuth tries to solve the murder of someone close. Either the police have tried and failed or misread the murder as an accident/suicide. Both the loss and need for a solution is personal. These are usually single-shot stories and novels since lightning rarely strikes the same person again and again (outside of a television series).

Professional Sleuth: Although Swiss banks were world-renowned for discretion and secrecy, Hans knew he needed to explain the dead body in the vault before Monday morning.

The professional sleuth is an amateur sleuth in a professional setting, preferably a setting which is unique and intriguing. Not only is inside information used, but solving the crime returns order to a cloistered environment. Think Dick Frances and the world of horse racing.

Police Procedural: As Lieutenant Dickerman watched the new guy blow too much dust across the glass table top, he reached for the antacids in his pocket. The killer had struck four times now and Dickerman had to depend on clowns fresh out of the academy to gather evidence.

The police procedural emphasizes factual police operations. Law enforcement is a team effort where department politics often plays a large role. If you plan to write one of these, you need to spend time with police officers and research the tiny details which will make your story ring true. Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novels describe the workings of a fictional big-city department.

Legal/Medical: The defense lawyer knew that the surgeon was going to be a difficult expert witness.

Lawyers and doctors make effective protagonists since they seem to exist on a plane far above the rest of us. Although popular, these tales are usually penned by actual lawyers and doctors due to the demands of the information presented. To find latest legal/medical mystery look no farther than the bestseller list.

Suspense: Despite the fact Greg hadn't seen the killer flee the scene of the crime, the two attempts on his life convinced him the killer believed otherwise.

Instead of the sleuth pursuing the criminal, in suspense the protagonist is the one being pursued. Here the question is not so much "Who done it?" but "How will the main character stay alive?" These thrillers are often blockbusters.

Romantic Suspense: Despite the fact Vanessa hadn't seen the killer flee the scene of the crime, the two attempts on her life made her wonder if she shouldn't have said anything to Richard.

Add a hefty dose of romance to a suspense and produce a romantic suspense. Not only does justice prevail, but love conquers all. The spectrum runs from Mary Higgins Clark to mystery lines from the paperback romance publishers.

Historical: When Sam Adams turned the Boston Massacre into a call for revolution, he neglected to mention that one of the men killed was shot not by the British but by someone firing from a second story window.

Move your mystery into the past, near or far, and you've entered the realm of the historical mystery. Crime has always been in fashion and the possibilities are limited only by your imagination and ability to research.

Mixed Genre: As if it wasn't bad enough that a clone had terminated a robot, Inspector Ji suspected the killing had been ordered by the Velusian ambassador.

Move your mystery into the future and you've entered the realm of the mixed-genre mystery. Although mixed-genre isn't confined to SF, science fiction is a healthy market which welcomes the marriage. Isaac Asimov's ROBOT series is one example of a future police detective.

Private Eye: He fingered the retainer in his pocket, tried to remind himself that the client was always right. It didn't wash. She thought she could buy him but he wasn't for sale.

The Private Eye is as much an American icon as the Western gunslinger. From the hardboiled PIs of the 30s and 40s to the politically correct investigators of today, this sub-genre is known for protagonists with a strong code of honor. While Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder is an unofficial PI, Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone is licensed.

Noir: He fingered the check in his pocket. He knew it would bounce, but so had Mac when he hit the pavement from seven stories up.

While much PI is Noir, Noir also covers stories from the other side of the fence. Noir is a mood: gritty, bleak, and unforgiving. The usual brutality is about as far from Cozy as you can get. Plug "noir" into your favorite search engine to find a wealth of sites offering original and reprinted fiction.

Crime: They had thirty seconds to cut the alarm. Best time during drills had been fifteen. Now, twenty seconds after opening the faceplate, Allison slipped and dropped the pliers inside the wall.

Suspense in the crime story comes from wondering whether the plan will work. We're rooting for the bad guys because they are smart, organized, and daring. The ride will be a bumpy one. This sub-genre works well in film. Consider renting The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, Entrapment, or The Thomas Crowne Affaire.

