i neeeed this for school
Katie Stratman September 12, 2004
Mr. Lemos English 11H
Writing mystery and suspense novels need careful consideration in order for the plot, crime, and suspects to be synonymous. Mystery writer and critic Hillary Waugh devised an outline to guide writers and students when composing a mystery story. A novel that almost adheres to the all six guidelines by Waugh is, A Cry In The Night, by Mary Higgins Clark.
Mary Higgins Clark’s, A Cry In The Night, applies to the first two rules of mystery writing. Firstly, through out the novel there are many clues given that are accessible to the reader. A clue given that shows Erich is unstable and psychotic is when he leaves Jenny at home and takes the girls when they were supposed to be leaving for an art exhibit in Houston. When Tina is on the phone with Jenny she remarks, “Mommy, we didn’t go for a plane ride and you said we would.” This reveals that Erich did not leave Minnesota, and is spying on Jenny and staying nearby the farm. The reader is introduced early to the mystery when Caroline’s death and Arden’s (Rooney’s daughter) disappearance are exposed in the early chapters of the novel. “And Erich’s been so good to us. He spent ten thousand dollars on private detectives trying to find where Arden went.”
It is not known until the end of the novel that the deaths and disappearances on the farm were a crime. The crimes are significant because they were all murders. Erich Krueger murdered four people, including his mother (Caroline), Arden, Kevin MacPartland (Jenny’s ex-husband), and Jenny and Erich’s son.
One red herring that is given to help distract the reader is when Jenny finds that the coat she lent to her neighbor, Rooney, is returned without having spoken with her. Then, when Rooney is questioned about it she replies, “I saw you wear it.”
Mr. Lemos English 11H
Writing mystery and suspense novels need careful consideration in order for the plot, crime, and suspects to be synonymous. Mystery writer and critic Hillary Waugh devised an outline to guide writers and students when composing a mystery story. A novel that almost adheres to the all six guidelines by Waugh is, A Cry In The Night, by Mary Higgins Clark.
Mary Higgins Clark’s, A Cry In The Night, applies to the first two rules of mystery writing. Firstly, through out the novel there are many clues given that are accessible to the reader. A clue given that shows Erich is unstable and psychotic is when he leaves Jenny at home and takes the girls when they were supposed to be leaving for an art exhibit in Houston. When Tina is on the phone with Jenny she remarks, “Mommy, we didn’t go for a plane ride and you said we would.” This reveals that Erich did not leave Minnesota, and is spying on Jenny and staying nearby the farm. The reader is introduced early to the mystery when Caroline’s death and Arden’s (Rooney’s daughter) disappearance are exposed in the early chapters of the novel. “And Erich’s been so good to us. He spent ten thousand dollars on private detectives trying to find where Arden went.”
It is not known until the end of the novel that the deaths and disappearances on the farm were a crime. The crimes are significant because they were all murders. Erich Krueger murdered four people, including his mother (Caroline), Arden, Kevin MacPartland (Jenny’s ex-husband), and Jenny and Erich’s son.
One red herring that is given to help distract the reader is when Jenny finds that the coat she lent to her neighbor, Rooney, is returned without having spoken with her. Then, when Rooney is questioned about it she replies, “I saw you wear it.”