Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
A few weeks ago I wrote about the industry-wide confusion over what is narrative nonfiction and what is memoir.
Another widely misunderstood distinction exists between what is a mystery and what is suspense.
First, why should you care?
- Readers of mysteries launch into your book with a sharply defined set of expectations.
These readers might not even realize such is the case, but disappointment is bound to ensue should you not deliver a true mystery. Likewise for a suspense novel. In these moments of mistaken identity, a rose by any other name does not smell as sweet.
- Editors generally grasp the difference between the two and often set out to acquire one but not the other. If you mislabel your submission, you’re showing you most certainly can’t meet the category’s requirements.
- Likewise astute agents know the difference between the two and might immediately eliminate your query if you show you don’t know the distinction.
Now, on to the differences:
In suspense, the reader anxiously waits for something to happen: a bomb is set to go off, a bank robbery is about to occur, a deadly virus is about to be released. Generally the protagonist is aware of the impending danger and attempts to divert it from happening. The outcome is suspended until the end of the book as the protagonist rushes to divert the tragedy.
In a mystery, the catastrophe has happened or occurs at the book’s outset–the bomb has gone off, the bank has been robbed, the virus has been unleashed…or more commonly, someone has been murdered. The protagonist solves the puzzle of who did it by tracing through how the crime was carried out and eliminating suspects–sometimes while the perpetrator continues to act by creating additional havoc.
In suspense, the action tends to be physical, and the reader knows who committed the crime–and often why.
In a mystery, the action tends to be mental as the protagonist–and the reader–tries to solve the puzzle–and find out why the crime was committed. As in true crime, readers of mysteries want to understand why such a horrendous act was carried out.
A suspense novel often involves situations that are wide-ranging–life on Earth could be eradicated or a bomb could go off in an airport. On the other hand, mysteries often are set in closed communities–on an island, a small town, a college campus, on a train, at a dinner party, etc. That enables the protagonist to pursue the possible killer within a set range, and the number of suspects is limited.
Author Lynette Eason wrote a blog on this topic, and she mentioned other distinctions:
An important element of a mystery is the red herrings–the suspects who look so likely…yet turn out not to be the perpetrator. In suspense, the protagonist is thrust into a cycle of mistrust. And, of course, if the protagonist trusts the wrong individual or group…well, that ratchets up the suspense.
Mysteries’ conclusions are intellectually satisfying. Suspense endings are emotionally satisfying.
I’m an avid viewer of “Masterpiece Mystery” on PBS, and I confess that my favorite mystery series is “Prime Suspect” with Jane Tennyson. But last week “Masterpiece Mystery” presented me with a new series entitled “Silk,” which focuses on a British female attorney dealing with crimes. In the first episode, I discovered: a) there was no mystery; b) a suspense thread is developing. Uh, if you call yourself Masterpiece Mystery…
Do you prefer mysteries or suspense–either in your reading or viewing?
What examples of each category–either in a book, film, or TV show–can you think of?
Note: I’ll be traveling today, returning from the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference and won’t be able to be as engaged in the conversation as I’d like.
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Great blog entry today Janet. I enjoy reading and viewing both mysteries and suspense however I seem to read and view more mysteries than suspense. I am writing a suspense novel however I have hard time at times figuring out what the difference is between a suspense and a thriller. I will check out Lynette Eason’s blog in more detail. I already added it to my favorites. Thanks!
Thanks for reminding us of these distinctions, Janet. Maybe I’m slow, but the lines between the genres often blur for me. I envy Hemingway, who probably never worried about such things. (Pass the marlin.)
NLBH
Just wrote a blog piece this AM – An interview with Ernest Hemingway… in case you are interested. What an adverturous life he had, though he suffered many tragedies (often self-inflicted). http://www.mindcandymysteries.com
ALWAYS interested in Hemingway (and Fitzgerald and Wharton and …).
NLBH
Janet, Hope the ACFW conference was a good one for you, and that your travel back is safe and seamless.
When you have a chance, how about tackling the difference between the group you’ve just addressed and the seemingly catch-all designation “thriller?”
Thanks for this post.