Caper: The gun had been loaded when he left the house this morning so why wouldn't it shoot now? Gus cursed as he throttled the lump of metal and then glared down the barrel.

A caper is a comic crime story. Instead of suave and calculating, the caper chronicles the efforts of the lovable bungler who either thinks big or ridiculously small. Finally we get to laugh.

 This brief overview launches into our semester of mystery stories. In Demystifying Mystery Fiction, we will do just that:  explore the bones of classic mysteries and see how authors of old influenced the next generations of mystery writers.

We begin with a beloved TV detective of years past: Colombo. Take notes on Colombo’s methodology—not as bumbling as he seems!  This episode has a slow pace, but it builds to a crescendo (pun intended, given the subject). I also appreciated stepping into the shoes of our devious villain.

I didn’t choose a theme on purpose this semester, but disguised or mistaken identity comes up in most stories!  What’s that about???

We begin with an early story (1898) by a writer I never heard of: Rodrigues Ottolengui. He was actually a dentist when he wasn’t writing detective fiction. “The Nameless Man” was the first chapter in a series featuring his hero, Mr. Barnes.

We move on to several powerhouse writers of the mystery genre, beginning with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (“The Adventure of Silver Blaze” published in 1892).  This was one of the author’s favorites. This is classic Holmes as he and Mr. Watson follow the clues to a horse race in Dartmoor.  Watch for the famous reference to “the curious incident of the dog in the dog in the night-time.”

Agatha Christie is the next writer we’ll explore as we encounter the legendary Hercule Poirot in “The Italian Nobleman.” See how your “gray matter” matches up with Poirot’s as he solves this baffling case.

We’ll also experience Christie’s beloved Miss Marple, in “Miss Marple Tells a Story.”

After Miss Marple, I like to contrast her with another single gal sleuth: Kerry Greenwood’s beautiful and brave Miss Fisher (in “Deadweight”), set in Australia in the 1920s.  When we watch episodes of Miss Fisher (or read the books), we also learn much about the history and culture of Australia.  This episode includes a character of Aboriginal ethnicity, introducing us to the plight of indigenous people in Australia as the country grew after World War I.

No survey of mystery fiction is complete without delving into the hardboiled detective sub-genre. Next we read “They Can Only Hang You Once,” by Dashiell Hammett. Then we’ll jump to modern times and read our first story from this semester’s anthology, The Best Short Mystery Stories of 2024 (edited by Anthony Horowitz).  “Beat the Clock” by Michael Bracken is a clever (and more realistic) story that reveals police detection work (and family greed).

Following in the police procedural format we’ll watch a Dragnet episode, “The Big Family.”

Next is Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes (1938) an early sample of his work.  Hitchcock was a master of suspense, and we learn a great deal observing how he creates characters and sub-plots.  The spy theme fits the timeframe as World War II was brewing in Europe.

“And Then There Were [N-one] by Sarah Pinsker will certainly stretch our imaginations. Even if you are not a sci-fi fan (I usually am not, but I made an exception with this story), I think you’ll enjoy this futuristic tale about how Sarah Pinsker finds out who killed Sarah Pinsker.

John M. Floyd is a current writer whose work we often appreciate in this class. “Last Day at the Jackrabbit” is part of the Best Stories anthology.

We’ll read one novel this semester, in part to contrast the difference between short mysteries and more developed tales in a series. Donna Leon has long been one of my favorite mystery writers with her series set in Venice featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. Death at La Fenice is the first of 20+ novels, so if you like this one you’re in for great reading ahead! I particularly appreciate how Donna Leon represents the personalities, politics, and food of Venice.

Our final readings of the semester will be a Nero Wolfe episode by Rex Stout, “The Christmas Party.”  Stout wrote dozens of stories featuring the eccentric, brilliant, orchid-loving Nero Wolfe.

We’ll cap off our semester in January with a final story about disguised identity with Peter Hayes “El Paso Heat” from our Best Stories collection.

As you can see, we have a good variety of tales as we demystify the mystery genre. Looking forward to sharing this with you, and more!

Masters, K. (2014). Retrieved from:

https://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/a-brief-history-of-the-mystery-novel