Elements+of+Whodunit+Genre

The Typical Setup of a Whodunit
//Based on WH Auden's article "The Guilty Vicarage"//


 * 1. A state of peace before the crime or other problematic event happens **
 * This is usually within small, close-knit communities so that:
 * the author can focus on a small area and setting that allows him or her to use the community within the Whodunit
 * it is easy for both the reader (who needs to remember all of the characters) and the author (who needs to develop the characters)
 * Often the author will show the characters in their normal lives, which may give clues later on in the story


 * 2. The crime occurs and false/initial clues are given **
 * At first, the reader and the character will know very little and will become confused with either irrelevant or misleading clues
 * Red herrings: clues intentionally added into the story to mislead readers and characters within the story
 * Usually, an initial (and generally incorrect) explanation for the crime is created
 * Suspects are usually interviewed, these may lead the detective onto another path (could be onto either the wrong or right path).
 * The detective (or whoever is investigating) will pursue these explanations and paths, but will eventually change his or her mind as he or she finds clues that lead to another (the true) solution


 * 3. The crime is truly solved and a motive is found **
 * After finding the useful clues along the way, the detective solves the crime and establishes a motive
 * Loose ends are tied up, and everything can be clearly explained at this point


 * 4. The arrest (finding the bad guy/s) **
 * The detective and possibly his assistants/aids go to find the culprit
 * Often, the criminal will be seen committing another crime or trying to finish off something related to the main crime
 * This is often very dramatic, and the culprit sometimes reveals his motives or his master plan as he is carried off to some sort of prison by the detective


 * 5. Return to a state of peace **
 * Everything goes back to how it originally was (with minor changes as a result of the criminal's being taken away)
 * The tone shifts to a very content or neutral tone, and this section usually has some sort of light comedy to conclude the novel in a happy-ending type of way