Part Two, Chapter Four
“On the Creation of Detective Fiction”
I. Definition of Detective Fiction
The definition of detective fiction can be clarified by analyzing its core characteristics, narrative structure, and purpose. It is a literary genre whose primary content centers on solving mysteries or uncovering the truth.
1. Core Element: Mystery and Reasoning
The core of detective fiction is a mystery that must be solved, usually involving a criminal incident, such as murder, theft, or other inexplicable actions.
The main narrative thread revolves around the protagonist (typically a detective or investigator) who uncovers the truth through reasoning, observation, and analysis.
The focus of detective fiction lies in the logical progression of rational thought, enabling readers to follow the story step by step as the truth is gradually revealed.
Example:
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express tells the story of the detective Hercule Poirot investigating a murder that occurs on a luxurious train.
2. The Detective or Investigator as Protagonist
In most detective fiction, the protagonist is usually a detective, private investigator, or police officer who solves cases through keen observation and logical reasoning abilities.
Detective figures in classic detective fiction often possess distinctive personalities and skills, such as Sherlock Holmes’s extraordinary deductive powers or Poirot’s psychological analysis techniques.
Example:
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes is one of the most representative detective figures in detective fiction; his calmness and logical analytical ability help him solve countless complex cases.
3. Structure: The Establishment and Resolution of the Mystery
Detective fiction generally follows a dual narrative structure:
(1) The first half: the establishment of the mystery, creating suspense by presenting an event or crime.
(2) The second half: the unraveling of the mystery, gradually revealing the truth through the detective’s or investigator’s actions, and ultimately providing a solution.
This structure is often accompanied by skillful use of temporal order, such as flashbacks or interwoven narratives, to gradually present clues and challenge the reader’s reasoning abilities.
Example:
And Then There Were None arouses the reader’s interest in deduction through a series of deaths and ultimately reveals an unexpected culprit.
4. Clues and Misdirection
In detective fiction, the presentation of clues is crucial. Authors scatter key clues throughout the narrative for both the detective and the reader to analyze.
However, in order to increase suspense and difficulty, the story usually also includes misleading clues (false leads), guiding readers toward incorrect conclusions.
This technique gives detective fiction a stronger sense of mystery and helps sustain the reader’s interest.
Example:
Many of Agatha Christie’s works (such as The Murder of Roger Ackroyd) are filled with false clues that mislead readers before the truth is revealed.
5. Exploration of Morality and Law
Detective fiction is not merely an intellectual game; it often involves explorations of morality, justice, and law.
The criminal acts in the story are frequently connected to the darker aspects of human nature, social problems, or the complexity of justice.
Through the process of solving cases, detective fiction prompts profound reflection on moral choices and the boundaries of law.
Example:
Raymond Chandler’s The Long Goodbye is not only about solving a murder but also deeply explores human nature, loyalty, and betrayal.
6. Subgenres of Detective Fiction
Detective fiction includes many subgenres, each with different narrative emphases:
(1) Classical detective fiction: represented by Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, typically following strict logical clue construction and deductive reasoning.
(2) Hard-boiled detective fiction: such as the works of Raymond Chandler, often set in urban environments, emphasizing darkness and complexity of reality, with detectives who possess human flaws.
(3) Courtroom detective fiction: such as the works of John Grisham, centering on courtroom trials and revealing truth through legal procedures and defense strategies.
(4) Police procedural fiction: focusing on police investigations and emphasizing realistic investigative processes and legal procedures.
Detective fiction is a literary genre that stimulates readers’ interest through intellectual challenges and logical reasoning.
By constructing complex mysteries, providing ingenious clues, and revealing truth through the detective’s deductuctive process, it satisfies readers’ curiosity about puzzles while also provoking reflection on human nature, social issues, and justice.
II. Structural Patterns of Detective Fiction Narratives
The narrative structures of detective fiction often follow specific storytelling patterns in order to generate suspense and stimulate readers’ interest in deduction.
According to different styles of detective fiction, several common structural models are listed below and illustrated through classic works:
1. Traditional Detective Structure
This is the most classic and widely used structure, especially common in the works of writers such as Agatha Christie.
This structure consists of several major parts:
(1) The occurrence of the case: At the beginning, an inexplicable mystery is established, usually involving a murder, theft, or similar crime.
