This week: Subbed Edited by: Carol St.Ann 👓  
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Hello. I joined WDC in September of 2006. My name is Carol St.Ann, and and I write for this newsletter once a month. This month, however, I had a non-life threatening medical emergency and failed to produce my planned nl. So I’m sharing one of my all-time favorites. It was penned and published by cherished former member inkyshadows, in 2004. I hope you will forgive me and value this article as much as I do.
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Sub-Genres, New and Old
“You know, we are all interesting in writing, and reading, mysteries here, so I though this newsletter would be a great place to talk about the various sub-genres of the mystery genre that are out there. That way, we may be able to stretch our writing muscles a bit and branch out into different sub-genres of our beloved mystery genre.”
“First of all, let's start off with the cozy. This sort of mystery tends to contain a relatively bloodless crime and a victim who will not be missed. Agatha Christie can be considered to be a grand master of this mystery sub-genre. These are the stories in which a little known distant relative, who happens to be rich, is poisoned with a box of chocolates that have come through the mail, and the kindly busy-body from across the way stops in for a visit and proceeds to solve the crime. The television show Murder, She Wrote also typifies this sub-genre.
“Another mystery sub-genre is called the Amateur Sleuth. In this case, the sleuth is usually not the local busy body as it is in the cozy. Rather, this sleuth is someone close to the victim who strives to solve the crime either because the police have done their best and failed or they have labeled the murder an accident or suicide. Therefore, both the need to bring resolution to the crime and the sense of loss are very personal to the sleuth. He or she is definitely a person on a mission. These stories usually do not have sequels since this type of tragedy rarely strikes the same person multiple times.
“Similar to the amateur sleuth is the sub-genre called the Professional Sleuth. The major difference between the amateur and professional sleuth sub-genres is that the professional is essentially an amateur sleuth in professional clothing. The settings of the professional sleuth mysteries are usually unique and intriguing; they do not take place in Anywhere USA. Rather, they exist in a closed environment, like Dick Francis' world of horse racing, and the solution of the crime brings order back to that small, enclosed piece of the world.
“Delving deeper into the world of professionals, our next mystery sub-genre takes place within the world of the legal and/or medical professionals who work with the police to bring resolution to the crimes they investigate. Doctors, corroners, lawyers and other legal professionals make wonderful primary characters in mystery stories because they do have more specialized educations than, and seem to have intelligence that goes above and beyond anything that, the rest of us might have. Readers love to dive into these novels, as is witnessed by the number of these mysteries that make the best seller list, and if the crime involves legal and/or medical professionals as well, the author is sure to have a skyrocketting best seller.
“The Romantic Suspense sub-genre infuses a large helping of romance into a suspense story. The love relationship is woven through the story in such a way that it helps to move along the plot. It is usually the female lead in the story who is being victimized in some way, and the woman often debates with herself and her female friends whether or not to bother her boyfriend/lover/husband with the details of what is going endangering her. In these stories, justice is almost always served, and love conquers all.
“The Historical sub-genre takes an actual time period in history and weaves a fictional mystery story into it so that the two blend smoothly together. In order to write in this sub-genre, one must do research to make sure that historical details are correct and be very careful not to use anachronisms within the story. For instance, it would be inappropriate for a person during the Salem witch trials to check an electric clock on the wall or pull out a PDA, unless the person has dropped into that time period from the future through some sort of time travel.
“The Mixed Genre mystery combines Science Fiction elements within the mystery format. In this sub-genre, the detective might be a cyborg or some sort of an alien life form. The movie The Terminator fits into this sub-genre. So, for anyone who likes both mysteries and Science Fiction, this sub-genre could be the perfect outlet for that person's writing talents.
“A well-known sub-genre of the mystery genre is the Private Eye story. Whether the detective is hardboiled like those of the 1940s and 50s or the politically correct investigators of today, these loners usually have a very strong sense of justice and honor, and their stories are well liked by readers of all ages. Names like Mike Hammer, Sam Spade, Matt Scudder and Kinsey Milhone leap to mind when thinking about this sub-genre.
“Noir mysteries include a hardboiled private investigator who is often at odds with the somewhat inept local authorities. Within noir stories, the world is a gritty, bleak and dark place. It is an unforgiving world in which it is difficult to tell the difference between good and evil, even though films of this sub-genre are most typically filmed in black and white. The brutality of life, the crime, and the stomping grounds of the private investigator are polar opposites with those of the cozy mystery.
“Yet another sub-genre that has been labeled the Crime story. In this sub-genre, the bad guys are the protagonists, and the suspense builds as we wonder whether or not the plan will come to fruition before time runs out on the criminals. The criminals are often portrayed as smart, well-organized and willing to take a chance. There are many opportunities for the authorities to foil the plan, but we cheer for the criminals and hope that they will succeed in committing the crime they have so carefully planned out.
“And, finally, there is the Caper, which is a comic crime story. In this sub-genre, the detective is a loveable bumbler who either tries too hard to be suave or doesn't try hard enough. This is a mystery sub-genre, and the only one at that, in which the reader finally gets a chance to laugh.
There is always room for another sub-genre to develop, so get out there and get writing and trying out new things as you stretch, deveolp and grow as a writer.
The sub-genre categories come to us thanks to Stephen D. Rogers in his Feb. 2002 article, entitled "From Cozy to Caper: A Guide to Mystery Genres, posted on writing-world.com
See you next month.
Carol St.Ann 
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Mystery: May 14, 2025 Issue [#13132]
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