Mystery Solved

As I wind up the day, I find myself thinking again about old-fashioned mystery stories: locked rooms, oxymoronically loud whispers, lingering colognes, and a long line up of suspects. Why are vintage who-dun-its so popular? I once read an article positing that people like classic mysteries because they bring order into chaos. We recognize that there will always be evil and wrong-doing in the world. Victims will suffer every day. However, mystery stories, at the very least, bring resolution. There are understandable (if not reasonable) explanations for human behavior after the solution is discovered. Even little "red herrings" have their explanations. Wrong and right are clearly defined. Also important-though the body count may mount, usually the perpetrator is brought to justice.

Source

Enjoyment of both cerebral feats and structure marked me as a mystery consumer from a young age. Years before Robert Downey revived the oddly compelling sleuth, I read the entire Sherlock Holmes collection twice. Rainy mornings in junior high were marked by his cynicism and articulate eighteenth century lexicon. I've waded through Agatha Christie, Father Brown, Elizabeth Peters and even some Raymond Chandler. The characters amused and challenged me, but frankly, I no longer read mysteries to exercise critical thinking. Rather, they offer escape into a few hours of clear explanations, order, and justice. In a world where both criminals and heroes are capricious and definitive answers are rare, I need a good mystery every few months.