If the words "detective stories" conjure up visions of trenchcoat-clad, fedora-sporting, chain-smoking, gumshoe-wearing private eye detectives solving crimes from a dimly-lit office in a bad part of town, then think again. Detective fiction has something for everyone and offers up a wide array of characters, plots and settings to please just about any reader.
The Detective Genre is Built for Speed
Why would teens and young adults want to read detective novels, anyway? For starters, detective books have a lot to offer action-craving teens. There's the speed satisfaction factor: readers are guaranteed a fast ride because the plot that drives these mystery novels moves along at a speedy clip. After all, a crime has been committed and the mystery must be solved as soon as possible. The characters can't just sit around and navel-gaze; the crime propels them into action and drives the plot forward.
Detective Stories Offer Drama, Suspense and Variety
Detective crime fiction is famous for the increasing drama factor: since the criminal or criminals haven't been caught, they are still at large and are able to commit other heinous acts, including getting back at the detective who is pursuing them. The criminal is often on a mission to prevent the detective (and anyone else who gets in their way) from finding them and bringing them to justice, and readers have the satisfaction of knowing that everyone is still in terrible jeopardy.
Detective fiction also delivers the satisfaction that comes from finding a kind of mystery that suits each reader's preferences. There's old school detective fiction which arranges the clues and hides them in plain sight so the reader asks: "Why didn't I see that?" There's modern detective fiction featuring amateur everyday sleuths who stumble upon a crime. There are also hardened private eyes and police detectives whose careers affect their personal lives in such a way as to make them as interesting and as much of a mystery as the ones they are solving.
Detective Fiction Satisfies the Inner Sleuth
Another unique satisfaction offered by detective stories is the thrill of sleuthing along with the main character, sometimes being privy to information she or she doesn't have, and sometimes knowing only as much as they do and having to go with that. Good detective stories sprinkle the clues and evidence throughout the novel so any intuitive reader can pick them up and examine them, but they hold back the thread that ties the clues together until the opportune moment, creating a satisfying thrill ride for the reader.
Detective novels can be hardboiled action packed tales of guns and gangs, or soft-boiled tales of pale corpses found neatly arranged on in a chair before the fireplace. They can take the reader on an interesting journey to an exotic setting or into a different time period.
Detective mysteries can be funny and moving, like The Curious Tale of Dog in Nighttime by Mark Haddon or frightening, gripping, and beautifully written like I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti. They can be stealth-fully creepy like Strangers on a Train by Patricia Higsmith or be filled page-turning suspense like Killing Floor by Lee Child.
No matter what kind of plot detective stories have, they all have one thing in common: Detective novels have a satisfying ending. Detective fiction guarantees the satisfaction of seeing a crime get solved; of bringing the guilty to justice and getting that they deserve.
Teen readers interested in detective fiction may want to check out these teen spies titles:
Alex Rider series Anthony Horowitz
Silver Fin by Charlie Higson
The Spy High series by AJ Butcher
Francine Morrissette - Francine Morrissette is a freelance writer from southern Maine who has published articles on a wide range of topics including health, ...
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