Mystery Subgenres Trivia Quiz

Answer: Inverse

An inverse mystery or an inverted detective story is a type of mystery novel where the culprit is revealed early on in the novel and the suspense and mystery comes from the detective solving the crime and whether or not the culprit will get away with it.

This type of story was a specialty of Freeman Wills Crofts as demonstrated in "The 12.30 from Croydon". It was also frequently used by Anthony Berkeley Cox (pseudonym Francis Iles) especially in his classic novel "Malice Aforethought" about a doctor planning to murder his wife.

Answer: Retrospective

A retrospective mystery is a mystery novel involving a murder in the past that either remains unsolved or believed to be solved incorrectly. The difference between a retrospective murder and a historical murder is that in a retrospective mystery, the characters who were around at the time of the murder are still alive in the present day and provide information based on their memories or perceived memories of the past. Agatha Christie's "Five Little Pigs", which has an alternate title of "Murder in Retrospect", is an example of this as Poirot solves the murder of a painter 16 years prior.

As is Ngaio Marsh's "Died in the Wool", where Roderick Alleyn solves the murder of a New Zealand MP who was killed 18 months prior to the events of the novel.

Answer: Serial Killer

Serial killer novels were often called multiple murder novels or connected murder novels during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction because the term "serial killer" was not yet in use. Agatha Christie's "The A.B.C. Murders" is an example of this where a killer is terrorizing England by murdering victims in alphabetical order.

In Ellery Queen's "Cat of Many Tails", Ellery and his father hunt down a killer in New York City who strangles victims who seemingly have no connection to each other.

Answer: Country House

The Country House mystery is a classic trope in detective fiction. These novels are set in spacious country (often British) estates with a large, dysfunctional family. Georgette Heyer's "Behold, Here's Poison" centers around the murder of the family patriarch and his greedy, ridiculous relatives. Ngaio Marsh's "Final Curtain" is a similar novel that also features a murdered family patriarch in his country home where he lived with some over-the-top and greedy family members.

Answer: Locked Room

The Locked Room mystery is another staple of detective fiction. These impossible murders seemingly take place in locked rooms or other circumstances that make it seem impossible the murder could have happened at all. John Dickson Carr's "The Hollow Man" is, perhaps, the most famous locked room mystery and contains Carr's famous lecture on locked room mysteries. Ellery Queen's "The Chinese Orange Mystery" is another example when Ellery encounters a dead body in a locked room where everything inside of it is backwards and inside out.

Answer: Courtroom

Courtroom mysteries are detective stories that take place partially or mostly during the trial of the accused. Usually, the accused will be innocent. Courtroom mysteries were a staple of Erle Stanley Gardener's Perry Mason novels. Dorothy Sayers's "Strong Poison" is one famous example where Lord Peter Wimsey attempts to prove the innocence of his future wife, Harriet Vane, who is on trial for the murder of her fiancé. Anthony Berkeley Cox's "Trial and Error" is another example of a courtroom mystery as a man tries to prove his guilt in a murder he committed when an innocent man is on trial for his crime.

Answer: Thriller

Thrillers or adventure thrillers are mysteries incorporate some traditional aspects of detective fiction with more action-packed plots. "Traitor's Purse" by Margery Allingham is a WWII thriller featuring Albert Campion as he attempts to foil a traitorous plot by a gang of criminals. Agatha Christie's "N or M?" is another World War II story featuring Tommy & Tuppence Beresford as they encounter Nazis at an English bed and breakfast.

Answer: Hardboiled

Hardboiled detective novels are mysteries that focus more on the grittier elements of crime. They very often have an urban setting, a male protagonist and more depictions of violence and sex than traditional mysteries. These were a specialty of Mickey Spillane as seen in "I, the Jury", which was the novel he introduced Mike Hammer, as well as Dashiell Hammett as seen in the classic mystery "The Maltese Falcon".

Answer: Historical

Historical mysteries are detective novels set well into the past and all of the events take place in the distant past. Examples include Agatha Christie's "Death Comes as the End" which is set in ancient Egypt and is often considered the first historical mystery novel. Ellis Peters's "A Morbid Taste for Bones" features her sleuth Brother Cadfael at Shrewsbury Abbey in 1137.

Answer: Juvenile

Juvenile mysteries are stories written for children and teens. The classic examples would be "The Tower Treasure" by Frank Dixon which is the first Hardy Boys novel and "The Secret of the Old Clock" by Carolyn Keene, the first Nancy Drew novel. Another example would be Ellen Raskin's "The Westing Game" which features a child sleuth, Turtle, as she solves a series of mysteries at her apartment complex and the surrounding area.