I second this request! (Thanks for suggesting it, Dr. Mabry.)
Me, too. A great post that helps me give definition to my next novel. Thank you, Janet.
Janet, thanks for the article about the differences between suspense and mystery. I’m saving this one to refer to later.
Blessings,
Andrea
Wonderful post. I’m writing a novel series where the first one is a mystery and the second one is suspense. Funny thing was that, I knew the difference, but would never have been able to express so succinctly.
Like you said, readers will have expectations, even if they don’t know realize it. Great stuff. Validated that my mystery is indeed a mystery and my suspense is indeed a suspense. 🙂
I am extremely grateful for genre clarification. This post prompted me to go back and read your post on memoir vs. narrative nonfiction. I find the way you clearly mark the expectations of each very helpful. Thank you again.
Fabulous article. I read both genres, but mysteries have been my favorite since I was a kid. I recently read, Murder by Syllabub by Kathleen Delaney. Cozies are so much fun, and they make great TV programs, too.
Killer Career by Morgan Mandel was a fabulous suspense novel. It’s about an attorney who leaves her successful practice to become a writer when she meets a best selling author at a writers conference. The author has a secret and you’re not sure how everything will play out for the main character or the law partner she abandoned who wasn’t really thrilled about just being friends.
Praying you have a safe journey home.
Cheryl,
You bring up a good point. There are sub-genres of mysteries–many, it seems now. Just as understanding the difference between a suspense and a thriller would make a good post, understanding the different types of mysteries would be insightful as well.
Of course, as a fantasy writer, I can’t help but bring up the Science Fiction / Fantasy “genre.” Since the two are so distinctly different, it is a mystery to me (pun intended) that bookstores, publishers, and so on, lump them together. I am a fan of both Sci-Fi and fantasy, though I lean strongly towards fantasy as a reader / watcher as well as as a writer. That genre now has at least as many sub-genres as mystery does: high fantasy, dystopian, magical realism, just to name a few. It’s beginning to feel to me that a writer must not only chose and stay in one particular genre, but must specialize within that genres subcategories.
I, too, never understand why sci-fi and fantasy are so often lumped together. I don’t really care for sci-fi, but I’ll read fantasy occasionally. They are definitely different.
Thank you, Janet, for spelling out the differences between the two. I was aware of the differences (although I couldn’t have articulated them as well) because I am a mystery fan (especially the now rare non-murder mysteries)and usually don’t like suspense. I love the intellectual challenge of a well-written mystery and am highly disappointed when I can solve it shortly into the story. I experience that often with television mysteries. I used to love Matlock, but generally know who did it before the second commercial break (sometimes the first). Murder, She Wrote was even worse. I lived for a while with a group of people who never missed Murder, She Wrote. The shows were entertaining, but the “mystery” was generally simple. I learned to keep my mouth shut in regards to who I thought committed the murder so that the other people could enjoy the show.
I have read some suspense novels that I have enjoyed, but they don’t really appeal to me. In regards to television and movies, suspense is one of my least favorite genres, primarily because of the car chases, bombs, and violence that tend to fill up most of the time.
One of my favorite movies of all time is a mystery / suspense story called Charade. It stars Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. I would categorize it as a suspenseful mystery. There is a mystery at the heart of the plot, and there are so many twists and turns that keep the audience off-balance and constantly readjusting conclusions. The story maintains suspense as well because Audrey Hepburn’s character is in danger and she’s not sure who she can trust (nor can the audience). The question of whether Cary Grant’s character is a good guy or a murderer is maintained up until the very end. I recommend this movie to all novelists as an example of excellent writing. It may be a movie, but it demonstrates a) how to develop intriguing characters, b)how to write a plot that hooks the reader and won’t let go, c)how to set up expectations then believably blow them apart so that the writing isn’t predictable (but the “game” between writer and reader stays fun), d)how to deliver a story that is both intellectually and emotionally satisfying.
On the subject of learning how to write a novel by watching a well-written movie, I recommend today’s Writer’s Digest blog, “Five Things Novelists Can Learn From Screenwriters.”
Happy Monday everyone!
