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Mystery writing is a form of fiction that uses clues and suspense to captivate a reader. Bestselling author James Patterson offers advice for writing gripping mysteries. 

James Patterson’s Tips and Tricks for Writing Bestselling Mystery Novels 

Obviously with mystery and suspense it's all about suspense. It's constant non-ending fireworks. It's an adventure that starts and it's going to hold you at the edge you see right to the end. It starts big, it gets even bigger. What happened. Who done it. And the more questions, the better. If there are three or four questions in the book, are these two going to get together? Are they going to separate? What is going to happen in this family if you set up family turmoil? Are we going to find the missing child? And it's got to be genuine. If feels like just somebody throwing in devices, if you feel the manipulation, you lose them there, too. If the reader's going, this is just crap. This is just the usual. Somebody's trying to manipulate me. People kind of want to be manipulated, but they want it done well. If you're going to write something in the genre of mystery suspense, I think you kind of got to be aware of what's out there. Not to imitate it, to avoid it. Because I mean one of things you can do, let's say you don't really write thrillers, but I know I can do it because I'm smart and whatever. But I never read any or have read four. There's a good chance you're going to write something that's already been written before. Or it's going to be very similar. And you're going to think it's great. And 15 years ago it might have been great. So I think it's really useful to know what's written. And not to write stuff like it, to totally avoid it. OK, I know what's happened in the past. What's a new twist on this? What's a new twist on a murder mystery or a series of robberies or whatever it is that you decide is going to be fascinating for people to read about. And fresh and new and you're going to bring some insights to it. And this is a new kind of puzzle. I mean look, The Da Vinci Code, all that-- what was fascinating about that was just the lengths that the writer went in terms of creating this unbelievably complex puzzle. And a lot of people just found that fascinating. And it definitely was unique. I mean I haven't read that kind of complexity in a puzzle, that I can't think of anyway. It's rare. So it felt very fresh to people. And one of things with suspense is, in my opinion, one of the biggest secrets of suspense, is setting up questions that the reader must have answered, must, must, must. There's just no way. And in my books I try to do a lot of those. When I did the first Michael Bennett, Step on a Crack, I mean you start thinking about everything that's going on early in that book. One, which I think is really a tremendous hook for a story, there's one of these state funerals where all these leaders come from all over the place and they're in Saint Patrick's Cathedral. And somebody holds up the cathedral. That to me-- I mean imagine that happening in real life. I mean that's like-- it makes OJ seem like a little baby tale. I mean, you're kidding me. The President, the vice president, president of France, they're all trapped in Saint Patrick's Cathedral. So that's a really cool hook to me. And then where's it going to go? Who's doing it? How do they plan to get away with it? So that's a piece of it. Then we introduce this Michael Bennett. Michael Bennett-- and once again, I don't write realism-- but it's an interesting-- and I get away with it because I make Bennett so believable as a character. But Bennett has 10 adopted children. Holy shit. And he's a detective. And he's involved with this takeover of Saint Patrick's Cathedral on that particular day. And his wife is dying. I mean this is insane. And it's ridiculous. I mean, as I say it, it sounds ridiculous. But as a story, a certain kind of story, not a realistic page turner that you're going to make believable. I mean I'm all totally hooked into this thing. What's with the 10 kids? How can that happen? And I like the kids. I like the way he reacts to the kids. And how does he find time in the course of these two or three days where they're holding all these captives to stay in touch? And also stay in touch with his wife who's dying of cancer in New York Hospital. And how do you make-- I think a lot of writing professors would go don't do it, don't write that story. To me, that was a tremendous challenge in terms of no, I can do this. I can do this. I can turn this into a coherent kind of