100 Mystery Writing Tropes

100 Mystery Writing Tropes

100 mystery writing tropes: Do you want to write an intriguing, page-turning mystery that keeps readers guessing? Knowing the most common and effective mystery writing tropes is key for crafting a compelling whodunit.

Luckily, I’ve put together the ultimate list of 100 must-know mystery writing tropes you can weave into your own manuscripts! From classic detective story elements to juicy motives and cunning plot twists, these vital building blocks will take your mystery from basic to brilliant.

In this post, I’ll break down the top techniques, themes, characters, settings, and clues used across legendary mystery stories through the ages. Whether you prefer gritty noir tales, charming cozies, psychological thrillers, or good old fashioned locked room puzzles, you’ll find tons of inspiration.

Follow along as I unravel examples of shadowy secrets, double-crosses, intricate murder methods, criminal mind games, suspicious sleuths, and red herrings galore. Soon you’ll be equipped to plant clever clues, establish cunning killers, and craft the perfect edge-of-your-seat whodunit sure to stump even the most devoted armchair detective!

So grab a cup of tea (or a glass of whiskey on the rocks if you prefer the hardboiled variety), settle into your favorite mystery-solving armchair, and let’s dive deviously into these 100 mystery writing tropes you can cunningly employ!

Here are 100 mystery writing tropes to use in your stories:

1. The detective with a troubled past
2. The wrongly accused main character trying to clear their name
3. The closed circle of suspects
4. Red herrings that seem to implicate other characters
5. A background of old secrets that come to light
6. Hostile authorities blocking the investigation
7. An investigator falling for a prime suspect
8. A quirky, brilliant detective like Sherlock Holmes
9. An ordinary bystander caught up in extraordinary events
10. A hidden room, attic, or cellar full of secrets
11. Finding a cryptic note, letter, or diary
12. Secrets revealed in the will or among personal belongings of the deceased
13. A conspiracy uncovered
14. Star-crossed lovers separated by murder
15. A locked room puzzle where the crime seemingly couldn’t have taken place
16. Mistaken identity
17. Undercover agents or informants
18. A rivalry or vendetta as the backdrop
19. Eccentric witnesses obscure the truth
20. Poking around the scene of the crime for tangible clues
21. Loose floorboard, hollow furniture, or hidden cache revealing vital evidence
22. Simmering small town full of resentment and buried trauma
23. Killer identified through psychological profiling
24. Technology like security footage or DNA used to crack the case
25. Criminal returning to the scene of the crime
26. Flashbacks filling in backstory
27. A victim everyone seems to have wished harm upon
28. Altered wills, deeds, stock certificates, letters, etc.
29. Destroyed evidence and staged crime scenes
30. Anonymous tips, vague threats, or taunting messages from the killer
31. Inheritance as a motive
32. Character presumed dead for years reappearing
33. Alibis not adding up under scrutiny
34. Supposed suicides revealed as murders
35. An ingenious murder weapon or method
36. Blackmail and extortion
37. Coded messages and ciphers to break
38. Pictures or portraits with missing eyes reflecting the killer’s psyche
39. Consulting a medium, psychic, or paranormal expert
40. Secret compartments hiding secrets
41. A questioning of moral ambiguity—the villain could be sympathetic
42. Serial killer on the loose
43. Calling card or signature marks left by killer
44. Past coming back to haunt characters
45. Skeletons in closets
46. Murder to cover up another crime
47. Seemingly unrelated crimes ultimately connected
48. Establishing false identity
49. Scorned lovers and romantic revenge
50. Footprints and fingerprints key to unlocking the culprit
51. Witness protection program backstories
52. Pickpockets, blackmail, kidnapping, arson etc. before escalating to murder
53. Undercover agent or witness assumes new identity
54. Amnesia and memory gaps
55. Nursery rhymes, arcane symbols, tarot cards etc as sinister clues
56. Mental asylum harboring dark secrets
57. Secret passages hidden behind fireplaces, clockfaces, and bookshelves
58. Murders mirroring deaths in a book or play
59. Murder disguised as accident or suicide or natural causes
60. Gothic elements like secret crypts, spooky manors, ominous forests
61. Remote locations like islands or the country cutoff from outside help
62. Seance contacting victims from beyond the grave
63. Past coming back to haunt characters as ghosts
64. Doppelgangers causing confusion about identities
65. Steampunk or historical elements
66. Hardboiled voiceover narration
67. Multiple twists keep readers guessing
68. Murder in a “locked room” within sealed location
69. Nationwide manhunt when killer escapes
70. Serialized installments building suspense
71. Race against time to catch killer before next victim
72. Antagonists pretending to be law enforcement
73. Mysterious coded messages
74. Forensic analysis of blood spatter and other evidence
75. Background checks uncovering hidden pasts
76. Secret twin or lookalike character
77. Hypnosis regressing witnesses
78. Undercover sting operations
79. Victims connected numerically (3 victims on the 3rd etc) reflecting killer’s psychology
80. Crimes inspired by astrology and cycles of moon or tides
81. Seedy urban underworlds full of secrets
82. Pickpockets, blackmailers, arsonists etc escalate towards murder
83. Gentleman thief character playing cat and mouse with investigator
84. Murder to cover up financial fraud schemes
85. Secret blackmail photos or evidence
86. Discovery of old skeleton exposing buried secrets
87. Past coming back to haunt older characters
88. Flappers, mobsters, or old Hollywood and noir archetypes
89. Consultations with psychiatrists to plumb psychological depths
90. Divining the killer through their interest in occult methods
91. Cryptic codes unraveling hidden messages
92. Morally gray protagonists wrestling with ethical questions
93. Murder to cover up extramarital affairs or out of jealousy
94. Disfigurement or deformity hinting at dark impulses
95. Fingerprints, tire tracks, weapons analysis to catch killer
96. Exploration of class divides factoring into motives and opportunity
97. Funhouse mirrors and optical illusions symbolic of obscured truth
98. Discovery of long lost relative as possible heir complicating matters
99. Pickpockets, blackmailers, arsonists etc escalating towards murder
100. Consulting psychics, tarot readers or supernatural elements unveiling secrets

And there you have it – 100 juicy tropes ripe for weaving into your thrilling whodunits! From timeless classics like locked room puzzles, eccentric sleuths, and mistaken identity to contemporary twists like forensic evidence, criminal profiling, and high-tech surveillance, you now have countless tools to craft clever clues, establish compelling killers, and keep readers constantly guessing. Whether you prefer gritty noir, charming cozies, psychological page-turners, or good old fashioned detective yarns, experimenting with these mystery must-haves allows ample room to put your own spin on the genre. So go forth and let your inner ingenious wordsmith concoct the perfect blend of red herrings, shocking reveals, moral dilemmas, shadowy secrets, and masterful detection to set your mysteries apart! Just beware of any spontaneous urges to cackle maniacally in the middle of the night as you scheme delightfully devious plot twists. All in service of writing deliciously addictive whodunits of course! Happy sleuthing!