Pre 1914

In your opinion what makes a good mystery story. Use evidence from stories read and compare?

In many of Holmes' adventures, Conan Doyle used a successful personal formula to create mystery and build suspense, and "The Speckled Band" is no exception.

Watson begins the story by stating that he cannot recall any case that represented more 'singular features' than that of the one he is about to narrate. Despite this rather impressive beginning, analysis of the other adventures reveals that this is the fairly 'standard' opening for Conan Doyle.

The reader then learns that 'The Speckled Band' is about the assistance that Holmes provided to a helpless young woman, by the name of Miss Helen Stoner. Miss Stoner is a client who turns up at Baker Street very early one morning in a 'pitiable state of agitation' to seek Holmes' help. Her vulnerable state and appearance with 'her face all drawn and grey, with restless, frightened eyes, like those of some hunted animal' quickly engage the sympathy of the reader.

The Speckled Band is just one of the murder mystery stories featuring the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes was not any ordinary detective, he was a detective who was famous for solving murders. In this case Holmes is trying to solve the mystery of the 'Speckled Band'. Some examples of tension building techniques are dramatic events and in some instances the inclusion of red herrings. Bad weather and night time are also used as a means of building up atmosphere and tension.

"The Red Room" by H.G Wells is also a superstitious mystery. It is a superstitious mystery because ...

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"The Red Room" by H.G Wells is also a superstitious mystery. It is a superstitious mystery because the reader does not know if the happenings in "The Red Room" are a result of paranoia, or of a supernatural cause.

"The Adventure of the Speckled Band" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is different to "The Red Room". As it is a whodunit story. It is a whodunit story because the lead character Sherlock Holmes, is trying to solve the mystery of if the woman was killed or died of natural causes.

The Speckled Band is just one of the murder mystery stories featuring the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes was not any ordinary detective; he was a detective who was famous for solving murders. In this case Holmes is trying to solve the mystery of the 'Speckled Band'.

Some examples of tension building techniques are dramatic events and in some instance the inclusion of red herrings. Bad weather and night time are also used as a means of building up atmosphere and tension.

The main setting is Dr Roylot's house in the middle of a wild, stormy night. This immediately creates a sense of uneasiness in the readers mind. In his description of the storm, Conan Doyle uses sounds to very good effect. He talks about the howling wind and the rain beating on the windows. This language has a double impact because the words `howling' and `beating' are forms of onomatopoeia.. In fact, all the way through the story, we see many forms of onomatopoeia

The two stories have a few things in common; they were written at the same period of time, therefore follow the same type of writing style, they are mystery stories and as in most mystery stories the mystery is solved at the end. The fact that the reader is supposed to be caught up in the stories and made to read on makes it important that tension and suspense are built up properly.

Pre 1914

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