---
name: mystery-novel-conventions
description: "Use when the user mentions mystery, detective, crime, or suspense-focused narratives - provides genre conventions, clue placement, and fair play principles for mystery writing"
allowed-tools: Read, Grep
---

# Mystery and Detective Novel Writing Guidelines

## Quick Reference

| Element          | Guiding Principle        | Location      |
|------------------|--------------------------|---------------|
| **Triggering Event** | Case/mystery occurs      | First 10%     |
| **Misleading Clues** | False leads              | Throughout, 3-5 |
| **Genuine Clues**  | Evidence for fair play   | Before 75%    |
| **Truth Revelation** | The truth is revealed    | 85-95%        |
| **Conclusion**     | All loose ends tied up | Last 5%       |

## Core Principles

### Fair Play Principle

**Golden Rule**: The reader must receive all the clues necessary to solve the mystery before the detective does. 1. **No Hidden Information**
- All crucial clues must be presented to the reader.
- The detective cannot solve the case based on information unknown to the reader.
- Secret evidence revealed only at the end violates fair play.

2. **Logical Deduction**
- The solution must be logically derivable from the presented facts.
- Coincidences can complicate the situation, but can never solve it.
- Intuition is acceptable, but must be based on the evidence presented.

3. **No Deus Ex Machina**
- No new characters can suddenly appear as the culprit.
- No previously unmentioned abilities or tools can be used.
- No divine intervention or pure luck is allowed.

## Mystery Novel Structure

### Act One: Setup (0-25%)

**Establish the Normal World**:
- Introduce the protagonist and their world.
- Showcase character abilities.
- Plant seeds of character quirks.

**The Crime Occurs**:
- Occurs within the first 10%.
- Must be interesting/unusual enough to warrant investigation.
- The stakes should be clear.

**Initial Investigation**:
- Protagonist accepts the case.
- First interviews and evidence collection.
- Establish key suspects.

### Act Two: Investigation (25-75%)

**Gathering Clues**:
- Present all fair-play evidence.
- Mix real clues with red herrings.
- Every clue should feel important.

**Red Herrings**:
- 3-5 seemingly promising false leads.
- Must be credible enough to mislead.
- Ultimately disproven through logical investigation.

**Escalating Complications**:
- New evidence contradicts old theories.
- Suspects have alibis or secrets.
- Stakes escalate (more cases, protagonist in danger).

**Midpoint Twist** (approximately 50%):
- A major revelation reframes the mystery.
- The protagonist's theory is proven wrong.
- A new perspective emerges.

### Act Three: Resolution (75-100%)

**Dark Night of the Soul** (75-85%):
- The protagonist seems stumped.
- All theories have failed.
- Moments of Despair or Doubt

**Truth Revealed** (85-95%):
- Key insights connect all the dots
- Protagonist reconstructs the truth
- Confrontation with the culprit

**Resolution** (95-100%):
- Explanation of how/why
- All loose ends are tied up
- Justice is served (or intentionally subverted)

## Clue Placement Strategy

### Types of Clues

**Physical Evidence**:
- Objects, fingerprints, DNA
- Must be planted before needed
- Importance may not be clear initially

**Testimonial Evidence**:
- Witness statements
- Alibis and their contradictions
- Lies (intentional or unintentional)

**Behavioral Evidence**:
- Characters' reactions to events
- Unusual behavior patterns
- Motives revealed through actions

**Circumstantial Evidence**:
- Opportunity, means, motive
- Patterns and connections
- Inconsistencies in the timeline

### Clue Placement Timing

**Early Clues** (0-25%):
- Establish baseline facts
- Plant seemingly innocent seeds
- Introduce all key suspects

**Mid-Game Clues** (25-75%):
- Mix real clues with red herrings
- Complicate the situation
- Reveal character motivations

**Late Clues** (75-85%):
- The final piece of the puzzle that makes it solvable
- Can be something that's been there all along
- The protagonist's moment of epiphany

## Red Herring Best Practices

### Effective Red Herrings

**Characteristics**:
- Credible enough to seem real
- Supported by some evidence
- Ultimately disproven through logic
- Doesn't feel cheap when revealed as false

**Examples**:
- A suspect with a strong motive but a solid alibi
- Incriminating evidence that was planted
- Coincidental presence at the crime scene
- Secret activities that look guilty but are actually innocent

### Common Mistakes

❌ **Too obvious**: Readers see through it immediately
❌ **Too forced**: Feels contrived and artificial
❌ **Never Explain:** Unresolved and left hanging
❌ **Too Much:** Readers lose track and become frustrated

## Suspect Management

### Classic Setup

**At least 3 suspects:**
- Each needs motive, means, and opportunity
- Each should appear guilty at some point
- At least one should be sympathetic