(2) The launch of the investigation: The detective or protagonist begins to collect clues, obtaining information through questioning witnesses, examining crime scenes, and other methods.
(3) Clues and misdirection: Through the interweaving of key clues and false leads, the story is advanced while simultaneously creating multiple possible suspects for the reader.
(4) Revelation of the truth: In the end, the detective reveals the truth of the crime through reasoning; the identity and motive of the culprit are exposed, and the mystery is resolved.
Example:
In Murder on the Orient Express (Agatha Christie), Poirot discovers that multiple suspects all possess motives for the crime, but ultimately reveals the complex truth that all the passengers jointly participated in the murder.
2. Reverse-Chronological Detective Structure
In this structure, the story begins from the ending or after the crime has occurred, with both the reader and the detective searching for the truth and the process behind the crime.
This structure increases reader engagement, because they must reconstruct the full picture by retracing past events.
(1) The case appears solved: The novel begins with a situation in which an event has already occurred or seems to have already been resolved.
(2) Tracing back the truth: Through investigation, the detective gradually uncovers the causes and consequences of the event, sometimes revealing hidden secrets from the past.
(3) Reversal ending: There is often an unexpected twist, in which readers discover that the facts completely contradict the initial assumptions.
Example:
And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie) presents a complex criminal scheme through a retrospective approach, revealing the true murderer only at the final moment.
3. Closed-Space Detective Structure
This structure usually places the story within a confined environment, such as an isolated island, a train, or a mansion, where all suspects are trapped in an inescapable space.
Such a setting increases tension.
Relationships among the suspects are complex, and typically everyone may have a motive.
(1) Enclosed environment: The crime occurs in a closed space that cannot be interfered with by the outside world.
(2) A series of deaths: Continuous deaths often occur, forcing the detective to quickly identify the murderer to prevent further killings.
(3) Limited suspects: Due to spatial restrictions, all suspects are confined within a certain range, forming a closed circle of suspicion.
Example:
And Then There Were None is also a classic example of this structure: the story takes place on a remote island where characters die one by one until the truth is finally revealed.
4. Hard-Boiled Detective Structure
Hard-boiled detective fiction places greater emphasis on realism and urban crime.
Its narrative structure is usually more direct and darker, with protagonists who are often complex in personality and do not always adhere strictly to legal and moral standards.
(1) Crime investigation: The detective penetrates urban society, exposing the complex interpersonal relationships and social problems behind criminal acts.
(2) Conflict between the detective and society: The detective confronts law enforcement institutions, criminal organizations, or other social forces; the clash between individualism and social corruption forms the core of this genre.
(3) Bleak endings: Endings often carry a sense of fatalism or incomplete victory, reflecting the helplessness of social reality.
Example:
The Long Goodbye (Raymond Chandler) demonstrates a typical hard-boiled structure: private detective Marlowe becomes entangled in struggles of power and corruption during his investigation, with an ending filled with complex emotional conflicts and social critique.
5. Courtroom Detective Structure
This structure centers on courtroom trials, with the entire narrative revolving around legal proceedings.
The prosecution and defense confront each other through evidence and testimony, ultimately revealing the truth of the case.
(1) The courtroom as the core: Investigation and reasoning unfold within the trial process, focusing on legal procedures, presentation of evidence, and courtroom debate.
(2) Reversal of direction: Evidence or testimony often undergoes sudden reversals in court, completely changing the course of the case.
(3) Strong sense of realism: Because legal procedures are involved, the story tends to possess greater realism and professional authenticity.
Example:
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), although not strictly a detective novel, presents a struggle between reasoning and justice through its courtroom trial scenes.
6. Psychological Detective Structure
This structure places greater emphasis on psychological complexity, making the mental motivations behind crimes the key to solving mysteries.
It usually delves deeply into the inner states of criminals or detectives, exploring the darker aspects of human nature.
(1) Exploration of psychological motives: The motivations behind crimes are not merely money or power, but are more often related to psychological trauma and emotional entanglements.
(2) Inner conflicts of characters: Both detectives and suspects may face moral struggles and psychological challenges.
Example:
The Silence of the Lambs (Thomas Harris) explores the psychology of a serial killer and reveals truth through the psychological confrontation between a psychiatrist and the criminal.
The narrative structures of detective fiction vary according to style and genre, but their common feature lies in guiding readers step by step toward the truth through suspense and reasoning.
