So just how many types of mysteries are there?
I figured this would be a good exercise to get a handle on the subgenres to this popular reading pastime. My estimate was initially maybe six. Okay, perhaps eight. So my surprise was how many I did find. I started thinking, keep looking and you’ll find more.
Here is the list of mystery subgenres. Did I miss anything?
Cozy
Police Procedural
Private Investigator
Historical
Legal/Courtroom
Psychological Suspense
Romantic Suspense
Caper/Heist
Crime
Urban Fantasy
Steampunk
Paranormal/Supernatural
Hardboiled
Soft-boiled
Classic
Classic
Suspense
Thriller
True Crime
Whodunit
Amateur Detective
Bumbling Detective/Comic
Child in Jeopardy
Culinary
Medical/Doctor
Animal
Handicapped
Noir
Tart noir
Locked room/Puzzle
Techno Thriller
Third world
Pastiche
Young Adult
Amish
Forensic
Espionage
Private Eye
Science Fiction
Woman in Jeopardy
Dark Thriller
Dark Cozy
Inverted
Motive