Compare and contrast 'Lamb to the Slaughter' and 'The Speckled Band' as examples of murder mystery stories.

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Compare and contrast 'Lamb to the Slaughter' and 'The Speckled Band' as examples of murder mystery stories.

Murder mystery stories have always been very popular, ever since they first appeared. This is because people are interested in being detectives themselves, like a sort of fantasy of the mind, and people have always enjoyed the suspense, tension and mystery that form the main part of a good detective story. People like the other key elements of a good story that interests them and grips them, making them want to continue reading to find out what happens next.

There are many key elements that are vital for a successful murder mystery story. Suspense and tension play an important part in keeping the reader interested and wanting to know what happens next. Mystery keeps the reader in the dark and has them guessing at things to come, sometimes without them even realising, which adds to the interest of the story. Misleading clues lead the reader along 'false paths', giving them multiple theories as to who committed the crime. Sometimes the reader will be fed one idea, then through a change of events will be presented with a second idea. The detective's skills are vital for making the story popular. A detective becomes well known for their talents or habits. They will often have a side-kick who will aid them in becoming famous in the reader's world. They provide companionship, aid in the solving of the crime, and are there as someone to explain events to, thus explaining things to the reader. Every hero has their rival, the villain. This can be either an arch enemy who is just as deadly as the hero can be, or simply the criminal in the story. They will often be nasty and aggressive in character, but they can be the complete opposite, demonstrating ingenuity and a controlled scheming mind which impress the reader. The villain will also often have henchmen or a side-kick. The villain must have a motive for the crime they have committed. The motive is the reason for the crime happening and a good motive is often the key to a good story. It forms the plot of the story. The detective will often first work out the motive, and then use that to pick suspects. Twists are very important in a detective story because they can grab the reader's attention suddenly and completely change the view of the story. A twist can be subtle or  dramatic- either have the desired effect for the story. The twist can add interest, tension, suspense, mystery and even humour as the situation becomes clear. An unusual setting can add to the twist for a better effect.  

The earliest example of a murder mystery story, and thought to be one of the very first, is a short story written by the American author Edgar Allan Poe in April 1841. He created the detective Auguste Dupin, popular with readers because of his methods of deduction and his eccentric habits. He first appeared in 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', and then after in five other stories. The detective was modelled on the first real-life detective, Francois Eugene Vidocq, who at the time was becoming famous as the head of the criminal investigation unit in Paris.

Further examples of early murder mystery stories include 'Bleak House' by Charles Dickens, and can fairly be called one of the earliest detective stories. Its hero is Inspector Bucket, one of the first detectives in literature. The tale was the product of difficult times for Dickens. He also wrote 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' but he died leaving the identity of the murderer a secret. Another example would be 'The moonstone', written by Wilkie Collins, another English novelist. He created Sergeant Cuff, and showed that the genre of the detective story could be expanded to fit a novel and not just the short stories. Collins also contributed 'The Woman in White'. All of these examples could have given Doyle his inspiration, but it is believed that Poe was his biggest help in creating his detective.

However, although these stories were popular in their time, the detective story didn’t really take off until the birth of the English fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. Probably the most famous detective of all time, Holmes and his side-kick Dr. John Watson were created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

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Doyle was born in Edinburgh and educated at Stonyhurst college and the university of Edinburgh. He took small assistantships during his studies, and served as a ship's doctor on a Greenland whaling boat. From 1882 to 1890 he practised medicine in Southsea where he met and married Louise Hawkins, his first wife. He began to send short stories to magazine editors and he found his success in his first published story 'The Mystery of Sasassa Valley' (1879) when it was accepted by 'Chambers Journal'. In 1887 his novel 'A Study in Scarlet' appeared in 'Beetons Christmas Annual' and was the ...

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