Mystery fiction

Mystery fiction is a genre of fiction usually involving a mysterious death or a crime to be solved. In a closed circle of suspects, each suspect must have a credible motive and a reasonable opportunity for committing the crime. The central character must be a detective who eventually solves the mystery by logical deduction from facts fairly presented to the reader. Sometimes mystery books are nonfictional. "Mystery fiction" can be detective stories in which the emphasis is on the puzzle or suspense element and its logical solution such as a whodunit. Mystery fiction can be contrasted with hardboiled detective stories, which focus on action and gritty realism.

Mystery fiction may involve a supernatural mystery where the solution does not have to be logical, and even no crime involved. This usage was common in the pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s, where titles such as Dime Mystery, Thrilling Mystery and Spicy Mystery offered what at the time were described as "weird menace" stories—supernatural horror in the vein of Grand Guignol. This contrasted with parallel titles of the same names which contained conventional hardboiled crime fiction. The first use of "mystery" in this sense was by Dime Mystery, which started out as an ordinary crime fiction magazine but switched to "weird menace" during the latter part of 1933.

Latest News for: Mystery fiction

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UCR Palm Desert brings storytelling to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

Desert Sun 25 Apr 2025
Video. Palm Desert Library reopens after control transferred from county to the city ... Heroes and Antiheroes in Fiction"10.30-11.30 a.m ... David L ... Standing Out, Fitting In, and Coming of Age in Contemporary Fiction"1.30-2.30 p.m ... Family, Fame, and [Mis] Fortune in Contemporary Fiction"2-3 p.m ... Magical Objects, Mysterious Portals in Fiction"3-4 p.m....
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LIBRARY NEWS: How to Find Books That Match Your Interests

Pagosa Daily Post 24 Apr 2025
With more than 135,000 fiction titles, there are categories for all genres including fantasy, historical novels, Christian fiction, mysteries, romance, sci-fi, westerns and more ... “A Map to Paradise” by Susan Meissner is a mystery set in Malibu in 1956 ... “Lethal Prey” by John Sanford is a Lucas Davenport-Virgil Flowers mystery....
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Jon Hamm explores the Dodgers and a dark history in Los Angeles in ‘The Big Fix’

CNN 24 Apr 2025
Hamm returns to Audible Originals as gruff, no-nonsense Detective Jack Bergin in “The Big Fix. A Jack Bergin Mystery,” all episodes of which are out today, an audio drama that weaves the story behind the Chavez Ravine evictions as the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in the late 1950s into a fictional murder-mystery....
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Massive 60 million year old snake that was found in Columbia had a shocking diet

The Times of India 24 Apr 2025
Some creatures have always gone beyond our imagination and only seem to be out of a fictional movie. These massive beasts remained hidden in the mysterious depths of prehistoric Earth, and among them were huge snakes with lengths ranging metres.One such slithering creature stands out not for its venom or speed, but for its sheer size and power....
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Would You Trust Mozart to Solve a Murder Mystery?

The Atlantic 23 Apr 2025
that all of human life is a mystery ... Allegro is a murder mystery ... By conflating exceptional artists with fictional detectives and letting us follow along as they unravel mysteries, these stories help us envision what living in the mind of a genius must be like ... This presents the reader, especially one steeped in mystery fiction, with a familiar irony....
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Barry Litherland’s Maa-Ghut Recognized as a Finalist in International Book Awards Contest

GetNews 23 Apr 2025
Barry Litherland is an award-winning author known for his versatile storytelling across a wide range of genres, including paranormal and crime thrillers, literary mysteries, young adult, and children’s fiction ... I’ve always believed that fiction, when done well, plays a vital role in this process....
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Sagadahoc Preservation to host literary event with 20-plus Maine authors

The Brunswick Times Record 23 Apr 2025
This event is geared toward those who appreciate art, poetry, mysteries, ......
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Stephen King's The Life of Chuck starring Tom Hiddleston set for June release

The Times of India 23 Apr 2025
The film follows the life of CharlesChuck” Krantz, an ordinary man whose story unfolds in reverse—from his mysterious death to his vibrant childhood—blending drama, fantasy, and science fiction to create an intimate yet expansive narrative.According to the official synopsis, ......
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Beyond Blue Beam

Weekly News 23 Apr 2025
Welcome back to Beyond Blue Beam—your portal to the unexplained, the uncanny, and the utterly mind-bending. Forget what you think you know. Here, shadows whisper secrets, history hides lies, and reality is just a flickering illusion ... Today, we’re diving down the rabbit hole—where science, myth, and mystery twist into something stranger than fiction....
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Stellum Spirits & Star Trek Spirits Chart a New Course With Two Limited Edition Whiskey Releases

ACCESSWIRE 23 Apr 2025
Deeply rooted in Star Trek lore, and famously outlawed by the United Federation of Planets, Romulan Ale has long embodied mystery and intrigue. Now, this legendary bottle bridges the world of science fiction and exceptional whiskey, making these limited-edition releases even more extraordinary for collectors and whiskey enthusiasts alike ... ### ... COO....
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Movies playing in Southeast Michigan, new releases April 25

Press & Guide 23 Apr 2025
Four misfits — Garrett “The Garbage ManGarrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers) and Dawn (Danielle Brooks) — are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld ... • “American Fiction” (R) ... Science fiction/mystery film about an unlikely trio on the trail of a government conspiracy....
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Author’s new book “The Curious Cat with Eight Lives” receives a warm literary welcome

GetNews 22 Apr 2025
Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Fiction - Mystery - General book "The Curious Cat with Eight Lives" by Timothy Neff Gocke, currently available at ... Readers who enjoy everyday sleuths and realistic mysteries will enjoy The Curious Cat with Eight Lives."....
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Local author to sign new book at Literary Festival

The Chester News & Reporter 22 Apr 2025
Lancaster resident Debbie De Louise’s new release, “Murder at Meadows Lake Clubhouse,” is the first book of her new cozy mystery series, “Soup the Supernatural Kitten Mysteries.”....

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