Whether through confined spaces, complex psychology, courtroom confrontation, or the actions of hard-boiled detectives, detective fiction stimulates intellectual challenge and reading pleasure through distinctive narrative techniques.
III. Major Constituent Elements of Detective Fiction
The constituent elements of detective fiction are usually the core factors that support the development of the story, determining its deductive nature, sense of suspense, and logical coherence.
Below are several major elements of detective fiction, illustrated through classic detective works.
1. Crime (Crime or Mystery)
The foundation of detective fiction is often a crime or a mystery, usually involving cases such as murder, theft, kidnapping, and similar incidents.
This criminal act serves as the starting point of the story and is also the central driving force that initiates the detective’s investigation.
Example:
In Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, the crime is a murder that occurs on a train. One of the passengers is killed, and all the passengers appear to have motives for committing the crime, which becomes the reason the detective Poirot begins his investigation.
2. The Detective (Detective or Investigator)
The detective is the core character who drives the progression of the story and is usually responsible for solving the mystery and identifying the true culprit.
This role may be a professional detective, a police officer, or an amateur investigator.
The detective’s reasoning ability, observational skills, and analytical capacity constitute major points of interest in the novel.
Example:
In Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled detective novel The Long Goodbye, the detective Philip Marlowe is a typical hard-boiled investigator who uncovers mysteries through confrontation with the complexities of society.
3. Clues
Clues are the key elements that propel the process of deduction forward.
In novels, clues may take the form of physical evidence, witness testimony, or the behavior of suspects.
Importantly, clues must not only be hidden within details but also possess logical coherence, enabling the detective or reader to reasonably infer the truth.
Example:
In Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes reveals that the murderer used a gigantic hound to commit the crime by carefully observing the scene and analyzing eyewitness descriptions.
4. Suspects
Detective fiction usually features more than one suspect, each with potential motives and opportunities to commit the crime.
By presenting the suspects’ personalities, behaviors, and relationships with the victim, the novel gradually reveals the truth.
This element is often used to confuse the reader and heighten suspense.
Example:
In And Then There Were None, all characters are suspects. They are trapped on an isolated island and die one by one. The reader, like the characters themselves, does not know who the murderer is until the final revelation.
5. Motive
Motive refers to the reason that drives a suspect to commit the crime.
Motives may involve money, revenge, jealousy, fear, power, and other factors.
The establishment of motive not only makes the suspect’s actions logically plausible but also helps the detective narrow down and identify the true culprit.
Example:
In Death on the Nile, the motive for murder involves money and romantic betrayal, with the killer plotting the crime in order to obtain the victim’s inheritance.
6. Misdirection (Red Herring)
Misdirection is a common technique in detective fiction.
Authors introduce false clues or deceptive suspects in an attempt to lead both the reader and the detective in the wrong direction.
This technique increases the complexity of the narrative and makes the process of solving the mystery more winding and challenging.
Example:
In Murder on the Orient Express, the author misleads both the detective and readers through multiple seemingly unrelated clues, causing all suspects to be viewed with suspicion, until it is finally revealed that everyone is a co-conspirator.
7. Resolution
Finally, detective fiction reaches its climax with the revelation of the truth of the case.
Usually, the detective demonstrates through reasoning how the truth was derived step by step, resolving all mysteries.
This moment not only answers all suspenseful questions but also brings the entire story to a satisfying conclusion.
Example:
In Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet, Holmes ultimately reveals the cause of the victim’s death and the underlying revenge story through meticulous analysis of evidence, completely solving the mystery.
The constituent elements of detective fiction work together to create a reading experience filled with suspense and intellectual challenge.
Through crime, detectives, clues, suspects, motives, misdirection, and final revelation, detective fiction guides readers step by step toward the truth in a tense and stimulating atmosphere.
These elements not only help shape the classic form of detective fiction but also make the genre one of the most popular and enduring categories in literature.
IV. Classic Protagonists, Supporting Characters (Allies and Mentors), and Antagonists in Detective Fiction
Characters in detective fiction are usually divided into protagonists, supporting characters (including allies and mentors), and antagonists.
Each type of character plays a crucial role in advancing the plot and enhancing the deductive experience.
Below are classic types of protagonists, supporting characters, and villains in detective fiction, along with their typical examples.
