Mystery

MYSTERY (whodunit, police procedural, noir, etc.)

Whodunit: This type of mystery usually involves a detective, amateur or professional, solving a crime. The focus is on the logical solving of the puzzle.

Police Procedural: A type of detective fiction that emphasizes the realistic portrayal of law enforcement procedures, often focusing on the professional lives of police officers.

Noir: Dark and cynical, noir mysteries often involve moral ambiguity and complex, flawed characters. Think of dimly lit streets and femme fatales.

Hard-Boiled: A subgenre of crime fiction characterized by gritty realism, violence, and a tough, cynical detective.

Cozy Mystery: Cozies often take place in small, socially intimate communities. The detectives are often amateurs, and the violence is downplayed.

Legal Thriller: A type of thriller and crime fiction in which the major characters are lawyers and their employees, focusing on the legal aspects of crime solving.

Spy Mystery: These revolve around a protagonist who works as a spy and becomes involved in espionage, often involving national security.

Forensic Mystery: These mysteries involve the scientific investigation of a crime, with characters who are forensic scientists or pathologists.

Psychological Thriller: This subgenre places a heavy emphasis on the psychological effects of crime, often from the criminal's point of view.

Historical Mystery: Set in a specific historical period, these mysteries often combine real historical events with fictional mysteries.

Paranormal Mystery: Incorporates supernatural or fantasy elements into the traditional mystery story.

Medical Mystery: Focuses on medical personnel and settings, often involving mysterious illnesses or medical conditions.

Techno-Thriller: A subgenre where technology often plays a key role, with characters who may be scientists, engineers, or computer experts.

Heist and Caper: This subgenre involves the planning and execution of a major theft, focusing on the criminals rather than the investigators.

Locked Room Mystery: A type of whodunit where a crime (usually murder) is committed under seemingly impossible circumstances.

Criminal Procedural: Focuses on the criminals rather than the detectives, often providing the perspective from the other side of the law.

Domestic Thriller: These mysteries take place in domestic settings and often involve familial and marital secrets.

Adventure Mystery: Combines elements of adventure and exploration with the traditional mystery plot, often involving a search for lost treasures or historical artifacts.

Romantic Suspense: Mingles the development of a romantic relationship with mystery elements, intertwining love and danger.

Classic Detective: A detective (either professional or amateur) investigates a crime, often murder, primarily through the use of logical deduction and puzzle-solving.

Golden Age Mystery: Refers to works produced during the "Golden Age" of mystery writing, primarily the 1920s and 1930s, known for their puzzle-like plotting.

Humorous Mystery: Introduces humor and wit into the mystery, often through quirky characters or absurd situations.

Military Mystery: Centers around military personnel and settings, with mysteries often tied to military activities or hierarchies.

Political Thriller: Merges the intrigue of political scenarios with the tension and suspense of a thriller.

Culinary Mystery: Incorporates food, cooking, or culinary arts into the mystery, often with a chef or food lover as the protagonist.

Eco-Thriller: Focuses on environmental themes, with plots revolving around ecological issues or natural disasters.

Animal Mystery: Features animals as central characters or includes them as key elements within the mystery.

Disaster Thriller: Centers on disasters such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or other natural calamities, with mystery elements woven in.

Epistolary Mystery: Told through letters, diaries, or other documents, creating a unique narrative structure.

Moral Thriller: Explores ethical dilemmas and moral questions within the framework of a thrilling plot.

Occult Mystery: Incorporates occult, magical, or fantastical elements into the traditional mystery narrative.

Young Adult Mystery: Aimed at young adult readers, these mysteries are often coming-of-age stories with age-appropriate themes and characters.

Children's Mystery: Written for children, often featuring child detectives or mystery-solving animals.

Science Fiction Mystery: Blends elements of science fiction, such as futuristic settings or advanced technology, with traditional mystery structures.

Western Mystery: Set in the American Old West, these mysteries often include lawmen, outlaws, and frontier justice.

Inverted Detective Story: A type of crime fiction where the commission of the crime is shown or described at the beginning, and the story then describes the detective's attempt to solve the mystery.

