Different subgenres of crime and mystery.

For today's blog post I will get to the bottom of the different sub-genres of the crime and mystery genres. There are a few so I will go through and explain some of the main ones here.

1: The classic whodunnit.

A whodunnit features a detective or similar character who solves a crime that has been committed by looking for clues to determine means, motive and opportunity. A classic example of this would be the Hercule Poirot stories by well-known crime author Agatha Christie.

2: Locked room mystery.

This is a subgenre in which a crime such as a murder is committed inside a locked room and whoever is solving the crime must work out how it was committed inside the locked room. One example of this would be The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (1981) by Soji Shimada.

3: Cosy crime.

This is a subgenre which infuses some comedy into the crime to make it more humorous or heartwarming. The Shakespeare and Hathaway television series is a clear example of the cosy crime subgenre.

4: Noir.

Noir is a subgenre in which the lines between good and bad are blurred, with a lack of clarity over who you can trust. The protagonist might well be a doctor who comes across as innocent but is actually a thief, preying on the weak and vulnerable patients that the doctor treats. With the protagonist, it will be either be the culprit, the victim or a suspect. Noir has an addition focus on the psychological aspect of the story though not being the central aspect of it. Mystic River (2001) by Dennis Lehane.

5: Hardboiled.

Hardboiled is that nitty-gritty genre of tough crime, with a no-nonsense atmosphere and an urban setting. It has been considered a part of American thrillers and did start in the United States of America (U.S.A) during the 1920s following the end of World War one (WW1). With hardboiled crime, there is a focus on the protagonist who is an investigator of some sort. The book does not necessarily end well just because the crime has been solved in a hardboiled story. The Big Sleep (1939) by Raymond Chandler is a good example of this subgenre.

6: Police procedural.

In a police procedural the story will be centred on the day-to-day of the job that the protagonist does. This could be a detective or a coroner for example. With a police procedural there is an emphasis on the job that they do and how that leads to solving the crime and capturing the culprit. Though there is no clear, singular protagonist, the television The Bill is an example of this subgenre.

7: Serial Killer mystery.

For the serial killer subgenre, the attention is placed on a serial killer, showcasing their inner thoughts or plans as they try to work out to kill, or think about who they kill and if they got away with it for instance. There is not an emphasis on who is solving the murder/s. The Crucifix Killer (2009) by Chris Carter is just one of many serial killer novels.

8: Legal.

When it comes to the legal subgenre, considered as legal thriller, the focus this time is on the courtroom and how things are done with regards to judges and legality as opposed to focusing on it being solved by police or committed by the culprit for example. The Cut Throat Trial (2025) by S. J. Fleet is one legal thriller novel.

9: Spy.

In the spy subgenre, considered as thriller too like the legal subgenre, it features spies and what they do. It includes, double-crossing, high-energy action packed stuff happening. Normally the protagonist will have to deal with a lot of hurdles while they are trying to save the world. When it comes to the spy subgenre, there is one example that immediately comes to mind and that is the James Bond film series and the James Bond books too.

10: Historical crime.

Historical crime is exactly what it says on the tin. This is where a certain historical period is present for the novel and the author tries to get key details on point. They can include historical figures or events with the story told from a protagonist who is clever and well-educated. Because commonly the author wants to transport their readers to the exact historical location and time period, greater detail is provided thus resulting in longer books. C J. Sansom is an author known for writing historical crime.

So that concludes my list of ten subgenres of the crime. Each of them have their own individual qualities though can sometimes merge and provide a novel with multiple subgenres. The Death in Paradise television series by author of the month Robert Thorogood has episodes where the stories fuse the cosy crime subgenre with the locked room mystery.

Until next time,

Thomas (they.them).