1. Protagonist (Detective/Protagonist)
The protagonist is usually the detective or the individual responsible for solving the mystery.
They are in charge of searching for clues, analyzing situations, and ultimately unraveling the puzzle.
Protagonists in detective fiction are often intelligent, possess strong logical thinking, and have a powerful pursuit of justice.
Classic examples:
Sherlock Holmes (The Sherlock Holmes Stories)
Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of the most famous protagonists in detective fiction.
He solves complex mysteries through extraordinary powers of observation, deductive reasoning, and scientific analytical methods.
Hercule Poirot (Murder on the Orient Express)
Agatha Christie’s renowned detective Poirot is famous for his “little grey cells” (referring to his intelligence).
He prefers solving cases by analyzing human psychology and observing details.
Philip Marlowe (The Long Goodbye)
Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled detective Marlowe is calm and resilient.
Facing complex moral issues of society and dark urban environments, he embodies a distinctive hard-boiled style.
2. Allies (Allies)
Allies are characters who assist the protagonist in investigations.
They are usually the detective’s assistants, friends, or other law enforcement personnel.
Although they may not possess the same level of deductive brilliance as the protagonist, their help is crucial to solving cases.
Classic examples:
John Watson (The Sherlock Holmes Stories)
Dr. Watson is Holmes’s closest friend and assistant.
Although he does not possess Holmes’s exceptional deductive genius, he is loyal and brave, and he records many of Holmes’s adventures.
Ariadne Oliver (Agatha Christie’s works)
Oliver is a friend of Hercule Poirot and also a famous detective novelist.
She frequently provides Poirot with inspiration and support and occasionally helps solve cases through her intuition.
Captain Hastings (The Poirot Series)
Similar to Watson, Hastings is Poirot’s loyal friend and assistant.
Although he is not as skilled in reasoning as Poirot, his presence provides Poirot with a conversational partner and a more human perspective.
3. Mentor (Mentor)
Mentors are characters who, to some degree, guide or support the detective by offering intellectual or psychological assistance.
They may not directly participate in investigations, but they provide important guidance through wisdom, experience, or advice.
Classic examples:
Mycroft Holmes (The Sherlock Holmes Stories)
Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock Holmes’s brother, is a genius who is unwilling to personally engage in investigations like his younger brother.
Nevertheless, Mycroft often provides exceptionally insightful advice at critical moments.
Edward de Russell (The Ellery Queen Series)
De Russell is a friend and mentor to Queen.
Although he does not directly handle cases as actively as Queen, he frequently assists in solving complex mysteries through philosophical advice and insights.
4. Antagonist/Villain (Antagonist/Villain)
The antagonists in detective fiction are usually the planners or perpetrators of crimes.
They carefully design their schemes and attempt to evade the detective’s pursuit.
Outstanding villains often possess complex motives, ingenious plans, and pose tremendous challenges to the detective.
Classic examples:
Professor James Moriarty (The Sherlock Holmes Stories)
Moriarty is Sherlock Holmes’s archenemy.
As a criminal mastermind, his intelligence rivals Holmes’s own.
He designs numerous intricate crimes and nearly causes Holmes’s death.
Roger Ackroyd (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd)
In this classic Agatha Christie novel, Roger Ackroyd himself is the key figure in the murder.
The novel’s ending became a milestone in detective fiction history due to its unexpected revelation of the murderer.
Dr. Norman Gale (The ABC Murders)
In this book, Agatha Christie ingeniously designs the serial killer Dr. Gale.
By creating a series of seemingly unrelated crimes, he conceals his true motive and successfully misleads both the police and the readers.
Conclusion
The protagonists, allies, mentors, and antagonists in detective fiction form the core character hierarchy of the novel.
Their interactions drive the development of the story.
Through complex relationships and conflicts among these characters, classic detective fiction strengthens suspense, tension, and intellectual challenge, making these works enduring classics in literary history.
V. Narrative Methods of Detective Fiction
The narrative methods of detective fiction are key mechanisms that drive readers to solve mysteries and construct suspense.
Different narrative techniques not only influence the reader’s experience but also determine the intensity of tension and the complexity of the puzzle.
Below are several classic narrative methods and their practical applications in famous detective novels.
1. First-Person Narrative (First-Person Narrative)
In first-person narrative, the story is told through the perspective of a particular character, usually the detective or the detective’s assistant.
