1. Can You Solve a Mystery?

2. 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!

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

4. Setting
Takes place in a place and time that seem real

5. 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

6. 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

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

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

9. 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

10. 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