See Also: mystery story(encyclopedia)
mystery(2)(dictionary)
mystery(1)(dictionary)
mystery tour(dictionary)
mystery 2, adjective(dictionary)
mystery 1, noun(dictionary)
mystery play(dictionary)
mystery (as used in expressions)(encyclopedia)
MYSTERY or MISTERY(law)
mystery play(encyclopedia)

mystery story (sh)




Work of fiction in which the evidence related to a crime or to a mysterious event is so presented that the reader has an opportunity to consider solutions to the problem, the author's solution being the final phase of the piece.

The mystery story is an age-old popular genre and is related to several other forms. Elements of mystery may be present in narratives of horror or terror, pseudoscientific fantasies, crime stories, accounts of diplomatic intrigue, affairs of codes and ciphers and secret societies, or any situation involving an enigma. See also detective story; gothic novel.