It might have a simple yet engaging mystery. For example, it could be about a strange disappearance in a small town. The plot would be centered around solving this mystery with a few basic clues.
One of the early and very influential mystery novels is 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's often considered a pioneer in the mystery genre.
In the case of a first mystery novel, it can vary. But typically, between 65,000 and 90,000 words. The length should be sufficient to build the mystery's atmosphere. You need to describe the crime scene, the detective's process of investigation, and the various red herrings. If it's too short, say 50,000 words or less, you may not be able to fully develop these elements. If it's over 100,000 words, you risk losing the tight pacing that is crucial for a mystery. Publishers also generally prefer mystery novels in this range for first - time authors as it's more marketable.
The first mystery novel is significant as it laid the foundation for an entire genre. It introduced the elements of suspense, intrigue, and the solving of a puzzle. It set the pattern for future mystery writers to follow, with its creation of a mystery that needed to be unraveled and characters that were either suspects or detectives. This novel likely influenced the development of detective work in popular culture as well.
Edgar Allan Poe is often credited with writing one of the first mystery novels. His works, like 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', had many of the elements that we now associate with mystery novels, such as a detective figure and a complex crime to solve.
It's hard to pinpoint an exact date, but the genre of mystery novels began to emerge in the 19th century. Works like Wilkie Collins' 'The Woman in White' also contributed to its development.
The ancestor of the world's mystery novels should be Britain's Christie's Murder on the Oriental Express. The novel was published in 1950 and was one of Christie's most famous works, as well as the first step in the history of detective novels. It tells the story of a train journey through a series of murder cases, including a train attendant, a passenger and a tour guide. The complexity and surprise of these cases make the readers excited and confused. The success of this book made Christie a world-class author and propelled the development of the entire mystery novel industry.
China's first mystery novel could be traced back to the Water Margins by the Ming Dynasty novelist Shi Naian. The novel described the struggles between Song Jiang, Wu Yong, and others against the government and thieves, and incorporated some reasoning elements such as wisdom to stimulate Lin Chong, wisdom to obtain the birthday outline, etc. It was the origin of Chinese detective novels.