Small Town Secrets, Big Mystery Fun

Grace Bowen's Cozy Mystery Inner Circle Newsletter

January 15th 2026 Inner Circle News

5 Facts About Whodunits

A whodunit is a novel, movie, or play about a murder that does not tell you who the murderer is until the end.

1.The term “whodunit” was coined around 1930 during the peak of the genre’s popularity, known as the “Golden Age” of detective fiction (1920s–1940s).

2.Whodunits are designed as a game for the reader. Authors provide clues throughout the story, challenging readers to solve the crime alongside, or even before, the detective.

3.“Red herrings” are false clues deliberately placed to mislead the reader. However, they should be logical conclusions based on incomplete information, not arbitrary distractions.

4.Detective fiction dates back to the mid-1800s. Edgar Allan Poe wrote The Murders in the Rue Morgue in 1841, and in 1868, Wilkie Collins wrote the first detective novel, The Moonstone.

5.A whodunit is characterized by a closed set of suspects, each with plausible motives and opportunities. These stories are structured around gathering and analyzing clues, misleading the reader with red herrings, and ultimately revealing the murderer or thief in a surprising twist.

Your next whodunit, Airwaves & Alibis is coming soon! I mean really soon 😊

In the quiet northern town of Blueberry Falls, Sydney Jones finds herself once again thrust into a murder investigation after discovering the body of Annie Hardwick at Hunter’s Bay Radio, leading her to enroll in a private investigator course and accept a commission from the station’s board to find the truth. In the second book of the Sydney Jones Cozy Mystery Series, Airwaves and Alibis, Sydney navigates professional tension and a burgeoning romance, uncovers evidence of financial embezzlement involving a phantom account, and is aided by a stray dog.

If you liked the fast pace of Perilous Pins, you will love the newest whodunit in the series. Stay tuned for more info………..

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​Amazon Review Link for Perilous Pins​

Thanks so much 😊

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Perilous Pins Universal eBook Link

Paperback copies of Perilous Pins are available on Amazon, Lobo, Barns & Noble, Smashwords (and other online retailers) or you can find locally at Riverbowl in Burk’s Falls, and Smokin’ Hot BBQ in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada

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