| A | B |
|---|
| mystery | Has all the components of realistic fiction including setting, characters and plot, except there is a vital change in emphasis. In these stories, everything revolves around a puzzle or an unusual problem to solve. |
| detective | The character who will solve a mystery, generally through a process of discovery. |
| sidekick | The story character who assists the detective in solving the mystery but generally is surprised at the outcome because the detective is smarter and has caught more of the clues. |
| villain or culprit | The “bad guy” in the mystery story whose bad deeds have set the story in motion. |
| victim | The person in the story who is hurt or killed by the villain’s actions. |
| crime | An illegal act like theft or murder committed by a villain. |
| motive | The reason why a crime was committed. In a mystery story it is often greed, money, or love. |
| clues | The hints the writer drops that might help the reader solve the mystery. (They may steer you wrong.) |
| red herring | A FALSE clue which points the reader onto the wrong trail and puts off solving the mystery. |
| investigation | The process of trying to find answers for questions or unsolved mysteries. |
| suspense | Anxiety or excitement about an outcome. |
| evidence | Something that furnished proof of a crime. It can be things left behind by the villain, or other characters or things disrupted around the crime scene giving hints about how and why the crime happened. |
| alibi | Proof of one’s location at the time a crime is committed. |
| suspect | Someone who may have committed a crime. Someone who “could have done it.” |
| denouement | The resolution of a mystery. |
| femme fatale | Another expression for “dangerous woman.” Mystery stories have historically been filled with woman who lead men to their doom. (Poison Ivy from Batman is one of these.) |
| blackmail | When enemies hold your secrets against you in order to get what they want. This is commonly used in mystery stories. |
| "con man" | He is dishonest. He makes his living by earning your trust, taking your money and leaving you in the dust. These type of characters are found in many mystery stories and set the story in motion. |
| breakthrough | A discovery that helps solve the crime |
| hunch | A guess or feeling NOT based on facts |
| sleuth | An investigator; synonym for “detective” |
| witness | Person who has knowledge about a crime |
| deduction | Drawing a conclusion |
