Characters in mysteries make so many common mistakes! In these posts I list some helpful hints for what to do, and not do, if you find yourself a character in a mystery. Here are some helpful hints for when you are the Master Detective.
- When my spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/child becomes entangled in the brutal murder, which seems to happen with unnerving frequency, I will immediately send him/her away on an overseas holiday. This will avoid the inevitable crisis in which he/she is threatened by the killer.
- I will stop to ask myself, how come my spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/child always seems to be in the vicinity when a brutal murder happens?
- I will listen carefully for the one moment when my clueless sidekick says something useful, and not ignore it.
- I will check the birth records of all witnesses and suspects within the first hour to discover which of them are identical twins.
- While delivering my 15 page exposition at the end of the book on how I solved it, I will keep a close eye on the position of the murderer, relative to the murder weapon thoughtlessly left lying on the table.
- When the murderer takes a hostage to avoid capture right at the end, I will let my sidekick make the first move. With any luck I’ll get a more intelligent sidekick in the next book. Same goes for if the killer makes a run for it carrying a gun.
If you've enjoyed Things I Will Do When I'm A Master Detective, have a look at these two:
Things I Will Do When I'm The Killer, and
Things I Will Do When I'm The Vital Witness
Please use comments to make your own suggestions!