The Technique of the Mystery Story


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(3.9 stars; 5 reviews)

For one, I have never been one of those who apologize for my frank and never-ending delight in mystery stories. Their mazes have led me unwearied through miles of printed pages, and if only the problem has been worth while, and its pursuit has led along surprising ways, past shuddery thickets and over fearsome bridges, my soul has returned to sober affairs refreshed and content. In a word, here is a remarkable volume which shows us how the wheels go round, not by dogmatic statement, but by an amazing breadth and variety of citation and quotation, showing not only what great mystery writers have thought of their art, but illustrating by apposite examples how they secured their effects. - Summary by J. Berg Esenwein, editor of The Writer’s Library published by The Home Correspondence School, from Introduction (11 hr 15 min)

Chapters

Introduction 7:14 Read by Lynn Lee
The Eternal Curious 17:01 Read by TomDavisBeal
The Literature of Mystery 20:39 Read by TomDavisBeal
The History of Mystery 9:34 Read by Sonia
Ghost Stories 23:16 Read by Timothy Ferguson
Riddle Stories 10:53 Read by Larry Wilson
Detective Stories 42:16 Read by Christine Lehman
The Detective 46:45 Read by Douglas Taylor
Deduction 31:12 Read by Douglas Taylor
Applied Principles 24:52 Read by Douglas Taylor
The Rationale of Ratiocination 56:42 Read by pattymarie
Close Observation 25:42 Read by sawasawaya
Other Detectives of Fiction 22:42 Read by acousticwave
Portraits 40:03 Read by Joseph Tabler
Devious Devices 18:31 Read by acousticwave
Footprints and Fingerprints 35:32 Read by acousticwave
More Devices 23:33 Read by realisticspeakers
Fake Devices 23:41 Read by acousticwave
Murder in General 27:45 Read by Availle
Persons in the Story 21:35 Read by acousticwave
The Handling of the Crime 9:08 Read by Sonia
The Motive 3:52 Read by Sonia
Evidence 39:39 Read by Sonia
Structure 24:43 Read by acousticwave
Plots 28:26 Read by Scotty Smith
Further Advices 17:44 Read by HenryElliott
Final Advices 22:34 Read by MacKenzie Nikol Greenwood

Reviews

Must Read for Mystery Fans


(5 stars)

Prolific mystery author Caroline Wells wrote this insightful and methodical examination of the genre late in her productive and very successful career. The book Is a terrific resource for fans interested in what makes some stories work better than others and the techniques used by different authors in different ways. I especially enjoyed quotes and details from stories penned by authors whose work I had never read and now plan . to


(3.5 stars)

interesting, enjoyed the investigation into where many of the great writers got their techniques. wish it had less on the detective books and more on other types of mystery.