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Mysteries. Ironclad Rules About Mysteries. All clues discovered by detective must be available to the reader. The criminal must be introduced early. The crime must be significant. There must be detection (attempts to solve the clues.). Ironclad Rules Cont’d.
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Ironclad Rules About Mysteries • All clues discovered by detective must be available to the reader. • The criminal must be introduced early. • The crime must be significant. • There must be detection (attempts to solve the clues.)
Ironclad Rules Cont’d • The number of suspects must be known and the criminal must be among them. • In the interest of fair play, the reader has the right to expect that nothing will be included in the book that does not relate or in some way bear on the puzzle.
1. Amateur Detective • The detective is altruistic (good for goodness’ sake,) optimistic; bright. Sees things others don’t see; sometimes called traditional or golden-age or classic • Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwBlU_YTPm0 (2:23)
2. Cozy Mystery • Close to the amateur detective, usually set in a small English village or in New England. • Agatha Christie is an example http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=RTuooFb-sP8 (0:01-0:50)
3. The Puzzle • Exercises in ingenuity (cleverness;) detective dares us to solve the crime; at some point we may be told that we have all the clues we need; reader doesn’t always succeed. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0hXhGt5XPg (2:20)
4. Private Detective Different from other mysteries in significant ways: • Private detective lacks altruistic motives • Enters cases for the money, not the puzzle or the love of the chase • Often works out of a cheerless (depressing, bare) office around cheerless people • Private detective is tired and cynical about courts, police work, class distinctions and life in general
Private Detective Cont’d • Many are former police officers who left under a cloud of suspicion • They know detective work is hard, mostly routine and dull; with patience, anyone can do it • Violence comes with the territory; it IS the territory • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3de09FwiNA (0:50-2:25)
5. The Police Procedural • Often most believable because central characters are officers doing their job • They do so with scientific methods & machines available only to police • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR3jnW2kcUs (0:40)
6. The Thriller • Usually spy thrillers; may have mystery tucked in- but, like “Bond” the mystery is how the hero will escape impossible situation • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt8XpHs7m8I&feature=relateds (0:17)
Other Types of Mysteries • Action-adventure • Alternate history • Anthology/collection • Espionage • Historical • Humor • Legal • Psychological suspense • Romantic suspense • Serial killer • Techno-thriller
Mysteries & Teens • Shorter in length • Protagonists (crime solvers) are bright young people who see things others do not • Violence tends to be on the ‘edges’ or outside the story • Person killed is connected to the protagonist (parent, relative, boyfriend, girlfriend) • Young person recovers from grief by doing detective work