Can You Solve a Mystery?

Characters in a Mystery The Detective The character (or characters) who solves the mystery The reader and the detective usually have the same information—so you can feel like you’re working to solve the mystery too!

Characters in a Mystery Suspects The people the detective thinks caused the puzzle There are always more than one

Setting Takes place in a place and time that seem real

The Plot Always begins with a puzzle something is missing Someone is hurt Someone is acting oddly The detective doesn’t know the answer The reader doesn’t know the answer

Clues Follow the steps to find the answers to the puzzle The reader also knows the clues and the fun comes in trying to see if you can guess the answer

Red Herrings Mystery writers will sometimes put in fake clues to take you and the detective off the track

Figuring out the solution Motive Who has a REASON to commit the crime Opportunity Who was ABLE to commit the crime

Solution Mysteries always end with the puzzle SOLVED The detective usually explains how the puzzle was solved in the last pages so you can see if you guessed correctly

Mystery Authors Judy Delton David Adler Elizabeth Levy Gertrude Warner Pee Wee Scouts Elizabeth Levy Invisible Inc. Carolyn Keene Nancy Drew Bruce Hale Chet Gecko Paul Zindel David Adler Cam Jansen Gertrude Warner Boxcar Children Lucinda Landon Meg MacKintosh Donald Sobol Encyclopedia Brown John Bellairs