The problem with mystery/crime novels...
By maezee
@maezee (41985)
United States
February 13, 2012 8:23pm CST
While I love them, over the years of reading probably thousands of mystery/crime/suspense novels, is that you start running into the same things over and over again, just with slightly different circumstances and different character names. I love these types of books to death, especially when they're totally gripping and page-turners, but I've come to realize that they all seem to be incredibly similar. There is hardly any variation it seems in the plot lines in this particular genre.
I've noticed for example, there are often times the same type of female protagonist - who may or may not have been a victim of some sort of crime, that may or may not fall in love (or lust) with one of the cops interrogating her. And as far as the cop goes, there are often times the same archetypal cop/detective/FBI agent - the hardened and worn, cynical, but in the end warms up and finds love. Or peace with his past. Something of that sort.
Those are just a few of the many things I've noticed. I could write a novel on how similar MOST ALL of mystery/crime novels are. Out of the (probably) thousands I've read, if you named a particular book in question, I wouldn't be able to say... Well, hey, that's the one where so and so does this and then that happens.., because they all tend to run together after a while!
Do you feel the same way as me? Have you noticed this as well?
And have you noticed this in any other genre?
5 responses
@Shellyann36 (11383)
• United States
16 Aug 12
Yes you are right about that. It does seem to happen. I occasionally like to read Stuart Woods and his character Stone Barrington is always sleeping with the female client or the woman in trouble. I guess that is what I get for reading a male based mystery novel.
@SusanLee (1920)
• United States
15 Aug 12
Interesting. The same thing happened to me with historical romance novels. As a young girl and a young woman, wife and mother. My life wasn't all it was meant to be. I use to lose myself in these novels.
As I moved into my 30s and then my 40s I noticed these story-lines couldn't hold my interest any longer. I finally just gave up reading all together for awhile.
Like you, I could predict what was going to happen with a few twists here and there. I mean there are only so many ways a woman can be made love to. They all feel the same descriptive feelings.
I really got tired of them getting fired up for each other within a few pages. Anyway, long story short. I stopped reading. One day I got a thing in the mail for a book club. Order so many for a penny then buy so many more over a two year period.
It had good descriptions of some subject matter I hadn't read before. Beverly Lewis who writes Amish mystery romance. Susan Sloan who use to be a criminal lawyer and started writing. Her novel 'Guilt by Association' was fantastic. She has a few others out but that first one was a killer. You couldn't even go to the back and cheat. You had to read the book through to know what was up. I like Karen Slaughter too.
I found out my reading tastes had changed. I still like a good historical romance but I want there to be more to it then them lusting after one another right out of the gate. I like the romance to be second or third to the story.
Since then I've found other authors I like that don't do the traditional romance stuff.
I like John Saul too.
@bounce58 (17380)
• Canada
16 Feb 12
Maybe you're on to something there maezee!
Maybe you should start writing! With all the books you've read, I'm sure you could piece up a story if you wanted to. And the great things is, you could even change it up a bit to have different outcomes because you already know what the common themes are.