Feminist Mystery: Focuses on women's issues and often features a strong, independent female protagonist.

Serial Killer Thriller: Centers around the chilling and often gruesome actions of a serial killer, focusing on the pursuit and eventual capture.

Superhero Mystery: Incorporates elements of the superhero genre, with characters who have special abilities or powers.

Travel Mystery: The protagonist solves a mystery while traveling, and the location itself often plays a crucial role in the plot.

True Crime: These mysteries are based on real-life crimes, often involving detailed research and factual accuracy.

Urban Fantasy Mystery: Combines elements of urban fantasy, such as magical creatures in a city setting, with a mystery plot.

Literary Mystery: These mysteries emphasize character development, language, and theme, often transcending genre boundaries.

Art Mystery: Focuses on the world of art, including artists, galleries, and art theft.

Gothic Mystery: Incorporates elements of horror, romance, and supernatural in a dark and often brooding setting.

International Thriller: These mysteries span multiple countries or continents, often involving espionage or international crime.

Multicultural Mystery: Focuses on diverse cultures, often exploring cultural dynamics and conflicts through the mystery plot.

Cyber Thriller: Revolves around the world of cyber technology and the internet, often involving hacking and online crime.

Holiday Mystery: Set during a holiday or special occasion, often incorporating themes and traditions of that holiday into the plot.

Biblical Thriller: Incorporates themes, characters, or plots related to biblical texts or religious history.

Academic Mystery: Set in an academic setting like a university or school, often featuring professors or students as the protagonists.

Disability-Themed Mystery: Focuses on characters with disabilities, exploring their unique challenges and perspectives.

Fairy Tale Mystery: Combines traditional fairy tale elements with a mystery plot.

Experimental Mystery: Plays with unconventional narrative techniques or structure.

Futuristic Mystery: Set in the future, often involving futuristic technology or societal structures.

High Society Mystery: Revolves around the upper echelons of society, often involving wealth, class, and social status.

Industrial Mystery: Set in an industrial setting, often involving crimes related to business or manufacturing.

Journalistic Mystery: Features journalists or reporters as protagonists, often investigating corruption or scandals.

Maritime Mystery: Set on the sea or at sea, on ships, or around coastal areas, involving maritime professions or activities.

Pulp Mystery: Styled after the pulp magazines of the early 20th century, often characterized by sensationalism and lurid content.

Rural Mystery: Set in a rural or small-town setting, often emphasizing local customs and relationships.

Screwball Mystery: Characterized by zany, eccentric characters and often humorous or absurd situations.

Sports Mystery: Centers around sports, athletes, or sporting events, often involving corruption or competition.

Time Travel Mystery: Incorporates time travel elements, often involving crimes or mysteries that span different time periods.

Tourism Mystery: Involves tourists or travel guides, often set in popular tourist destinations.

Vigilante Mystery: Focuses on characters who take the law into their own hands, operating outside the legal system.

Native American Mystery: Focuses on Native American characters, culture, or settings.

African Mystery: Set in Africa or revolving around African culture, often exploring regional issues or historical contexts.

Asian Mystery: Includes settings, characters, or themes related to various Asian cultures.

Middle Eastern Mystery: Focuses on characters, themes, or settings related to the Middle East.

Victorian Mystery: Set in the Victorian era, often emphasizing the social mores and details of the period.

Elizabethan Mystery: Set in the Elizabethan era, often involving characters or themes from that time.

Cold War Mystery: Set during the Cold War, often involving espionage and political tension between East and West.

Civil War Mystery: Centers on events, characters, or themes related to the American Civil War.

WWI or WWII Mystery: Set during World War I or World War II, often involving military operations, espionage, or home front experiences.

Post-Apocalyptic Mystery: Set in a world after a cataclysmic event, often exploring survival and rebuilding alongside a mystery plot.

Steampunk Mystery: Combines elements of steampunk, such as alternative history and steam-powered technology, with a mystery plot.

Regency Mystery: Set in the British Regency period, often involving characters from the upper class and aristocracy.

Suburban Mystery: Set in suburban areas, often exploring the underlying tensions or secrets beneath the surface of suburban life.