believable, if you're willing to go along, suspend disbelief. Because chapter by chapter I'm like OK, OK, OK, OK, OK. I'm buying it. If I step back and tell you the whole story, you go, oh my god, you're going to actually try to pull that off? I go, yeah, yeah I am. You have the whole issue of stakes. What are the stakes in this thing? I mean are all of the good mysteries the writers are good at hooking you into that story, hooking you into that character. Getting you interested right away. Having you feel that you're in the scene with that character and you love the way they're perceiving this room or a bar or an alley way or the tenement that they have to go up to the find some body on the eighth floor or whatever. And then once that hook is set, it's just the surprises, the twists, that keep happening. Cross My Heart and Hope to Die we have the stakes of Alex Cross' family. The whole family goes missing. We think they're dead. Alex thinks they may be dead. But he's got a tiny little bit of hope. And there's the stakes. And if he didn't have a tiny bit of hope, there's no stakes anymore. He must have that. And the fact that it's just a sliver makes it even more delicious. So any time I'm feeling that I'm lagging, I'm building in another-- even if it's just a red herring or some misdirection or Cross goes down a wrong path that creates some new questions that the reader-- oh my god, well how could that be? Well, that may or may not be accurate because as a detective he's going down some blind alleys. But that blind alley might really drive the reader crazy in terms of, oh my god, how can it be down that alley because I didn't see it coming and I can't imagine how that's going to lead to a solution. It's very logical and realistic for your detective or protagonist or whatever to go down wrong alleys. They do it. That's what police work is all about. And sometimes in going down those wrong alleys, you create possibilities in the reader's mind that really make the book a lot more interesting. I mean you can chase the wrong thing and it's fascinating for the reader because that possibility hadn't really occurred to them. And one of the things you have to be very careful of is even when you're taking them down a wrong path, that it's not one where they go, oh, I get it figured out. I don't want to read-- I don't need to read anymore. That's death, mostly. I got it figured out. Close the book. Very unsatisfying. We get a series of questions, or sometimes just one or two questions that the reader must have answered or the viewer must have answered. And ideally what you definitely don't want to do is give away the answer very quickly. The worst thing in the world is you build up this thing, build up this thing, build up this thing, and then you give it away in two paragraphs. And the reader goes, what? You don't know. That needs to be a scene. That needs to be a satisfying scene. Even if it's a pretty good reveal, you got to milk it. You need to milk it. And if you can give away your secret in pieces, even better. Here's-- I don't know what it is, but there's the first clue. And there's another clue. And there's another little tidbit. And there's another little tidbit. And then voila. Now the trick with that is you just have to be careful and smart about that you're not giving away something where the reader goes, with 40 pages left, OK, I know exactly where this is going and I don't care. And sometimes when I'm writing an outline, or even when I'm writing different drafts of the book, I'll write in twists. It went one way in that chapter, OK, what if it goes this way? And you always want to be open. That's where you come up with cool stuff. You keep thinking the unthinkable. Not necessarily writing the unthinkable, but thinking it. And every once in awhile, one of those unthinkable things you go, you know what, I could do that. And that would be really cool. And I can make it believable. And that will make for a really unusual, satisfying story that people won't be able to put down and that they'll talk about after they finish it. And one of the things I've done at times is I'll do stuff like one of the women's murder club, I knocked her off. And it was like, oh, you're kidding. I don't believe you did that. How could you kill her? And Jill, we love Jill. I did it because that was the story. It had to happen there. Two, I didn't like the character that much. And three, I really wanted to set up the notion with my readers that, don't assume that anyone is safe. Don't assume anyone's safe. Alex Cross is not safe. He's probably safe, but he might not be.

