Mystery Subgenres
Mysteries
A mystery is essentially an unanswered question. Something inexplicable happens (a crime, a disappearance), and an investigation begins. Clues are gathered, witnesses interviewed, and red herrings followed. Eventually, all is wrapped up and solved–until the next crime!
Background
As long as folks have been writing, they’ve been writing about murder. Greek tragedian Euripides explored the topic in Orestes, in 408BC. Over 2,000 years later, Edgar Allen Poe wrote the first true mystery story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Since then, the genre has flourished–and divided into subgenres!
Mystery Subgenres
A subgenre is a smaller, more specific genre within a broader category. Each genre can contain several subgenres, and these can be broken into even more niche types within other subgenres. Every primary genre can be thought of as a family tree with its various subgenres populating its branches.
SUBGENRES
This category is a popular one, especially in the Cozy Mystery sub-genre. The protagonist is an ordinary citizen who must solve the crime themselves, often with either no help from the police or with them suspecting an innocent person. Some examples include The Thursday Murder Club, The Frangipani Tree Mystery, and Crocodile on the Sandbank.
A cozy story is one in which the gore and anguish are removed from the story. There usually is a murder, but it occurs “off-screen” and is not dwelled upon. The story takes place within a small, tightly-knit community and character development is as important as the solution to the crime. Some examples include the Cat Who series, Murder at the Vicarage, and the Hannah Swensen mysteries.
The spy novel is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. This sub-genre features exciting action and convoluted plans and schemes. Some examples include The Day of the Jackal, The Hunt for Red October, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
The term historical fiction is defined as a story that takes place at least fifty years in the past. Nowadays, that can include our own childhoods, but most authors delve further into the past, even as far back as Ancient Rome or even the Stone Age. Examples include The Name of the Rose, Treachery on Tenth Street, and The House on Vesper Sands.
A locked room mystery is one in which the crime seems open and shut because there is no way anyone (or only one obvious suspect) could have committed it within the time period that seems to be involved. Examples include One by One, And Then There Were None, and They All Fall Down.
These mysteries are concerned with the nitty gritty of the police and their actions as they seek to solve the crime. Examples include The Silence of the Lambs, The Girl on the Train, and Bluebird, Bluebird.
This category is a fairly broad one, often combined due to similarities in style. Suspense or thriller stories are high-octane and fast paced, with villains who have a relatively clear purpose. Examples include The Guest List, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and My Sister the Serial Killer.
This subgenre features a murder, but the murderer is not revealed until the very end of the book, often in a grand confrontation between the detective and a room full of suspects. Examples include A Study in Scarlet, One of Us is Lying, and Death on the Nile.
In this story, the criminal is the narrator, taking you through their crime(s) as a way of showing off their intelligence, planning, and daring. Examples include the John Dortmunder series, The Seven Day Soldiers, and Stealing Lilian.
This story centers on a private detective who must solve the crime, often after being personally involved somehow, such as being framed for a murder. Examples include Murder on the Orient Express, A is for Alibi, and the Sherlock Holmes stories.
This sub-genre harks back to the days of Mickey Spillane and usually involve a detective solving a crime within a corrupt system. They are often set in the years around 1920. Examples include The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, and The Long Goodbye.
In this category, the crime itself takes a back seat to the law and the details of the judicial system that punishes it. Examples include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Firm, and Defending Jacob.
This subgenre is similar to the hardboiled mystery in that it often features a hardened detective of some sort. Noir stories usually feature gritty urban settings, morally compromised protagonists, dark mysteries, and a bleak outlook on human nature. Examples include The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, and Devil in a Blue Dress.
A psychological thriller is one in which the suspense and tension comes from within a human mind, typically a criminal one. Examples include Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, and Behind Closed Doors.
This is exactly what it looks like: a true crime example taken apart and examined by the author. Examples include In Cold Blood, Zodiac, and Helter Skelter.