Tropical Mystery: Set in tropical locations, often incorporating the exotic setting into the plot.

Weather-Themed Mystery: The plot centers around or is significantly influenced by weather phenomena like storms, hurricanes, etc.

Alternative History Mystery: Set in a world where historical events unfolded differently, often exploring the implications through a mystery plot.

Celebrity Mystery: Involves celebrities or the entertainment industry, often exploring fame and media.

Chick Lit Mystery: Combines elements of chick lit (women's literature) with a mystery plot, often light-hearted and humorous.

Christmas Mystery: Set around Christmas time, often incorporating holiday themes and traditions.

Classic Literary Mystery: Incorporates characters or themes from classic literature into a new mystery story.

Dark Comedy Mystery: Combines elements of dark humor with a mystery plot, often involving grim or macabre situations handled humorously.

Disguise and Impersonation Mystery: Characters use disguises or impersonation as a central part of the plot.

Fashion Mystery: Revolves around the world of fashion, including designers, models, and fashion industry intrigue.

Feminist Noir: Combines elements of noir with a focus on feminist themes and strong female characters.

Haunted Mystery: Involves haunted houses or ghosts, blending supernatural elements with a mystery plot.

Immigrant Experience Mystery: Focuses on the experiences of immigrants, often exploring cultural adaptation, identity, and community.

Indian Mystery: Focuses on Indian characters, culture, or settings, often exploring unique regional dynamics.

Latin American Mystery: Centers on Latin American characters, culture, or settings.

Mafia and Organized Crime Mystery: Focuses on the activities of the Mafia or other organized crime groups.

Media Industry Mystery: Revolves around the media industry, including television, radio, or journalism.

Metaphysical Mystery: Incorporates philosophical or metaphysical themes, often exploring existential questions within a mystery plot.

Musical Mystery: Involves the world of music, including musicians, composers, and the music industry.

Nonlinear Narrative Mystery: Utilizes a nonlinear or fragmented narrative structure, often challenging the reader to piece together the mystery.

Office Mystery: Set in an office environment, often exploring interpersonal relationships, corporate intrigue, or office politics.

Revenge Mystery: Focuses on a plot driven by revenge, where the protagonist seeks retribution.

Rite of Passage Mystery: Involves a coming-of-age theme where the protagonist undergoes significant growth or change.

Robotic and AI Mystery: Centers on robots, artificial intelligence, or automation, often exploring ethical or technological questions.

Scandinavian Mystery: Includes mysteries written by Scandinavian authors or set in Scandinavian countries, often noted for their dark and complex plots.

Seasonal Mystery: Set during a specific season, like summer or winter, often incorporating seasonal themes and atmospheres.

Social Media Mystery: Involves social media platforms or online communication as a central element of the plot.

Space Mystery: Set in outer space or involving space travel, often blending science fiction and mystery elements.

Super Natural Ability Mystery: Involves characters with supernatural abilities, such as telepathy or telekinesis, as key elements in solving the mystery.

Terrorism Thriller: Centers on plots related to terrorism, often involving political intrigue and international conflict.

Transportation Mystery: Involves modes of transportation like trains, planes, or ships as central to the plot.

Urban Legend Mystery: Incorporates urban legends or folklore as key elements in the mystery.

Virtual Reality Mystery: Involves virtual reality or simulated environments as central to the plot or setting.

War Correspondent Mystery: Centers on war correspondents or journalists covering conflicts, often involving espionage or political intrigue.

Wedding Mystery: Set around a wedding or marriage, often incorporating familial or romantic themes.

Wine and Beverage Mystery: Revolves around the world of wine, spirits, or beverages, often involving industry insiders or connoisseurs.

Women's Friendship Mystery: Focuses on the friendships between women, often exploring relational dynamics and personal growth.

Workplace Mystery: Set in various workplace environments, from offices to factories, often exploring professional relationships and conflicts.

Zombie Mystery: Incorporates zombies or undead elements, often blending horror and mystery.

Prison Mystery: Set in a prison environment, often exploring life behind bars, escapes, or corruption within the system.