**The Criminal:**
- Should be among the introduced characters (fair play)
- Must have a logical motive that is eventually revealed
- Clues to their guilt must be present from early on

**The Misleading Suspect:**
- The most obvious choice
- Strong motive and circumstantial evidence
- Ultimately ruled out through investigation

**The Sympathetic Suspect:**
- The one the reader hopes isn't guilty
- Has secrets worth protecting
- Often helps solve the real mystery

### Character Secrets

**Every suspect should have a secret:**
- Not all secrets are related to the case
- Secrets create misdirection
- Revealing secrets advances the investigation
- Some secrets are more damaging than the case itself

## Common Pitfalls

### ❌ Unknowable Solution

**Problem:** The criminal or method relies on information the reader doesn't have

**Solution:** Plant all necessary clues before the 75% mark; the reader should be able to solve it

### ❌ Incompetent Detective

**Problem:** The protagonist misses obvious clues or acts illogically

**Solution:** Make the detective capable but human; they can make mistakes, but not be stupid

### ❌ Too Many Coincidences

**Problem:** The plot advances through convenient luck rather than investigation

**Solution:** Coincidences can complicate the situation, never resolve it; the detective must work to find the answers

### ❌ Boring Middle Section

**Problem:** The investigation becomes repetitive interviews after interviews

**Solution:** Vary the investigation methods; add action, danger, personal stakes

### ❌ Rushed Explanation

**Problem:** A complex solution is dumped in dialogue in the final chapter

**Solution:** Distribute the reveals; let the reader piece it together; keep the explanation clear but not lengthy

## Subgenre Variations

### Cozy Mystery
- Amateur detective
- Limited violence
- Small community setting
- Character-Driven
- Often a humorous tone

### Hardboiled Detective
- Professional investigator
- Gritty, realistic violence
- Morally complex world
- Cynical tone
- Action-oriented

### Police Procedural
- Focuses on the investigation process
- Multiple detectives/teams
- Realistic procedures
- Technical details are important
- Bureaucracy as an obstacle

### Locked-Room Mystery
- Impossible crime scene
- Limited suspects (who had the opportunity)
- Clever methods are key
- Solution must be logical

## Integration with Novel-Writer Commands

### When `/specify` is executed
- Clearly define the central mystery
- List all main suspects and their motives
- Identify key clues and where they appear
- Decide on fair play rules

### During `/plan`
- Map out the timeline of clue placement
- Design patterns of misleading clues
- Plan the investigation sequence
- Structure reveals and twists

### During `/write`
- Ensure clues are visible but not obvious
- Balance investigation with character development
- Maintain pacing (action, reveals, complications)
- Track what the reader knows vs. what the detective knows

### During `/analyze`
- Verify fair play - can the reader solve it? - Check that all clues have been planted
- Ensure there are no deus ex machina
- Confirm a satisfying resolution

## Mystery Writing Checklist

- [ ] Central mystery is compelling and clear
- [ ] 3-5 plausible suspects with motives
- [ ] All key clues presented before the reveal
- [ ] Misleading clues are believable and ultimately explained
- [ ] Detective is capable and logical
- [ ] Solution is derivable from the given information
- [ ] No coincidences solve the mystery
- [ ] Timeline is consistent and traceable
- [ ] All loose ends are tied up
- [ ] Reveal is satisfying, not disappointing

## Clue Visibility Framework

### Three Levels

**Level 1 - Obvious** (25% of clues):
- Clearly important when introduced
- Noticed by both the protagonist and the reader
- Establishes baseline facts

**Level 2 - Subtle** (50% of clues):
- Mentioned but not emphasized
- Importance becomes clear later
- Rewards attentive readers

**Level 3 - Hidden in Plain Sight** (25% of clues):
- Seems insignificant when introduced
- Only makes sense in retrospect
- The "Aha!" moment

### Examples

**Level 1**: "The window was unlocked from the inside"
**Level 2**: A character mentions being left-handed in casual conversation
**Level 3**: Room description includes a specific brand of cigarette in the ashtray

## Reader Expectations

**What mystery readers want**:
- A fair chance to solve the mystery alongside the detective
- Clever twists that make sense in hindsight
- A capable but fallible protagonist
- A satisfying "Aha!" moment
- Justice (or a purposeful, intentional subversion of it)

**What frustrates mystery readers**:
- Hidden information only revealed at the end
- A protagonist who solves the mystery through unshown reasoning
- Forced coincidences
- An obvious culprit without misdirection Loose ends remain unresolved.

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**Remember:** A great mystery makes the reader feel clever for solving it, or impressed for not having seen it – but always satisfied that the clues were there all along.