whodunnits
Crime fiction books
Whodunnits are mystery stories—novels, films, or plays—where the central puzzle is discovering who committed a crime, typically a murder.
The plot withholds the killer's identity until the end, inviting readers to solve it alongside the detective: I spent the weekend reading Agatha Christie whodunnits.
Also spelled whodunits.
Professional crime investigator
- SherlockIconic Victorian-era investigator
- PoirotFictional Belgian detective
- HolmesFictional London investigator
- sleuthPrivate investigator
gumshoe · investigator · inspector · Watson · sidekick · Columbo
Solving aid
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- suspectBelieve to be likely
- interrogationFormal, probing examination
- deductionConclusion from premises
forensics · fingerprint · autopsy · witness · testimony · lineup · casebook · dossier
Deliberate unlawful killing
- homicideCausing another's death
- victimOne harmed by another
- culpritPerson found guilty
- perpetratorOne who commits wrongdoing
accomplice · motive · alibi · body · corpse · weapon · poison · stabbing
Tough, cynical fiction style
- noirHard-boiled film genre
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
- potboilerWork made for money
- page-turnerCompulsively readable book
paperback · bestseller · pulp · locked-room · cliffhanger · denouement · reveal
Stretched or strained state
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- secretsConcealed information
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
suspicion · misdirection · revelation · unmasking · nail-biting · edge-of-seat · atmosphere · foreboding
detective
Professional crime investigator
- SherlockIconic Victorian-era investigator
- PoirotFictional Belgian detective
- HolmesFictional London investigator
sleuth · gumshoe · investigator · inspector · Watson · sidekick · Columbo
clue
Solving aid
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- suspectBelieve to be likely
- interrogationFormal, probing examination
deduction · forensics · fingerprint · autopsy · witness · testimony · lineup · casebook · dossier · surveillance
murder
Deliberate unlawful killing
perpetrator · accomplice · motive · alibi · body · corpse · weapon · poison · stabbing · strangling
hardboiled
Tough, cynical fiction style
page-turner · paperback · bestseller · pulp · locked-room · cliffhanger · denouement · reveal
tension
Stretched or strained state
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- secretsConcealed information
uncertainty · suspicion · misdirection · revelation · unmasking · nail-biting · edge-of-seat · atmosphere · foreboding · sinister
whodunnitsconfessionals
Compartments for revealing sins
thrillers · psychological thrillers · literary fiction · true crime · courtroom dramas
whodunnitsthrillers
Gripping suspense works
spy novels · police procedurals · noir fiction · true crime · horror