Early American Mystery: Set in early American history, often incorporating historical figures or events.

New Adult Mystery: Aimed at "new adult" readers (ages 18-30), often exploring themes related to this stage of life.

Senior Citizen Mystery: Features older protagonists or themes related to aging and retirement.

Pet Detective Mystery: Involves a pet detective or animals in solving the mystery.

Retirement Community Mystery: Set in a retirement community, often involving characters who are retirees.

Newspaper Mystery: Centers on the world of newspapers, often involving journalists or editors in solving the mystery.

Classic Radio Mystery: Styled after old-time radio dramas, often written in a serialized format.

Family Saga Mystery: Explores multiple generations of a family, often uncovering long-hidden secrets.

LGBTQ Mystery: Centers on LGBTQ characters or themes, often exploring issues related to sexuality or gender identity.

Men's Adventure Mystery: Aimed at a male readership, often featuring action, adventure, and male bonding themes.

Mental Illness Mystery: Involves themes of mental illness, often exploring psychological complexities and challenges.

Old West Mystery: Set in the American Old West, distinct from Western Mystery by focusing on specific themes or settings of that era.

Prehistoric Mystery: Set in prehistoric times, often involving early human societies or ancient civilizations.

Rehab and Recovery Mystery: Centers on themes of rehab and recovery, often involving addiction or personal transformation.

Small Business Mystery: Set in the world of small businesses, often involving entrepreneurs or local business owners.

Small Press Mystery: Includes mysteries published by small or independent presses, often featuring unconventional or niche themes.

Space Colony Mystery: Set in space colonies or outposts, often exploring frontier life in space.

Speculative Mystery: Blends speculative fiction elements, such as alternative realities or futuristic concepts, with mystery.

Supernatural Creature Mystery: Involves supernatural creatures like vampires, werewolves, or ghosts as key elements in the plot.

Survival Mystery: Focuses on survival themes, often involving wilderness settings or survival against the odds.

Time Loop Mystery: Involves time loops or repeated sequences of time, often requiring the protagonist to solve a mystery to escape the loop.

Utopian and Dystopian Mystery: Set in utopian or dystopian societies, often exploring societal norms and conflicts.

Veteran Detective Mystery: Features a veteran detective, often exploring themes related to career longevity, wisdom, or retirement.

Video Game Mystery: Involves video games or gaming culture as central to the plot or setting.

Volunteer Detective Mystery: Centers on a protagonist who is a volunteer detective, often working outside formal law enforcement.

Widow/Widower Mystery: Focuses on a protagonist who is a widow or widower, often exploring themes of grief and recovery.

Wilderness Mystery: Set in wilderness areas like forests or mountains, often involving survival themes or environmental issues.

Women Sleuths Mystery: Focuses on female detectives or sleuths, often highlighting women's perspectives and experiences.

Young Mother Mystery: Centers on a protagonist who is a young mother, often exploring themes related to motherhood and family.

Youth Sleuth Mystery: Involves a youth or young character as the sleuth, often targeted at younger readers.

Zoological Mystery: Set in zoos or involving zookeepers, often exploring themes related to animals and conservation.

Amateur Detective Mystery: Involves an amateur detective who solves crimes, often with no formal police training.

Animal-Cozy Mystery: A subset of cozy mysteries featuring animals, often with the animals playing a key role in solving the mystery.

Art Theft Mystery: Centers around the theft or forgery of valuable artworks, often involving art historians or collectors.

Beach Mystery: Set in beach locales, often involving crimes related to the sea or coastal communities.

Biblical Mystery: Incorporates themes or characters from the Bible, often exploring religious or historical contexts.

Biker Mystery: Centers around biker culture or motorcycle clubs, often exploring the outlaw aspects of biker life.

Child Prodigy Mystery: Features a child prodigy as the main character, often highlighting their unique abilities in solving crimes.

Climate Fiction Mystery: Combines climate fiction themes, such as climate change or environmental issues, with a mystery plot.

Clockpunk Mystery: A subset of steampunk focusing on clockwork mechanisms, often set in a Renaissance-inspired world.

