What Makes a Crime Book Great? The 5 Elements of a Good Crime Book

 

I am an ardent bibliophile. My love for books knows no bounds. My library at home is rich in books of myriad genres but the ones I find most gripping are the Crime Thrillers. They are par excellence in terms of hooking you to what will happen next and logically reaching conclusions in solving mysteries of what otherwise cannot be imagined many times. Oh my and the cliff-hangers! 

 

I have grown up being so smitten with Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes and have loved devouring their creative escapades the most. I shall forever remain their diehard fan. These days I am treating myself to Crime Fiction by several new International and Indian authors and delving into such tales which transport me away from the everyday hustle-bustle of life.

 

Let me share with you today the 5 elements of a Good Crime Book. Below are the reasons which make a crime book great.

 

1. Hooks you on Page ONE, impressive page-turner

For a real-worthy crime thriller, I believe it must have the ability to hook you in the first couple of pages. You can call me ruthless but with all due respect to the meticulous labor of the author, this is the thumb rule I would have followed if I had picked up a suspense genre literary work. 

Also, it must coax me to turn the page and read what will happen ahead before I have finished the current page. That finesse in weaving the tale is desired from a good crime book,

 

 2. Realistic, relatable, well-fleshed characters who excite you

The detective or the protagonist is the heart and soul of a good suspense novel. He must be able to carve a place in your heart. The more real he feels the better it is. Thus, it is important to make him and the other characters of the book humanly flawed. 

This gives us readers a genuinely holistic experience as we delve into the book. Often well fleshed out, relatable characters are the icing on the cake and contribute significantly to a crime book becoming a hit or a miss.

 

3. Deducing the line of thoughts and action is impossible

The storyline of a good crime book must be extremely intricate and intelligent as one must presume that the reader would have already read some worthy crime fiction and he must get an experience by reading this one that surpasses his expectations and gives him an adrenaline rush on occasions. 

At no point it must become predictable, cliche can put the reader off some time. A well-conceived storyline gives a good crime book a very strong foundation.

 

4. Exceptional settings and perfectly paced

The crime scene, the settings which leave absolutely no evidence for the detective, all add up to the excitement of the book. They may not be talked of much but they make a very essential part of an impeccable crime story. 

Also, a praise-worthy crime fiction runs at a pace that the reader gets blown away by the sequence of the incidents, unfolding of mysteries, the most suspected character turning out to be innocent, etc., etc., without getting any time to think of anything else.

5. The crime or murder mystery culminates to a befitting end

Also, a truly worthy crime book must possess an ending that satiates you in the end otherwise the overall experience remains devoid of the desired contentment. For me, it is one of the most essential elements of a book if the ending has done justice to the tale. A worthy solution to the crime is indispensable, the detective must always succeed. Don’t you agree?

 

Well, these are the elements that make a good crime book for me and if you too are a crime thriller enthusiast like me, I will love to hear your views on the same. 

 

Also, if you are not, I recommend you to soak yourself in the experience at the earliest. Books are the best friends to us, human beings and honestly, there is no habit like reading.