Mystery novels constitute a genre that flourished in the 20th century and is continuing its appeal today. Obviously we like a mystery story. Perhaps it is the exposure of evil that draws us in-- those impulses that, to some degree, are a part of ourselves. Or perhaps it is an intriguing puzzle which attracts us. Well-drawn characters in some stories and convoluted plots in others hold our attention.
Certainly a well-crafted mystery interests the reader until the end. Though I have to admit that on occasion I turn to the last chapter early to see "who done it" if I'm puzzled enough.
In a way, every story-fictional or factual--is a mystery. Part of our lives are always a mystery to us. We may constantly question how things will turn out for us, even when we guide most of the action ourselves. And there's the age-old mysteries of our origins, our purpose and our destiny. So the mystery novel may be representative of our own lives. (That could be an interesting philosophical discussion.) In this article I'm going to share with you some of my favorite mystery stories.
I recently reread (after about 20 years) Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone. This is one of the earliest British mystery stories and predates the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Collins develops the genre with varying viewpoints of the same events, and naturally saving the complete revelations until the end.
This story revolves around a fictitious Indian gem, a fabulous diamond named the Moonstone. In a thrilling prologue, the stone is stolen by a British solider during the British occupation of India. Years later, the diamond is bequeathed to a young woman in Britain, while three Indian men are intent upon retrieving the stone. The twists and turns in the story make very entertaining reading.
Don't bypass the older British mysteries that have been around for years. The many adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) or Hercules Poirot and Miss Jane Marple (created by Agatha Christie) are still very entertaining reading today. Sherlock Holmes can be said to be the ancestor of the forensic mystery solvers so popular today.
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