When it comes to writing mystery and suspense, you can’t find a more successful author than James Patterson. James first met explosive commercial success in 1993, when he released *Along Came a Spider*. Today, he is the world’s bestselling author and holds the distinction of writing more #1 *New York Times* bestsellers than any other writer in history. James has sold more than 300 million books worldwide. He is recognized as one of the most prominent mystery writers, whose writing is characterized by unadorned prose, thrilling fast-paced plots, and bite-sized chapters. 
Mystery writing is a subgenre of fiction writing that relies on clues and suspense to captivate the reader. 

> Or, as James says: “It’s an adventure that starts and it’s gonna hold you at the edge of your seat right until the end.”

If you’re looking to write a great mystery that may become a gripping bestseller, James provides actionable writing advice, below. 

Before you even getting started writing, it’s important to really know your genre by reading as much of it as you can. James averages 50 books a year! He stresses the importance of knowing your genre well before you start writing. If you don’t do your research, you risk writing something that’s been done several times before. You might think it’s great, and maybe it was great—15 years ago. 

Instead, he says, do your reading and glean inspiration, then build on the story, modernize the setting, and breathe new life into a fresh plot with unique characters. Learn what’s been done and then ask yourself “what’s a new twist on this?” James points to *The Da Vinci Code* by [Dan Brown](https://www.masterclass.com/dbr) as a great example of an incredibly complex thriller that manages to feel fresh.

Some of the writers who have written great mystery novels include Raymond Chandler, Sue Grafton, Agatha Christie, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Start with the classics (like *Sherlock Holmes*) then explore the genre according to your tastes.
If you’re going to keep your readers along for the ride, you have to give them something to grip on to. Identify a handful of questions that pose an intriguing dilemma. 

> “One of the biggest secrets of suspense is setting up questions that the reader must have answered.”

In Step on a Crack, which is the first in James’s Michael Bennett series, the entire plot is built around a state funeral in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, which is being attended by important political figures. When the cathedral is held up during the funeral, the story is set in motion, thanks to a set of intriguing questions: who would do such a thing, and why?


Another way to keep your reader intrigued and going along with you is to keep raising the stakes. First, set the foundation of the story with the hook. Then, add more details. 

For example, in *Step on a Crack*, James gives the main character, Michael Bennett, a lot to deal with. He’s a detective, working on this cathedral case. He has 10 adopted children. And his wife is dying. 

In addition to the core mystery of the story, James wants readers of Step on a Crack to care about what’s going to happen with his main character’s wife and kids. How does he interact with them? How to they enrich his life? Why does he have 10 adopted kids in the first place?

These subplots are additionally raised stakes that keep the reader intrigued as the central plot moves along. And—SPOILER ALERT—that’s not to say that the central plot doesn’t have its own stakes, too! In Step on a Crack, the gunmen don’t stop at holding up the Cathedral. They also kill and toss out the bodies of New York notables as the book advances.

When James feels a story is lagging, he builds in misdirections or red herrings. Don’t be afraid of misdirections, he says, because they’re actually very true to real life. Most detective work, amateur or otherwise, inevitably leads to some dead ends or wrong alleys. This, James says, is what makes a mystery novel interesting.

When you’re creating red herrings, think about the future <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-master-the-art-of-plot-development' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-master-the-art-of-plot-development","linkCopy":"plot developments","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>plot developments</a>. Then, think of how to gently nudge your main character, and therefore your reader, in a different direction. Is there a clue you can drop that might seem revealing or important in the moment, but turn out to be just a red herring in the long run? Drop it, and keep writing with the confidence that a good clue—even if it turns out to be deliberate misdirection—will leave your reader enthralled and satisfied.

The entirety of a mystery or suspense novel is leading up to the big reveal—but don’t reveal everything all at once, or too quickly. Instead, create a scene that lets you slowly “milk” the reveal. James suggests feeding out little clue after little clue or tidbit until voila, the mystery is solved. It’s not always easy to keep plotlines straight in your mind, so build out your outline by adding three or four bullet points of clues you can give your readers about how the book will end. Add these to existing chapters if you feel that they wouldn’t spoil the surprise.

When you’re writing mystery, it’s all about keeping your reader hooked, up until the very last word. Hopefully these tips from James Patterson will help get you started.

Mystery writing is a form of fiction that uses clues and suspense to captivate a reader. Bestselling author James Patterson offers advice for writing gripping mysteries.

When it comes to writing mystery and suspense, you can’t find a more successful author than James Patterson. James first met explosive commercial success in 1993, when he released Along Came a Spider. Today, he is the world’s bestselling author and holds the distinction of writing more #1 New York Times bestsellers than any other writer in history. James has sold more than 300 million books worldwide. He is recognized as one of the most prominent mystery writers, whose writing is characterized by unadorned prose, thrilling fast-paced plots, and bite-sized chapters.

Mystery writing is a subgenre of fiction writing that relies on clues and suspense to captivate the reader. <blockquote class="mc-text--italic mc-opacity--hinted mc-my-8 mc-mr-0 mc-ml-6 mc-pl-6">Or, as James says: “It’s an adventure that starts and it’s gonna hold you at the edge of your seat right until the end.”</blockquote>If you’re looking to write a great mystery that may become a gripping bestseller, James provides actionable writing advice, below.

