What are the features which make a good detective story?

The first 200 words of this essay...

English Coursework

What are the features which make a good detective story? Analyse The Hound of the Baskervilles and comment on the elements which Conan Doyle employs to make it a classic in this genre.

Detective stories have always been and will probably always be very popular, there are many features that make detective stories enjoyable for people. I will outline some of the main features that I believe are important to include to make a detective story good.

One of the most important features which make a good detective story is having a large element of mystery to keep the reader guessing and interested in what will happen next. Twists and turns in the plot also help to keep the reader interested in what is going to happen next. When a 'red herring' is thrown into the plot then it throws the reader off track and can confuse them but the author always explains and makes sense out of what has happened, this is another feature that keeps the reader interested. The main detective always is a step ahead of everyone else, this is to show that they are clever and read into the