whodunit
Killer-guessing tale
A whodunit is a mystery story—novel, film, or play—structured around discovering the identity of a criminal, typically a murderer.
The term captures the central question driving the plot: who done it?
She spent the weekend reading a classic whodunit.
The word is informal and slightly playful, often applied to traditional detective fiction in the Agatha Christie mold.
Story's final unraveling
- unmaskingRevealing what's hidden
- confessionAdmission of wrongdoing
- exposureState of being unprotected
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
twist · motive · truth · verdict · justice · conviction · acquittal · guilt
Private investigator
- investigatorOne who examines evidence
- gumshoeInformal term for detective
- inspectorOfficial quality checker
- spadeFlat-bladed digging implement
operative · shamus · plainclothes · dick · snoop · undercover · constable
Facts supporting truth
- fingerprintFriction ridge impression
- footprintMark from stepping
- bloodstainDried blood residue
- weaponInstrument for inflicting harm
forensics · alibi · motive · witness · testimony · lead · tip-off · hunch
Deliberate unlawful killing
- homicideCausing another's death
- manslaughterUnlawful killing without forethought
- theftUnlawful taking of property
- burglaryIllegal entry to commit crime
heist · kidnapping · poisoning · blackmail · embezzlement · forgery · arson · robbery
Something unexplained or unknown
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
- hardboiledTough, cynical fiction style
- noirHard-boiled film genre
- pulpSoft wet mass
Person found guilty
- perpetratorOne who commits wrongdoing
- killerOne who causes death
- murdererOne who unlawfully kills
- victimOne harmed by another
accomplice · witness · bystander · innocent · guilty · accused · defendant · butler
Stretched or strained state
- intrigueSecret plotting or fascination
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- forebodingFearful anticipation of harm
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
denouement
Story's final unraveling
- unmaskingRevealing what's hidden
- confessionAdmission of wrongdoing
- exposureState of being unprotected
resolution · twist · motive · truth · verdict · justice · conviction · acquittal · guilt · reconstruction
sleuth
Private investigator
- investigatorOne who examines evidence
- gumshoeInformal term for detective
- inspectorOfficial quality checker
spade · operative · shamus · plainclothes · dick · snoop · undercover · constable
evidence
Facts supporting truth
- fingerprintFriction ridge impression
- footprintMark from stepping
- bloodstainDried blood residue
weapon · forensics · alibi · motive · witness · testimony · lead · tip-off · hunch · inkling
murder
Deliberate unlawful killing
- homicideCausing another's death
- manslaughterUnlawful killing without forethought
- theftUnlawful taking of property
burglary · heist · kidnapping · poisoning · blackmail · embezzlement · forgery · arson · robbery · strangling
mystery
Something unexplained or unknown
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
- hardboiledTough, cynical fiction style
- noirHard-boiled film genre
culprit
Person found guilty
- perpetratorOne who commits wrongdoing
- killerOne who causes death
- murdererOne who unlawfully kills
victim · accomplice · witness · bystander · innocent · guilty · accused · defendant · butler · heiress
tension
Stretched or strained state
- intrigueSecret plotting or fascination
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- forebodingFearful anticipation of harm
misdirection · cliffhanger · page-turner · gripping · nail-biting
- talestale, funny stories, tall tales, short story, yarns
- crime fictiondetective fiction, murder mystery, detective novels, detective novel, detective
- crime investigationdetective, investigation, detectives, investigator, smoking gun
- film genreshorror, comedy, drama, action, romance
- mysteryclue, detective, suspect, clues, sleuth
- mystery fictionsleuth, murder mystery, detective novel, detective fiction, crime fiction
whodunitthriller
Suspense-driven narrative genre
utopian fiction · procedural · romance · horror story · romance novel
whodunitthriller
Suspense-driven narrative genre
action-adventure · horror · romance novel · erotica · slapstick comedy