What Is Mystery Writing? 

Before you even getting started writing, it’s important to really know your genre by reading as much of it as you can. James averages 50 books a year! He stresses the importance of knowing your genre well before you start writing. If you don’t do your research, you risk writing something that’s been done several times before. You might think it’s great, and maybe it was great—15 years ago. Instead, he says, do your reading and glean inspiration, then build on the story, modernize the setting, and breathe new life into a fresh plot with unique characters. Learn what’s been done and then ask yourself “what’s a new twist on this?” James points to The Da Vinci Code by <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/dbr' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/dbr","linkCopy":"Dan Brown","category":null}'>Dan Brown</a> as a great example of an incredibly complex thriller that manages to feel fresh.Some of the writers who have written great mystery novels include Raymond Chandler, Sue Grafton, Agatha Christie, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Start with the classics (like Sherlock Holmes) then explore the genre according to your tastes.

1. Know Your Genre

If you’re going to keep your readers along for the ride, you have to give them something to grip on to. Identify a handful of questions that pose an intriguing dilemma. <blockquote class="mc-text--italic mc-opacity--hinted mc-my-8 mc-mr-0 mc-ml-6 mc-pl-6">“One of the biggest secrets of suspense is setting up questions that the reader must have answered.”</blockquote>In Step on a Crack, which is the first in James’s Michael Bennett series, the entire plot is built around a state funeral in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, which is being attended by important political figures. When the cathedral is held up during the funeral, the story is set in motion, thanks to a set of intriguing questions: who would do such a thing, and why?

2. Set Up Compelling Questions

Another way to keep your reader intrigued and going along with you is to keep raising the stakes. First, set the foundation of the story with the hook. Then, add more details. For example, in Step on a Crack, James gives the main character, Michael Bennett, a lot to deal with. He’s a detective, working on this cathedral case. He has 10 adopted children. And his wife is dying. In addition to the core mystery of the story, James wants readers of Step on a Crack to care about what’s going to happen with his main character’s wife and kids. How does he interact with them? How to they enrich his life? Why does he have 10 adopted kids in the first place?These subplots are additionally raised stakes that keep the reader intrigued as the central plot moves along. And—SPOILER ALERT—that’s not to say that the central plot doesn’t have its own stakes, too! In Step on a Crack, the gunmen don’t stop at holding up the Cathedral. They also kill and toss out the bodies of New York notables as the book advances.

3. Raise the Stakes. Then Raise Them Again.

When James feels a story is lagging, he builds in misdirections or red herrings. Don’t be afraid of misdirections, he says, because they’re actually very true to real life. Most detective work, amateur or otherwise, inevitably leads to some dead ends or wrong alleys. This, James says, is what makes a mystery novel interesting.When you’re creating red herrings, think about the future <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-master-the-art-of-plot-development' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-master-the-art-of-plot-development","linkCopy":"plot developments","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>plot developments</a>. Then, think of how to gently nudge your main character, and therefore your reader, in a different direction. Is there a clue you can drop that might seem revealing or important in the moment, but turn out to be just a red herring in the long run? Drop it, and keep writing with the confidence that a good clue—even if it turns out to be deliberate misdirection—will leave your reader enthralled and satisfied.

4. Keep the Reader Guessing

The entirety of a mystery or suspense novel is leading up to the big reveal—but don’t reveal everything all at once, or too quickly. Instead, create a scene that lets you slowly “milk” the reveal. James suggests feeding out little clue after little clue or tidbit until voila, the mystery is solved. It’s not always easy to keep plotlines straight in your mind, so build out your outline by adding three or four bullet points of clues you can give your readers about how the book will end. Add these to existing chapters if you feel that they wouldn’t spoil the surprise.When you’re writing mystery, it’s all about keeping your reader hooked, up until the very last word. Hopefully these tips from James Patterson will help get you started.

5. Maximize the Effect of the Reveal 

Mystery writing is a form of fiction that uses clues and suspense to captivate a reader. Bestselling author James Patterson offers advice for writing gripping mysteries.

Mystery writing is a form of fiction that uses clues and suspense to captivate a reader. Bestselling author James Patterson offers advice for writing gripping mysteries. 
