Genre is one of the most basic ways to distinguish your reading and writing habits. It might even be the first thing you say to people who ask what kinds of books you write. 

Genres are great for broadly categorizing things, but even a cursory glance at the shelves in a bookstore or library will show you that there is a wealth of diversity under umbrella labels like fantasy or historical fiction. As a writer who (wisely!) focuses on keeping up with books and writers very similar to their own, it’s understandable that you might have some knowledge gaps, even within your own genre, with such wide variety. 

It’s too much to expect anyone to read absolutely everything, especially if you still want to have time to write. But it is good practice to make sure you have a working knowledge of all kinds of books within your genre. At the very least, it will help you understand where your work fits within the broader publishing industry. You may even find that a slightly different niche in your genre is a better fit for your work, maybe even one you never would have considered before. 

How Many Different Kinds of Mysteries Could There Be?

It’s easy to assume that mystery is a straightforward genre. After all, if a book is about solving some kind of unknown, then it’s a mystery—right?

But mystery readers, writers, and stories come in many specific categories that go beyond the general mystery label. There are traditional mysteries, which involve a murder in a closed community and solving the murder means bringing that community back together. There are also crime novels, which focus on the planning and execution of a crime, and police procedurals, which focus on solving a crime and arresting the bad guys. 

Then there are noir mysteries, where the protagonist is flawed (maybe even an antihero), and private detective mysteries, where the protagonist is a mystery solver by trade. There are also cozy mysteries, which have detectives who are not usually professionals; these are very similar to a traditional mystery, though it’s important to note that a cozy mystery is light on gore and violence. 

If you do want grit and grime, then thrillers or novels based on true crime stories might be for you. Thrillers sometimes get their own section in the bookstore, but any mystery specialist can tell you that they are intimately connected to the mystery genre. In fact, you’ll notice that if thrillers do have their own section, it’s usually right next to the mysteries.

As with any genre label, subgenre labels are often a bit nebulous, with a lot of overlap, but you can imagine that a cozy mystery writer and a gritty police procedural writer have very different audiences. 

Classic Versus Contemporary 

Given that her work is outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible, you probably know about Agatha Christie and her famous Poirot. And nobody needs anyone to tell them to check out a certain clever detective who lives on Baker Street. 

It’s essential to explore classics when you’re writing in a specific genre; however, if you want to stay cognizant of all industry trends, it’s important to devote just as much time to contemporary authors as well. 

Christie and Doyle will cover the classics of crime, but Tana French and Michael Connelly are dominating that scene these days. Canadian author Louise Penny has a devoted audience for her Gamache series, which straddles the line between traditional mystery and police procedural. 

Writers who are attracted to a more specific subgenre, such as noir mysteries, need to also make sure they’ve read authors who produced classics in that specific area, such as Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. If you only read Gone Girl because everyone you knew was reading it, try going back to Gillian Flynn as an author of contemporary noir.

And you might not have guessed it, but the Charlaine Harris series that provided the inspiration for the HBO show True Blood was a cozy mystery series. Donna Andrews and Joanne Fluke are also beloved authors of lengthy cozy mystery series. 

Connecting With Fellow Mystery Lovers

Mystery readers are often very enthusiastic about their books, and there are a lot of popular groups both online and in person. 

The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City has book clubs and events where readers can come together. Cozy mystery readers tend to be especially copious, and you can usually find lots of well-attended online or in-person book clubs in your area. Even if you don’t have access to a local bookstore with lots of specific genre events, your local library is the perfect place to start when it comes to finding meetups for readers. 

As a writer, the mystery genre also offers a lot of support. There is a thriving community of self-published mystery writers, much like there is for romance, and there are resources for those pursuing the indie publication route or those going for traditional publication. 

Mystery Writers of America hosts conferences and events, offers author scholarships, and presents the prestigious Edgar Awards. You don’t have to be published to join, and there are regional chapters that hold regular meetings. Sisters in Crime and Crime Writers of Color are similar organizations meant to bring mystery writers of all subgenres together to support each other. 

Writing workshops, like Gotham Writers’ Workshop, often offer classes specifically for mystery writing. If you’re into NaNoWriMo, do a little digging in those Facebook groups and forums to find the people who focus on mysteries. 

You Have Options

It sounds counterintuitive, but understanding the kinds of books you don’t write can often better your understanding of the books you do write. 

That isn’t to say that poets need a thorough understanding of middle grade fantasy bestsellers. But you can’t know that your book will appeal to an audience for whom Gillian Flynn is just a bit too dark if you don’t know that Gillian Flynn writes noir stories with female protagonists in a domestic setting. If you’ve been trying to connect with the cozy mystery crowd only to notice that your books aren’t themed or as humorous as the others, it might help to look for people who identify themselves as traditional mystery writers instead. 

Overall, never forget that the purpose of genre and subgenre labels is to help you find your people, whether that’s fellow writers who can help you on your journey or readers who will become your biggest fans.

Chelsea Ennen is a writer living in Brooklyn with her husband and her dog. When not writing or reading, she is a fiber and textile artist who sews, knits, crochets, weaves, and spins.