Janet and Christine, I see the difference in mystery and suspense, but I see the mixing of these two genres as something good when done right. We mix romance and suspense, and history and suspense or history and romance; and it works well. I love to pick up a mystery/suspense with great characters where I can be using my brain to solve a mystery but also see a horrible outcome for the protagonist if he/she doesn’t see what’s coming-usually by figuring out the clues and identifying the perpetrator. Charade is a great (if dated) representation of this, but when I come upon a book with both these elements, I love it.
Your clarification is very helpful. One of our favorite shows is also a Masterpiece Mystery, Inspector Lewis.
Janet, this wonderful post reminds me of how you came to my rescue years ago when I started writing my first cozy mystery, A VASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY. I knew I loved cozies, but also read other types of mysteries, suspense, and the occasional thriller. I got a little mixed up! 🙂
You taught me that there are many sub-genres in mysteries, too. The cozy, which was my goal, always has an amateur sleuth and is written in his/her POV. Not multiple POVs! And there were also the hard-boiled & soft-boiled mysteries, police procedurals, courtroom dramas, historical mysteries, and so on. Each had its own “rules.”
Now, as I tie a bow around my current cozy, a quilt-themed mystery for Abingdon Press’s “Quilts of Love” series, I am again grateful for your early instruction. And so much more!
Thanks, Janet.
How does “Thriller” fit into the differences? As in the genre, Suspense/Thriller…..
I have wondered numerous times as to the differences between these two! As per your definition, I am most definitely a mystery fan! I am wondering with some of the other folks who have commented above – what is the difference between Suspense and Thriller?
Although I could intuitively tell the difference between suspense and mystery, I would be hard pressed to explain the differences. Now I can! Thanks for revealing some clear distinctions.
Great clarification Janet.
I really enjoy historical suspense myself, and this is what I love to write as well.
Edward Gorey’s artwork in the opening credits of the PBS Mystery! program always gave me a delightful shiver. 🙂
Thanks for this post, Janet. I better understand the difference now.
I echo what others have said: I’d like to know more about how the thriller genre compares and differs from mystery and suspense.
Hello, Janet,
I enjoyed your post about suspense versus mystery genres. I enjoy mysteries myself, and I also especially like Masterpiece Mystery. I agree with your detecting more suspense in “Silk” than mystery.
Another problem I have with “Silk” is that I find it difficult to really like or connect with any of the characters. And that is an important part of a story, too. If all the characters (specially the protagonist) are consistently violating any sense of conscience, integrity, morals, even his or her own convictions, etc….. how can the reader / viewer really connect with them? Although I’ve watched all the episodes so far, if it was a book I wouldn’t finish it.
“Endeavor” however, is a different story.
Thanks for the post. Blessings to you!
Terrie, thanks for your comments on Silk. I haven’t watched the last episode yet (I recorded it), but I agree that I wouldn’t finish Silk if it were a book.
I’m a fellow Endeavor fan–and Foyle’s War.
Hi Janet. I have a question. I’m just now formulating my next novel. It’s set in the near future and involves the crash of the economay and, essentially, an America that has divided and each community living according to its own laws. My protag travels to the first town in this novel, in which he will fight corruption, which involves solving a mystery. So my problem is that I seem to be drifting between genres. In a story like this, should I dismiss with the mystery altogether and call it a suspense or even dystopian fantasy? I like the concept, I’m just not sure how I’d pitch it.
A fine piece on the differences! Your readers might enjoy learning about a new organization starting up. It’s called the Mexico Mystery Writers Cartel, and I’m pleased to be a founding member. Murder in Mexico is my series of eleven mysteries set in and around the upscale expat colony of San Miguel de Allende. Artist Paul Zacher is drawn into crime investigation because ‘he might see things differently.’ Maybe it’s time for the rich humanity of Mexico to show through all the narco headlines! Ready for the real Mexico, beyond the phony news reports? Take a look at this suspenseful and often funny series, available in Print, Kindle, Nook, & Kobo. Start with ‘Twenty Centavos’ by trying a sample on my website.
http://www.sanmiguelallendebooks.com/titles.html