Tuesday, November 11, 2008

I Like My Mysteries to be Scary

When I read a mystery I like the element of fear. I want to be mystified, stumped, totally out there and afraid. That’s a major allure of the genre to me. That and a complex multi-layered plot. Give me hints, tease me, lead me on, then do a plot twist that makes me quiver and shake my bewildered and frightened head with a “Huh? - Wha?” You can repeat this cycle as often as you want. I lap I up.

And the scarier the sexier. That’s the way I like my mysteries. I suppose that’s more the thriller/suspense kind of mystery, but hey- just sharing.

How about you? How do you like your mystery reads to be?

6 comments:

Stanley Berber said...

Scary is good, I like that. but even more important to me in a good mystery is intrigue. I like antagonists that are complex also. Believable characters that you can understand their motivations on some level and even are endeared to them, sorry for them in a way. Not just a typical "bad guy" with no redeeming qualities.

Deb Baker said...

I was at Murder and Mayhem in Muskego (Wisconsin) this past weekend. Most of the panelists worked hard at scary (more the merrier).

Pam Ripling said...

I like both. There's horror-scary and psychological-scary, and I guess it just depends on what intrigues you.

I've always found it interesting that when you are watching a scary movie, you can quickly cover your eyes, but when reading, you are forced to keep them open!

~Anne

Morgan Mandel said...

I like being scared in a mystery. The suspense keeps me turning the pages. I'm not so much into complex plots though. I read for enjoyment, not to figure things out.

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

I love scary too--and I really enjoy almost any kind of mystery--what I find difficult is finding time to read all the mysteries I'd like.

Marilyn Meredith
http://fictionforyou.com

Dana Fredsti said...

I love all sorts of mysteries, but whether it's scary or not, I like humor in mine.