Mystery’s History 004: Issuing a Challenge to the Reader

Watch Mystery’s History 004: Issuing a Challenge to the Reader and follow along with the transcript below.

Transcript:

Welcome to Mystery’s History, Interesting Facts Behind Intriguing Stories.

In this episode, we’re traveling back to 1929 to explore the history behind a mystery writer’s technique of issuing a challenge to the reader.

The technique isn’t often used today, possibly because it violates the unwritten rule for writers that “thou shall not break the fourth wall.”

But, back in 1929, Ellery Queen must have shocked the mystery reading community in his first nine novels by stopping the story right before the reveal and speaking directly to the reader, thereby breaking the fourth wall, to tell the reader that they had all the clues they needed to reach the one and only conclusion and to challenge the reader to solve the mystery right along with him.

Issuing a Challenge to the Reader accomplishes two things.

First, it tells the reader when all the clues have been revealed and gives them a chance to make their “accusation,” if you’re a fan of the board game Clue.

More importantly, it forces the author to play fair with the reader by requiring all the clues be in place before the challenge is issued.

For Mystery’s History, until next time, I’m Donald Jay.