Ch 9: Contemporary Mystery Novels
About This Chapter
Overview of Contemporary Mystery Novels Chapter
This chapter gives an overview of several representative works of mystery novels. These lessons will introduce you to basic literary features of mysteries, including:
- Settings
- Style
- Characterization
- Themes
- Plot summaries and quotes
Experts have prepared these engaging text-based lessons to introduce you to this genre and to supplement other full-length literature courses. You can find view some of these courses below.
How to Use This Chapter
The lessons in this chapter provide a great overview of some important mystery novels. They can help you learn more about this special genre, give you supplementary material for assignments, and help you study for exams. You can view them in any order at your own pace. The lessons come with helpful study aids like worksheets, quizzes, and fill-in-the-blank sections to help you master this material.
These lessons are also pair well with other courses you may be interested in. The following are some other courses you may want to check out:
- English 101: English Literature
- English 102: American Literature
- English 103: Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
- English 301: Non-Western Literature
- English 310: Short Stories
- The Metamorphosis Study Guide
- The Road Study Guide
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Study Guide
- Sherlock Holmes Short Stories Study Guide
Try these courses if you would like to learn more about similar literary topics or if you would like to earn college credits.

1. Big Little Lies: Summary & Quotes
What kind of lies do you tell yourself or other people? 'Big Little Lies' is a novel about some of the lies we tell, and the possibility of extreme consequences. Read on for a summary and key quotations - and if you haven't read the book yet, spoiler alert - there is a mystery involved.

2. Big Little Lies: Setting & Themes
This lesson focuses on the setting and themes in Liane Moriarty's best-selling novel, Big Little Lies. As you will soon discover, the perfect town is not what it seems.

3. Big Little Lies: Character Analysis
Big Little Lies is a compelling, fast-paced novel written by Australian author Liane Moriarty. In this lesson, we will take a closer look at the main characters and discuss their personalities and dilemmas.

4. Big Little Lies: Structure & Style
Have you ever read a novel that is just too hard to put down? It may be that you are intrigued by the authors style or are carried along for the ride by the author's choice of structure. In this lesson, we will look at the writing style and structure of the novel, Big Little Lies by Liane Montgomery.

5. Gone Girl: Themes & Inspirations
''Gone Girl'', by author Gillian Flynn, is a dark and suspenseful novel. In this lesson, we will discuss the most common themes that run throughout the novel and seek to understand what inspired the author.

6. Gone Girl: Summary & Quotes
Gone Girl is a novel filled with psychological suspense. It tells the story of Nick and Amy Dunne who are in a troubled marriage. When Amy disappears, all clues point to Nick as having murdered her. In this lesson, we will summarize the novel and include quotes.

7. Gone Girl: Character Analysis
Gone Girl is a character-driven novel of psychological suspense written by author Gillian Flynn. In this lesson, we take a closer look at the main characters that people this compelling thriller.

8. Gone Girl: Style & Structure
Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, is a psychological thriller and mystery. In this lesson, we will explore how the author structured the story and the style that she used to engage the reader in her story.

9. The Lovely Bones: Summary & Quotes
The Lovely Bones is a best-selling contemporary novel written by American author Alice Sebold, first published in 2002. Read a summary of this novel, including quotes significant to understanding the plot.

10. The Lovely Bones Themes
''The Lovely Bones'' is a contemporary novel with a young protagonist whose life is cut short by a horrific experience. What follows is an insightful view of the connection between life and death, one of the themes found in the story.

11. The Lovely Bones: Characters & Setting
Alice Sebold's 2002 novel ''The Lovely Bones'' is the story of fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon, a life cut short by a tragic rape and murder. The plot of the novel involves what happens to Susie, her family, and her killer after this brutal scene.

12. The Girl on the Train: Summary & Themes
''The Girl on the Train'' is a novel written by Paula Hawkins in 2016. The fictional story talks about the complicated web of people who know and interact with Rachel Watson.

13. The Girl on the Train: Characters & Setting
'The Girl on the Train' is a fictional novel written by Paula Hawkins in 2016. It was later turned into a major motion picture, but this lesson will focus on the characters and settings of the book.

14. The Thirteenth Tale: Summary & Quotes
'The Thirteenth Tale' is a story about secrets, twins, and loss. Learn how the life story of a reclusive author provides a bookseller and biographer with a hauntingly mysterious tale.
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Other Chapters
Other chapters within the Survey of World Literature course
- European Epic Poetry
- Epic Poetry of the World
- Epic Poetry of America & the UK
- Ancient Greek & Roman Literature
- Drama of the 20th & 21st Century
- British Drama
- The Works of Agatha Christie
- The Works of Ken Follett
- 20th Century Mystery Novels
- The Works of D.H. Lawrence
- The Works of John Irving
- The Works of Langston Hughes
- American Bildungsromans
- British Bildungsromans
- International Bildungsromans
- International Historical Fiction
- Contemporary American Nonfiction
- Magical Realism in Fiction