What Makes a Good Mystery?
What Makes a Good Mystery?
One aspect of The Voyage of the Pleiades and the new book A Garden of Shadows, that I haven’t written much about is that they are both murder mysteries. Did I forget to mention that? My books are considered “genre fiction” and to make things doubly confusing, I write in multiple genres, is it historical? Mystery? Gothic naturalist? For the reader it might not matter, but to the publisher, that is another story.
So what makes a good mystery? I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this both as a reader and as a writer. I tend to piece together puzzles quickly, so I prefer mystery plot lines that surprise me and keep me wanting more. If you aren’t familiar with historical fiction mysteries, here are some of my favorites: Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell Mystery Series (and her earlier Julia Grey Mysteries); Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs Series and Anna Lee Huber’s Lady Darby Series. I have a more extensive list, but these are the series I return to over and over, because their strong protagonists, accurate historical details and compelling writing continue to capture me.
The next logical questions is: how does one write a mystery? There are books dedicated to the craft of shaping a mystery. Have I read some of them? Yes? Have I ignored their advice? For the most part, also yes. As I’ve discussed before, I tend more toward the pantser rather than planner school of writing. I start from a vague outline, but it shifts and tightens. My mystery storylines in particular fall into the pantser category.
I am huge fan of Midsomer Murders, but their plots frequently make me laugh. I am convinced that the writer’s room has a big whiteboard with a matrix to help them randomize their scripts. I imagine the matrix has columns like: weird village name, weapon, obscure hobby; and you selected from it to form the cornerstones of your mystery. Side note to Midsomer Murder producers: I absolutely want to write for you, so no complaints about this system.
As fun as the idea of a matrix seems, it’s definitely not what I use to structure the mysteries in my books. I start with a rough idea of what I want to happen and then let the writing guide me deeper into the mystery. In most cases, I have no idea how I’m going to end it until I finish the book. And then it is a matter of going back and making sure you’ve left enough clues and hints to capture the reader.
What do you think makes a good mystery? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. In the mean time, here is a teaser of the mystery in The Voyage of the Pleiades.
The Voyage of the Pleiades Chapter Excerpt
I caught up to Captain Hastings at the top of passageway to the hold. A midshipman was close on my heels. Hastings held up a hand bringing us to halt.
“Martin, no one follows Lady Wren and I into the hold.”
The man tugged his forelock. Hasting preceded me down the ladder, waiting at the bottom. At the far end of the space two men stood frozen in place. One held a lantern aloft. Hastings and I rushed to join them. The man with the lantern turned our way as we approached, it was Matias. Even in the low light I could tell that his face was drawn, tight commas of tension bracketed his mouth.
As I stepped into the circle of light, his eyes met mine briefly and slid away.
“Oh, bloody hell.” Hastings exhaled. I collided with his solid back as he came to a sudden stop. He whipped around firmly grasping my shoulders.
“Wren, you should go back up to the deck.”
I scowled at him. “Like hell I’ll return to the deck, Captain. Whatever has happened is my responsibility as much as it is yours.”
He shook his head. “Don’t make me insist on it, my lady.”
I clenched my fist and resisted the impulse to punch him. I ducked under his arm and skirted around him.
“Oh, bloody hell.” I muttered, sucking air through my teeth to stem the riptide of nausea.
A man was sprawled on the deck between the crates. The lantern illuminated the dark lake of blood surrounding his body. His face was unmarked, but his chest was bare and slashed with wounds. This was no accident.
So many books are multiple genre books, defying classification. If only we could jettison the marketing and advertising agents who are busy trying to define and limit our imaginations!