6 Key Elements of Detective Fiction

Hello fellow consulting detectives! This is Dr. Kristen Radosevic here. This is my blog, and I hope to post any interesting things I come across through my work.

1. The detective must be memorable. 
• They must be a little out of the ordinary. They might have a different talent, mannerism, interest, or habit. Something that sets them apart. 
2. The crime committed must be of significant value. 
• The crime must be worth the detective and the readers time to solve. For example, a great theft or murder. 
3. The criminal must be a worthy opponent to the reader and the detective. 
• To show off the skills of the detectives, the criminal they are against must be of equal wits. This then allows for an intellectual battle between the reader, the detective, and the criminal. 
4. The suspects and the criminal must be presented at the beginning of the story.
• The reader must be able to trust that the criminal is one of the main characters in the story. The contest between the reader and detective to solve the crime must be fair.
5. The clues the detective figures out must be available to the reader. 
• The author must reveal the clues and information to the reader and detective at the same time. The reader must be given the same opportunity as the detective to solve the crime. The author can use red herrings to deceive the reader and the detective.  
6. When the solution is explained, it must be clear and logical.
• The reader has to see how all the pieces of information came together. They must be convinced that they too could have come to the same conclusion as the detective.