The art of writing the perfect ‘whodunnit’

Ever wanted to write a crime novel? As Britain’s annual crime writing festival opens, we uncover some top leads 

Inspired by this month’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, we asked Arts Society Lecturer Richard Burnip to spill the ink on the art and history of penning the perfect crime novel.

From winning formulas to eccentric protagonists, Richard lifts the lid on the cunning approaches this beloved literary medium needs in order to fly. To discover what he had to say, see our summer issue of The Arts Society Magazine for the full feature.

To add to Richard’s fascinating article, three leading crime novelists – Abir Mukherjee, Jane Casey and Orlando Murrin – have also revealed their top leads for budding crime writers.

This is what they had to say…

Stuart Simpson

Writing tips from Abir Mukherjee

Abir is The Sunday Times bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham and Banerjee crime novels

Read a lot.

The crime genre is huge, covering everything from golden age mystery fiction to psychological thrillers and cutting-edge stuff involving AI detectives. Read as widely as you can. You’ll be amazed what you can learn about plot and structure.

Write a lot. Experiment with different styles, points of view and story lengths. It’s all great experience.

Find what works for you. Be yourself. Write your story. Don’t just jump on the latest fad, write from the heart. That way your novel will have an energy that no one else can bring to it.

Top clues from Jane Casey

Jane is the internationally bestselling creator of 11 crime novels, with her Maeve Kerrigan series winning multiple awards

Crime readers are highly sophisticated and intelligent, so don’t be afraid to experiment with the genre – you don’t have to stick to a familiar formula to tell your story.

However, there’s one rule you mustn’t break and one rule I wouldn’t break.

The first: come up with a proper ending. Justice may or may not be done, but if you fade out without answering the fundamental question posed by the plot, it will count as a failure and you’ll disappoint readers.

My second: don’t kill off any animal characters. You’ll never be forgiven.

Matt Austin

Leads from Orlando Murrin 

Orlando is president of the Guild of Food Writers and presents the BBC Good Food podcast with Tom Kerridge. His first crime novel, Knife Skills For Beginners, set in a cookery school, is out now

Murder and mystery run in the family – my grandfather was a detective, later a spy-catcher, and as kids we were regaled with stories of cunning crimes and felons outwitted.

I always dreamed of writing a crime novel; when I hit 60 it was now or never. Writing a first novel is a supreme act of faith: months of work, which may never get published. As a food writer I’m used to writing in short bursts, but this required persistence, stamina and humility.

Budding crime novelists need to read voraciously and learn the craft via online and in-person courses. And keep the faith – you’ll get there in the end.

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is on 18-21 July, Harrogate, Yorkshire; harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Read Richard Burnip’s full feature in the summer issue of The Arts Society Magazine. The magazine is available exclusively to members and supporters of The Arts Society (to join see theartssociety.org/member-benefits)