This narrative method allows readers to come closer to the narrator’s thought process and solve the mystery alongside them.
However, due to the limited viewpoint, readers—like the narrator—can only perceive part of the facts, which increases the sense of suspense.
Examples:
The Sherlock Holmes Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Holmes series is usually narrated from Dr. Watson’s point of view.
Readers observe together with Watson how Holmes gradually reasons out the truth.
Watson’s perspective not only restricts the disclosure of information but also enhances Holmes’s aura of mystery.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
This novel is narrated in the first person, with the narrator being the village doctor, Dr. Sheppard.
At the end of the story, the narrator himself turns out to be the murderer—this twist is regarded as one of the most powerful narrative techniques in detective fiction.
2. Third-Person Omniscient Narrative (Third-Person Omniscient Narrative)
An omniscient narrator is able to enter the inner worlds of all characters and fully grasp all information.
This perspective can simultaneously describe the actions and psychological states of detectives, suspects, witnesses, and other figures.
However, the author must carefully arrange clues in order to avoid revealing the truth too early.
Examples:
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Through a third-person omniscient perspective, readers can obtain clues from multiple suspects, while Poirot remains the central solver of the mystery.
This omniscient narration increases the story’s complexity and depth, especially when the final revelation shows that all passengers participated in the murder.
Malice by Keigo Higashino
This novel alternates between third-person narration and diary-style narrative, providing multiple perspectives that allow readers to see different characters’ accounts of events, thereby deepening psychological analysis.
3. Unreliable Narrator (Unreliable Narrator)
The unreliable narrator is a common technique in detective fiction.
By allowing the narrator to conceal or distort facts, the author misleads readers.
At the end of the story, readers are often shocked to discover that the narrator has hidden crucial details throughout the narrative.
Examples:
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
This novel not only uses first-person narration but also employs an unreliable narrator—Dr. Sheppard.
At the conclusion, readers realize that he is the one who concealed the truth, a narrative strategy that overturns the traditional structure of detective fiction.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This novel uses dual narration from the husband Nick and the wife Amy.
Both narrations hide key facts, causing readers to develop a distorted understanding of events until the truth gradually emerges.
4. Flashbacks and Retrospection (Flashbacks)
The narrative methods of flashbacks and retrospection allow authors to gradually reveal crucial events from the past.
These memories may be information the detective obtains from suspects or witnesses.
Readers must piece together the complete truth through these fragmented clues.
Examples:
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
In this novel, the detective conducts a retrospective investigation through historical records and documents, attempting to solve a murder that occurred centuries earlier.
By tracing historical events, the detective gradually uncovers layers of mystery.
A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie
Through flashbacks and character recollections, Christie reveals key clues and guides readers step by step toward the truth.
5. Linear Narrative (Linear Narrative)
Linear narrative is the traditional storytelling method that proceeds according to chronological order.
It is suitable for relatively simple and straightforward cases.
This method allows each step of the story to be clearly presented, with clues appearing progressively, enabling readers to solve the mystery alongside the protagonist.
Example:
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
This is a classic example of linear narrative.
Readers follow the progression of the story as a series of murders are gradually revealed.
Each character’s death occurs in sequence, making the entire story filled with suspense and tension.
6. Multiple Perspectives or Alternating Narratives (Multiple Perspectives or Alternating Narratives)
Alternating narration presents the story through the perspectives of multiple characters, providing readers with different sources of clues.
This narrative method is complex and fascinating, allowing readers to see different versions of the same events.
These versions may sometimes contradict one another, thereby increasing the difficulty of deduction.
Examples:
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
This novel portrays a real crime case through multiple viewpoints, including the killers, detectives, and the victims’ families, enhancing the story’s realism and complexity.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery by Rian Johnson
Through the interweaving of multiple perspectives, audiences witness different interpretations of the same events, increasing the pleasure and challenge of solving the mystery.
The narrative methods in detective fiction are rich and diverse, with each approach possessing its own unique appeal and function.
By selecting appropriate narrative techniques, authors can guide readers through fog-filled cases toward the truth while maintaining suspense and narrative complexity.
VI. How to Create an Excellent Detective Novel: A Writing Plan
Creating an excellent detective novel requires careful plot design, the construction of characters, and the clever arrangement of clues and mysteries.
Below is a detailed writing plan, illustrated in combination with classic masterpieces of detective fiction.
