I recently saw an email suggesting how you could survive the writing of the dark passages of murder mysteries. Obviously, in a murder mystery, someone has to die. I have recently written two murder mysteries. One is currently on Amazon titled For the Love of a Woman. The other is nearing completion. The novel on Amazon has the story starting with a suspicious hunting accident death. I included nothing that could be considered graphic about that death. The novel ends with the protagonist shooting and killing one of the women behind the “hunting accident” death. Here’s a fragment of that scene
“In part, it is a diary that Alex kept. If you open it to September 3, you will see that Alex made a notation that he bought you a 32 caliber handgun for protection. It was a 32 caliber gun that put me in the hospital. I bet if you give me that gun, its ballistics will match the slug they pulled out of the door frame at the Journal. I just want to know why you shot me?” Jim asked.
“It wasn’t her. It was me,” Karen stepped through the door to the kitchen, “It will be me who kills you. Permanently, this time,” pointing a revolver at Jim.
Jim, who had kept his hand in his winter coat around the 9 mm he had bought, said, “I don’t think so,” Jim pulled the 9 mm out of his coat pocket and fired in one smooth move.
Karen went down, and Sally screamed then started towards Karen’s body.
“Stop! Don’t go anywhere near her. Sit down over there,” Jim said, gesturing with the 9 mm.”
Karen’s death is not described in any detail. It’s simply not necessary. You know Jim has solved the mystery of his brother’s death.
In the current novel, I am finishing up, the murders happen because someone is trying to cover their interest in child pornography. Each of the murder victims is ambushed. Their bodies are found with gunshot wounds. Again there was no need to describe the wounds.
Murder mysteries are about solving the crime. There is generally no need to explain the victim’s wounds. The only exception to that I can think of is someone who is killed with a knife. Some knives will leave a distinctive wound. The search for that type of knife can advance the plot.
Murder mysteries don’t require details of a victim’s death. However, suppose you are writing a novel about a psychopath. In that case, you might describe the feelings of the psychopath as they kill. I think that might be a bit too much for the average reader.
