Mystery Terms
iibla
alibi An excuse that an accused person uses to show he/she was somewhere else other than at the scene of a crime. The police found many holes in his alibi.
kabergtouhrh
breakthrough an advancement or discovery that helps solve a crime Finding her number on his cell phone records was a huge breakthough.
clue a fact or object that helps solve a crime The kitten’s syrupy paw print on the window was an important clue. Transitional Page
meric
crime an act committed in violation of the law Benedict Arnold was accused of the crime of treason.
tcveedtei
detective person who investigates crimes and gathers information Joe Friday is a famous detective from the show Dragnet.
thslue
sleuth another name for a detective Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is a famous British sleuth.
ceddue
deduce to infer by logical reasoning By examining the clues, I can deduce the name of the culprit.
vdieeecn
evidence Something, such as a witness’ statement or object,tthat helps solves a crime. The slashed football was entered as evidence of the fight.
nhhcu
hunch a guess or feeling not based on known fact When I saw the muddy tracks, I had a hunch Susan was inside.
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flashback an interruption in the plot to tell what happened earlier A good mystery reader will use flashback to his advantage.
4 +
foreshadowing using clues to suggest what will happen later in the plot Good foreshadowing can create a mood of fear and anxiety.
evitmo
motive an inner drive that causes a person to do something or act in a certain way What was his motive for stealing the pickle?
inpurlo
purloin to steal or filch Mom laughed at me when I told her how my cat purloined the guppy from the little boy’s fish bowl.
Mr. E
mystery something that is secret or unknown How the glass shattered with no one around is a mystery to me!
tlpo
plot the arrangements of incidents in a story I had a difficult time following the plot of “The Tell-Tale Heart” because the narrator was nuts.
setting time and place of a story The setting of “The Tell-Tale Heart” instantly suggests foreboding.
ctsuesp
suspect one thought to be guilty of committing a crime Siegfried was the primary suspect in the case of the missing tissue box.
psesuesn
suspense anxiety or apprehension resulting from mysterious, undecided, uncertain circumstances. Jonas experienced great suspense at the Ceremony of Twelve.
der ginrreh
red herring something used to divert attention from the basic issue We need to plan a red herring so we can get out of the room without being noticed!
mitivc
victim one who is harmed or suffers a loss It is most distressing when a child is the victim of a crime.
wssneti
witness one who saw or can give first-hand information about something Were you a witness to that event, or did you just hear about it?