College Campus Mystery: Set on a college campus, often involving students, faculty, or academic politics.

Culinary Arts Mystery: Centers around chefs, cooking, or the culinary arts, often involving crimes related to food or restaurants.

Cyberpunk Mystery: Blends cyberpunk themes, such as futuristic technology and cyber culture, with a mystery plot.

Dance Mystery: Involves the world of dance, including dancers, choreographers, or dance competitions.

Eco-Thriller Mystery: Focuses on ecological themes, often involving environmental activism or crimes against nature.

Epic Mystery: A broad and sweeping mystery, often encompassing a large cast of characters and complex plots.

Epistolary Mystery: Told through letters, emails, or other documents, often presenting the mystery through written correspondence.

Existential Mystery: Explores existential themes or philosophical questions, often delving into the human condition.

Family Detective Mystery: Features a family of detectives or a detective investigating family-related crimes.

Farm Mystery: Set on a farm or rural area, often involving crimes related to agriculture or farming communities.

Financial Thriller Mystery: Focuses on the financial world, often involving banking, investment, or corporate fraud.

Firefighter Mystery: Centers around firefighters or fire-related crimes, often exploring the world of fire fighting.

First Responder Mystery: Involves first responders like paramedics or emergency medical technicians in solving crimes.

Folklore Mystery: Incorporates elements of folklore or traditional stories, often blending myth and mystery.

Food Critic Mystery: Features a food critic or gastronome as the protagonist, often involving culinary-related crimes.

Forensic Science Mystery: Centers on forensic scientists or crime scene investigators, often highlighting scientific methods in solving crimes.

Gang Mystery: Focuses on gangs or gang-related crimes, often exploring underworld activities.

Golf Mystery: Set in the world of golf, often involving professional golfers, tournaments, or golf-related crimes.

Gothic Mystery: Combines elements of the gothic genre, such as dark and moody settings, with a mystery plot.

Healthcare Mystery: Set in the healthcare industry, often involving medical professionals or healthcare-related crimes.

Historical Figure Mystery: Features real historical figures as characters, often blending fact and fiction.

Hobby Mystery: Centers around a specific hobby, such as knitting or model-building, often involving crimes related to that hobby.

Holiday-Themed Mystery: Set during a specific holiday other than Christmas, like Halloween or Easter, often incorporating holiday traditions.

Hollywood Mystery: Set in Hollywood or the film industry, often exploring celebrity culture and entertainment-related crimes.

Human Trafficking Mystery: Focuses on the theme of human trafficking, often involving international crime rings.

Inspirational Mystery: Incorporates inspirational or spiritual themes, often providing uplifting messages alongside the mystery.

Interracial Mystery: Focuses on interracial characters or relationships, often exploring cultural dynamics.

Island Mystery: Set on an island, often involving the isolation or unique culture of island life.

Lawyer Mystery: Features lawyers or legal professionals as protagonists, often involving courtroom drama or legal intrigue.

Library Mystery: Set in or around libraries, often featuring librarians or library patrons as characters.

Medical Examiner Mystery: Centers on medical examiners or coroners, often focusing on autopsies and forensic pathology.

Military Police Mystery: Focuses on military police or military-related crimes, often involving service members or military bases.

Mountain Mystery: Set in mountainous regions, often involving mountaineers, climbers, or mountain-related crimes.

Museum Mystery: Set in museums, often involving art theft, forgery, or museum-related intrigue.

Music Band Mystery: Centers around a music band or musicians, often exploring the music industry or band dynamics.

Mythological Mystery: Incorporates elements of mythology, often blending ancient myths with modern mystery.

Occult Detective Mystery: Features a detective who investigates occult or supernatural crimes, often blending magic and mystery.

Political Intrigue Mystery: Focuses on political intrigue, often involving politicians, political campaigns, or government-related crimes.

Psychological Thriller Mystery: Emphasizes psychological effects and mind games, often exploring the mental state of characters.

Racing Mystery: Set in the world of racing, such as car racing or horse racing, often involving competition-related crimes.

Science Mystery: Centers on scientific themes or scientists, often involving scientific research, laboratories, or science-related crimes.