Writing a mystery usually means planning a murder. Or two. With some other crimes thrown in. Gosh, writers would make such great criminals! If you’re looking for story ideas, start with your victim and what leads to their murder.
My extensive research into fictional mysteries has led me to this conclusion: characters destined to become murder victims often ensure their fate with a crucial mistake that puts a target on their backs, saying, “Murder me! Murder me!”
Sometimes, it’s a jerk move that gets someone killed. Death by a Jerk Move is such a common trope that it warranted its own post and included all-time favorites like Death by Practicing Villainy, Death by Greedy Relative, and Death by Bad Decisions. Check it out.
But often, there’s nothing “jerky” about why a character is murdered. It’s all chance mixed with the occasional social faux paus or small mistake that leads to someone’s untimely death. For readers, picking out these accidental life-risks is the first step in solving the mystery.
So, when writing a mystery, consider more ways to get murdered (other than by being a jerk):
#1 Trust someone you shouldn’t.
The cute, charming stranger at the bar, the old friend from high school, the housekeeper in your family’s service for years… anyone can turn murdery and, for many victims, being too trusting leads to their downfall. Letting someone into your life is always a risk, but the overly-trusting souls among us dive right into these relationships, never considering that enemies often come disguised as friends. Think of the alpha predator creeping on the cute little bunny. Poor, dumb bunny.
Let’s call this one Death by Alpha Predator.
And it’s one of the more innocent flaws on our list. So, if you want a more sympathetic victim, naivete might be the perfect fit.
For a trope twist… avoid the damsel in distress and—egads—make your naive character a man or someone who should never have this flaw, like a police officer, politician, or journalist.
#2 Hang out in creepy places.
Delilah Duffy, the amateur sleuth in my mystery series, faces uncertain danger from suspects when working her cases. She also picks up a stalker/nemesis along the way. So, lessons in perpetrator avoidance prove important for her safety. One lesson: Avoid places between places where perps might be lurking, watching, waiting. A dimly lit parking lot begs for crime, as does the infamous dark alley.
So, I’m calling this one Death by Dark Alley.
But it’s not all alleys and parking lots. Popping into a dive bar in the middle of nowhere for a drink or taking on a friend’s dare to knock on the door to that creepy mansion both fit the category. These dark and strange places between places may easily give you more than you bargained for. (For more creepy writing ideas, check this out.)
Death by Dark Alley mimics #3—being in the wrong place at the wrong time—but they’re somewhat different, too. There’s an inherent risk in shortcutting through an alley or walking into a bar—and it’s a choice the victim makes. Death by Happenstance isn’t a choice.
To un-trope this trope, bring the “dark alley” feel to an unusual place. Between “innocent” places like churches or homes. Or properties in a rural setting. Between rows in a cornfield. Or try this idea… a crossover walkway between buildings would create a creepy dark alley scene, especially with only cars passing by underneath to serve as witnesses.
#3 Be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A bit different than Death by Dark Alley, wrong place/wrong time isn’t the result of a risky choice. Something happens that’s out of your character’s control (Like a Gremlin). A car breaking down. Encountering a murderous Uber driver. Visiting the grocery store while it’s getting robbed.
It’s Death by Happenstance.
In these stories, victimology rarely matters. It’s all about the killer and why he picked that time/place/person, whatever. Or it’s an accident that goes even more wrong when the “murderer” can’t face the consequences of his action, however unintentional.
Creativity is a must with this one, as there are soooo many options. So, to trope twist… choose an unfortunate wrong place/wrong time setting we haven’t seen used before. An afternoon matinee. The mystery section of a local library. In the choir loft at church.
#4 Work a low-paying job.
Statistically speaking, convenience stores, gas stations, and restaurants break the top ten list of most criminal activity. According to the book Strange Crime, fast-food employees are more likely to experience gun violence than police officers. So, the low-paid employees working in these places could possibly find themselves in serious trouble.
