Murder mysteries are fairly common on the big screen and on the small screen and many of these stories see the recurrence of some familiar characters. When you take your seat in the cinema for a crime drama, or you sit down to watch the latest murder mystery on TV, you should be prepared to do a little detective work of your own.
The first element of a viewer's detective work comes from recognising some of the archetypal characters of the crime drama genre. Working out the motives and personalities of these characters is what makes watching murder mysteries such good fun.
The ice queen
The ice queen is meant to be a character you take an instant dislike too, but she's very often a red herring. She may have a cold personality but that's often a reaction to the situation rather than evidence of a guilty conscience.
The alpha male
The alpha male is often very bullish. He's defensive in murder mysteries and this makes people think he's something to hide. Again, he's often a red herring, but you can usually bet them he's some way involved, either intentionally or unintentionally. His attitude is often a motivation for the misgivings of others.
The intellectual
The intellectual crops up from time to time and he's someone who appears too thoughtful and collected to be the criminal. However, his brains make you think twice. He's got the level of intellect necessary for a really inventive murder.
The seductress
Most murder mysteries feature a particularly beautiful woman and there's always the suggestion that her charms offer a motive for crime: someone wants her attention; someone will do anything for her. She's a possible red herring, but then so are all the characters - this is a murder mystery after all!
The ingénue
The ingénue is usually someone too naïve to be the culprit - but are they really as naïve as they seem? They are usually young and impressionable and this means they could go either way as far as their role is concerned. Are they putting up a front? Have they been led astray? Or are they completely genuine?
The recluse
The recluse is a common figure in the murder mystery genre. Sometimes the recluse is seen by the other characters as something of an idiot. Sometimes they are seen as the opposite - an aloof intellectual. However, their unsociability means they are often put under suspicion first of all, often without justification. Nevertheless, beware the double bluff, the triple bluff and the quadruple bluff on your way to the truth!
About Today's Guest Writer:
Hermione Tabb is an avid murder mystery fan and will do anything to get her teeth into some on screen detective work. Recently she has begun doing the detective work for real on murder mystery weekends with killinggame.co.uk.
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