I would like to know what readers want from a good mystery

[Imogen]

I love twists and not knowing what's going to happen next. Gillian Flynn's novels are a great example of this. She's always throwing surprises at the reader!
I also like a good ending, with at least some resolution. While resolution can not happen with every crime novel, I much prefer one with a nice ending normally with the bad guy getting caught!

[gazon]

What do I look for when I read a mystery (mystery series)?

First of all, I look for characters that speak to me. Characters that are three-dimensional, and that grow (or develop change) over the life of the book or series. It is important to care about what will happen to them, or what their course of action will be. Give them a backstory! I want to want to know them. And not just the protagonist. Your antagonist must be compelling as well. (Isn't Hannibal Lecter as interesting as Clarice Starling?!?)

I look for a well plotted story. I want some clues, but I want to be kept guessing until the very end. Even if I think that I have things figured out, I want to not be completely sure...

I love a twist at the end. And even another twist coming out of left field. Gotta be cleverly done, though!

I read all types of mysteries, from cozies, to police procedurals, to paranormals. My very favourites, though, have all the above as common denominators.

[jcheiser]

I like to not be able to figure everything out way before the end if the book. I hate knowing what's going to happen before it happens. I really like being given all the right clues, but in a subtle manner, so I have to be very attentive to out all the pieces together. I do not, however, like being given obvious clues. Keep me guessing, and I'll keep reading!

[Rose2read]

I like intrigue and plots and characters that develop and unfold as you learn more depth about them. I like twists and turns that aren't unnatural or sudden but build and build and might take take you by surprise but doesn't make you say that's an unreal event. I like reading characters thoughts to help understand the concepts going through their heads but it is not always necessary when the story and the events are unfolding to such an extent that you are learning about them just as much as the character is and it makes you feel involved in the story and fully participating. And above all I like a great ending not one that suddenly resolves the situation and has loose ends unless it it a series but ends unexpectedly and leaves you blown away to such an extent that you just have to talk about it to others.

High expectations maybe, but I have read a lot books and have read authors have done all that within their books and was literally blown away and bought all their books despite the price.

[pgomez89]

I love a good thrill, but more importantly a twist that is well hidden. something that when you go back and reread the entire series or book you realize was there all along. sends chills down the spine when its something so simple yet you never would have pieced it together..

[LDGZombie]

I love to the kind of Clue mysteries. There's multiple suspects and different clues lead to different people so you're constantly torn between who it could be! And then there's the grand finale where everything is explained of who, what, and how. It's a fun read for me that way.

[Dee_V_B83]

I like my mysteries like I like an M. Night Shyamalan movie. One big epic plot twist at the end. I love trying to figure out "whodunnit" while reading and discovering I am right, but I love being surprised even more. If you can pull this off whilst making a plausible ending, then you are, imo, a great writer

[Kellie2014]

Mysteries are best when the plot isn't so obvious. I'm a person who enjoys being challenged when reading a mystery. So it's important to have a great plot, intriguing characters, and a mystery which is unique.

[claire mckay]

I like a story that I genuinely don't know where it's heading and get surprised in a mental and emotional way but without twists that are too over contrived and clever and don't really fit in with the rest of the story.

[ALRyder]

Most of the stuff has already been said, so I'm going to try to get more specific and not repeat too much.

I like it when everything a protagonist experiences has a reason; even if that reason isn't obvious right away. For example:

a detective is interviewing a victim's family member who offers him coffee. The family member says something like, "sorry we don't have sugar. I'm diabetic and we try not to keep it in the house." Later, when this family member is being framed the detective figures it out because the nails that dug into the victim's neck had chocolate under them. Why would a person so paranoid of sugar have chocolate under their nails?...

Maybe not so lame, but hopefully you get the idea of what I'm saying.

I also like memorable characters; even if they're just side characters. I don't like having to read back to figure out if someone had been mentioned before. That goes for all books though.

My final thing has to do more with the author. Don't let all of your books follow the same exact formula. It gets boring.

[lbuckman]

I always like to be drawn into the mystery immediately. Lots of action, lots of interesting characters, clues along the way (that aren't obvious), twists and unexpected scenarios. I like to be surprised at the end and realize that if I had paid more attention and thought thru the clues differently, that I possibly could have figured it out!

[Hibiscus85]

In a mystery I love a turn of events that totally throws you and wasn't even considered beforehand, it keeps you on the edge of your seat because you have to know what happens next and how it will all resolve..

[Bfrisco]

I love twists and turns as well as a decent amount of action. Similar to any other novel, I also like to see realistic and fun relationships (not romantic, necessarily) between characters.

[NicolleRoberts]

Personally I like a good twist to the tale, lots of charachters so its not imemdiately obvious as to "whodunnit" and some background life to these charachters, and I like a lot of the technical stuff a'la Patricia Cornwell.

[Hawkcat]

Occasionally you find a book where everything you believed and assumed turns out to be wrong and suddenly something happens toward the end and everything appears in a new light and it all makes sense! I like it when this happens. Especially if you don't see it coming..........