All of these elements put together to create the novel that leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Characters: every mystery has to have characters whether it's the person that went missing or the detective, it has characters

Elements of a mystery

Red herring: this is the distracting clue that makes you want to follow it.

Problem: without a problem, what would you be trying to figure out in the mystery. There has to be a problem for a story to be worth it and successful.

Solution: the answer to the mystery. How did they solve it. Without a resolution what is the point of reading a book if it leaves you hanging with EVERY problem.

Setting: where is all of this taking place? There can be multiple in a story. It is more than likely not taking place in a white box with no environment. This adds to the effects.

Clues: in every mystery you must have clues to help you get to the resolution of the story. These are like little hints