Mystery Fiction is a very popular and common type of fiction book. Mystery books appeal to readers of all age, depending on type of stories and writing. Mystery books generally are investigative works of fiction, where murders, thefts, or other mysteries are solved by detectives or groups of people or individuals. The storyline of mystery books determine the profile of the readers.
Depending on the profile of readers mystery fiction can be classified into certain types. These are:
Mystery stories for children: Mystery stories for children essentially include stories that can be understood or read by children. The storylines revolve around less heinous crimes and generally shows children or youth solving mysteries. The most famous children's mystery story writer has been Enid Blyton with his Secret Seven, Famous Five and Malory Towers series stories. Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon is another famous mystery series for children.
Generic Mystery Stories : These generally include serious crime stories including murder mysteries and involves concentration and serious reading. Nancy Drew series by Caroline Keene is considered one of this kind. It also involves any other mystery story that can be read by adults.
Detective Stories: The origins of mystery stories lie in detective stories where murder mysteries or serious crimes are solved by professional detectives and authorities. The most famous series of detective stories written have been the Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Agatha Christie series which have immortalized the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot respectively.
Famous mystery books writers include:
- Edgar Allan Poe
- Franklin W.Dixon
- Caroline Keene
- Enid Blyton
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Isaac Asimov
- Harriet Stratemeyer Adam
- James Anderson
- Nicholas Blake
- Sarah Caudwell
- Michael Collins
- Colin Dexter
- Anna Katharine Green
- John Mortimer
- Kate Ross
Mystery Books have evolved over the time adding more recent contexts and has continued to attract more and more reader with time
