Writers - ever wonder how to keep the reader turning the pages? This short slide show will show you a key element that turns a good mystery into a great one.

1. The Mystery
Author’s
Perfect Weapon
The Imperfect Sleuth

2. What keeps a reader turning
the pages?
• Characters that are believable
– Human qualities (positive and negative)
• Honest, Wise, Decisive, Flexible, Capable
• Evil, Cynical, Deceitful, Fearful, Hostile
• Characters that are interesting
– Positive, approachable, good listeners, excited
about life, unafraid to dream, able to adapt to
change

3. Make the Sleuth Flawed
• Give the hero elements that make him/her human
• Let hero stumble and pick himself up from the
ashes
• Let the hero fight demons and problems
• Why?
• To make the reader CARE about the hero

4. Elements of a Good Mystery
• Red herrings – false clues/leads that mislead the reader
and the sleuths
• A sidekick –
– someone who provides a different perspective
– someone who is a sounding board for the sleuth
– someone who provides comic relief
– someone who plays by the rules
• Believable motives
• Fairness with clues – the sleuth and the reader has all
the same information to solve the mystery

5. RULE OF THUMB
Everybody lies

6. Portrayal of Sleuths
• Outsiders
• Loners
• Misfits
• Trust almost no one
• Broken in some way – the setting & world they inhabit reflects
this
Readers connect to these traits
Character flaws = devices that throw obstacles in the hero’s path
Can give sleuth an advantage in solving the crime

7. Example of Famous
‘Flawed’ Sleuths
• Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle)
• Intelligent – uses logical reasoning and
observation to solve crimes

8. Example of Famous ‘Flawed’
Sleuths
Sherlock Holmes (Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle)
• Dislikes people
• Smoker
• Drinker
• Morphine addict
• Injects cocaine

9. Example of Famous ‘Flawed’
Sleuths
• Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie)
• Intelligent – utilizes logic to solve crimes

10. Example of Famous ‘Flawed’
Sleuths
Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie)
• Vain
• Narcissistic
• Stubborn

11. Example of Famous
‘Flawed’ Sleuths
Dave Robicheaux (James Lee Burke)
• Recovering alcoholic
• Suffers from depression
• Doesn’t follow the rules
• Fighting inner demons from his days in Vietnam

12. Keep the pages turning:
• Craft a likeable, albeit imperfect hero
• Set the stakes high.
• Will the hero succeed or fail?
• Increase the tension in the story to increase
reader engagement.
• Move your story forward with great dialogue.

13. Keep the pages turning:
• Humans have 5 senses. Remember to use
them all in your story.
• Inject unexpected twists and turns.
• Make the reader laugh.
• Make the reader cry.

14. Keep the pages turning:
Put your flawed sleuth in everyday situations
and let him flounder, flub up, flop, and
flourish like the rest of us.