Getting murdered on a shift is certainly a wrong place/wrong time scenario, like Death by Happenstance. But when you’re simply trying to make a living, you may not consider going to work a real risk. It’s riskier to be unemployed and unable to pay your bills. So although the statistics are real, no one ever thinks it’ll happen to them. And for most, it doesn’t.
Still, bad things happen. And a murderer might be the next customer. So, this one’s Death by Minimum Wage or Death by Convenience.
This one isn’t a fictional trope—it’s more about how to get murdered in real life rather than in a mystery series. Rarely do you come across a mystery novel featuring the murder of a gas station employee. But why not? A forensically saturated crime scene like the inside of a convenience store and a community full of suspects—that’d be a brain-busting case and an intriguing one to write about.
So, to twist the entire murder mystery trope, forget rich people and their wills or drunks airing dirty laundry and write about the kind of case that real detectives work on all the time.
#5 Work somewhere where it’s easy to see/know too much.
The ol’ 9 to 5 grind offers a myriad of murderous opportunities. Often in mystery series cases set in corporations or firms, the victim stumbles into something she shouldn’t have, and murder’s the only surefire way to silence her. She walks in on an affair, opens the wrong file, comes across financial anomalies, or otherwise uncovers fraud, theft, number-fudging, or espionage. Legal aides, accountants, and personal assistants are prime candidates for a knows-too-much murder.
So, this is Death by Occupation.
For a trope twist, the “lowly” employee could be the crafty, devious killer, and it’s her love for the company that compels her to murder internal threats.
#6 Be vulnerable at a party.
It’s a popular trope… an out-of-control party leads to death (and/or a myriad of other crimes). The likelihood of murder increases if your partygoers are entitled assholes who will do anything to save their gold-plated futures from scandal or, duh, prison.
So, this one’s Death by Rager.
This trope’s victim most often tends to be female—girls who become vulnerable by intoxication, either done themselves or with the nasty help of spiked drinks. But boys find themselves in this trouble, too. Too many pills, drinks, lines, or whatever the kids do these days can cause accidental death just on intake alone. Or too much hazing if it’s a frat party or general party shenanigans. Either way, a million “accidents” can happen. Throw in a few entitled assholes, and murder becomes, well, a dark party game.
For a trope twist… throw in a mysterious witness. A child out of bed and watching through the window. A frightened partygoer filming from a closet. A maid discovering too many strange things on clean-up. And then, have your killer(s) try and discover who the witness is to silence her, too.
For another… Involve someone unlikely to help the murderer(s) cover up the crime. In Harlan Coben’s Safe on Netflix, parents are quick to play cover-up.
Another idea might be the killer(s) nemesis turned cohort—a plot idea that could lead to a lifetime of…
#7 Inspire jealousy.
For any character who seems to have it all, someone always loves/hates her for it. Stalkers, haters, and fantasists love fantasizing about their “ideal” and, like any addiction, it only gets worse. Obsession is a gateway toward other crimes, including murder, and escalates quickly. Maybe the victim knows they’re being watched or hated. Maybe they don’t. But stories like these are suspenseful and terrifying because they can happen to anyone.
Death by Green-Eyed Monster.
For a trope twist… The victim doesn’t have to be a gorgeous supermodel. Aren’t we a little tired of Barbie-doll-obsessions, anyway? How about a male victim? Or someone that doesn’t fit the typical Lifetime movie stalker’s profile? Clickbait on Netflix is a twisty example of unique obsession. And for even more on obsessions (though more of the Barbie doll type) watch You, also on Netflix.
For another trope twist… What about the extreme envy of a “normal” American family? And the obsession leads the killer to keep killing because no matter how perfect the family is, they never live up to his high expectations. He keeps killing to find perfection that doesn’t exist. Because as we all know… the grass is always greener on the other side.
Looking for more mystery story ideas? Try my posts on Petty Crime, Cars, and A Mystery Series Love Story. And the parent post of this one: Best Ways to Get Murdered (In a Mystery Series).
And share your thoughts on murderous tropes below and help grow the list. I’m sure there’re some I’m forgetting… Hmm, Death by…
