Sunday, August 11, 2013

Why Do People Read Murder Mystery Books?

By Andrea Davidson


Reading is a great way to relax and escape from the world for a while. A lot of people choose to read fiction and there are several genres to choose from. Murder mystery books are very popular amongst avid readers.

Many current popular television shows deal with crime and forensics, which has resulted in increased interest in murder mysteries. In these stories, solving crimes is often exciting and may even seem fun. Everyone enjoys a good puzzle, and mysteries allow the reader to guess the identity of the murderer based on the clues given in the story.

People also love mysteries because they are thrilling and full of action and suspense. The characters are engaging and have personality quirks that endear them to readers. The villains are tricky, mysterious, and often evil behind a convincingly normal persona.

Lots of the news these days deals with calamities and disasters. Everyone slows down when they drive by a car crash. Mysteries allow us to see what goes on behind the scenes of such occurrences and what it is really like to solve a crime. The good guys get into trouble and back out again, which is not always certain in reality. These stories can also make us feel how important life is and that it is snuffed out way to early that it is still important.

It can also help people face their fear of death in a nonconfrontational manner. We often do not view death up close-it is taken care of by police, hospital workers, and undertakers. This allows us a glimpse into that world without the accompanying sights or smells that occur in reality.

In murder mysteries, justice is always served-perpetrators of crimes get what is coming to them. This is in contrast with reality where sometimes criminals are not apprehended or may beat their charges on technicalities. Often in stories, all of the loose end are tied up and there is a happy ending.

These stories also dig deep into the personas of the main characters. Most of us are not psychologists and may not understand the reasons behind why people commit heinous crimes. Quite often we see the way the good guys think as well, that they are human and have the same thoughts and fears as the rest of us.

Mysteries are a type of fantasy that is centered in the real world, even if they are set in a previous time period. Some readers may struggle with genres that require them to immerse themselves in a different culture, learn new societal systems, and even new languages. A mystery is set in our world and therefore requires little effort by the reader to be able to comprehend and get involved in the story.

Humans just seem to like to be spectators at tragic events. Everyone stops and slows down to look at the car or train wreck; the top news stories are often calamitous. We seem drawn to the bizarre, unusual, and spectacular. This genre of fiction allows us to experience these types of occurrences without fear of harm. Murder mystery books are entertaining, often educational, and most importantly, they make us think.




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