1. Conceive the Core Mystery
The foundation of a detective novel is a compelling mystery, usually involving murder, theft, or a disappearance.
The mystery should be sufficiently complex and contain multiple possible explanations, thereby capturing the reader’s attention.
Examples:
“Murder on the Orient Express” by Agatha Christie:
The core mystery is a murder that takes place on a train, where every passenger has both motive and opportunity, making the story full of suspense and complexity.
“The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” by Arthur Conan Doyle:
Each story centers on a peculiar case, such as the eerie death event in “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, where legend intertwines with reality.
2. Shape a Distinctive Detective Character
The detective is the key figure in a detective novel and typically possesses exceptional reasoning ability, keen observation, and a unique personality.
The detective does not need to be perfect; on the contrary, giving them certain flaws makes them more human and approachable.
Examples:
Sherlock Holmes: extremely rational, calm, and highly logical, but socially deficient.
Hercule Poirot: famous for his precision and his distinctive “little grey cells”; he values detail and maintains an elegant, gentlemanly style.
3. Design Suspicious Suspects
Your story should include multiple suspects, each with motive, time, and opportunity to commit the crime.
By shaping the complexity of these characters, readers are prevented from quickly identifying the true culprit.
Examples:
“Death on the Nile” by Agatha Christie:
Every passenger harbors hostility toward the victim, the reasoning process twists and turns, and the final culprit is revealed in an unexpected way.
“And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie:
Each person hides a crime, the truth is gradually uncovered, and only at the final moment does the murderer surface.
4. Construct Clues and Misdirection
A good detective novel must gradually guide readers toward the truth through carefully arranged clues, while simultaneously setting up misdirection to create confusion.
Importantly, all clues must be logical and fair, and key information must not be deliberately concealed.
Examples:
“The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” by Agatha Christie:
Christie deliberately misleads readers through the narrator Doctor Sheppard’s perspective, ultimately revealing that he himself is the murderer.
“Malice” by Keigo Higashino:
Clues and motives intertwine under multiple narratives, with layers of deception and truth gradually unfolding.
5. Gradually Reveal the Truth
The puzzle-solving process in a detective novel should unfold step by step, allowing readers to approach the truth little by little through the detective’s investigation and reasoning.
As the ending approaches, all mysteries should be resolved logically, while leaving readers sufficient room for reflection.
Examples:
“Journey Under the Midnight Sun” by Keigo Higashino:
The story advances in a suspenseful manner, and only at the end do readers gradually understand the true background and reality of the case.
“The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”:
Holmes gradually uncovers the core secrets of each case through meticulous reasoning.
6. Choose a Narrative Structure
Narrative structure can greatly influence the suspense and puzzle-solving experience of a detective novel.
Common structures include linear narration, flashbacks, unreliable narrators, and multi-perspective narration (see earlier discussions on detective fiction narrative techniques for details).
Examples:
“The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” employs a first-person unreliable narrator, with a final twist that shocks readers.
“Malice” uses multiple perspectives, deepening the complexity of the case and the psychological layers.
7. Set a Surprising Ending
The ending of a detective novel usually requires an unexpected twist that reveals the identity of the culprit or the truth of the事件.
This twist should be reasonable yet surprising, delivering both emotional and intellectual satisfaction.
Examples:
“And Then There Were None”:
The ending is astonishing — the murderer turns out to have been among the least suspected individuals all along.
“Murder on the Orient Express”:
It reveals that everyone is a murderer, which is both unexpected and logically consistent with the story.
8. Explore Morality and Psychology
Outstanding detective novels do not focus solely on solving puzzles; they also reveal human nature, moral issues, or social phenomena through the case itself.
By portraying the psychological conflicts of suspects and victims, the story gains greater depth.
Examples:
“Journey Under the Midnight Sun”:
It is not merely a murder case, but a profound exploration of complex human nature and deep social issues.
Most works by Keigo Higashino:
The cases are often not simply about solving mysteries, but about exposing the characters’ inner darkness and moral dilemmas.
Conclusion:
To create an excellent detective novel, one must carefully design intricate mysteries and clues, shape vivid detectives and suspect characters, and immerse readers through creative narrative structures and psychological portrayal.
By drawing on classic examples of detective fiction, you can apply these techniques to craft stories that possess suspense, depth, and unpredictable endings.
