Mystery Vocabulary

a prevailing emotional tone or general attitude

anxiety or apprehension resulting from an uncertain, undecided, or mysterious situation

having placed a misleading piece of evidence so as to be discovered

an excuse that an accused person uses to show that he or she was not at the scene of the crime

a suspenseful situation occurring at the end of a chapter, scene, or episode

a mystery with some violence and blood but with some light-hearted moments

a false clue that throws the investigator off track

a mystery with a step-by-step, in-depth look at personnel and methods used in the investigation of a crime

a mystery close to home that involves a mind-game between criminal and detective

literary device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological order or a narrative

someone who saw or can give a firsthand account of something

a person who is suspected of a crime

a fact or object that gives information toward solving the crime

a person who investigates crimes and gathers information

a thing or statement that helps to prove who committed the crime

a hint at something that will occur later in the story

another name for a detective

a guess or feeling not based on facts

a detective who becomes involved in the plot by accident or does not solve mysteries professionally

someone who is harmed or suffered some loss

something that is unknown

to infer by logical reasoning

a reason that a person does something – can include anger, hatred, love, greed, or fear

a tough mystery with nonstop, thrilling action

a drama characterized by exaggerated emotions, stereotypical characters, and conflicts between characters