From revelations to red herrings - what makes a good clue in a crime novel?!

A good clue might seem minor or unrelated at first, but later, when the twist is revealed, it becomes obviously significant.

Example: A dog that didn’t bark during a break-in later reveals the intruder was someone known to it.

The best clues aren’t hidden, they’re right there,  buried among distractions or filtered through character assumptions.

Technique: Use red herrings or multiple interpretations to mask the true meaning.

The clue should emerge naturally from character behaviour or choices and not be dropped in arbitrarily.

Example: A suspect unconsciously straightening a crooked picture frame may link them to a ransacked room later.

Make clues reflect the larger emotional truth or moral question of the story.

Example: A discarded child’s toy at the crime scene isn’t just a clue, it hints at the victim’s broken home life.

No clue should exist in isolation. It should tie into at least one other clue, forming a web that readers can eventually untangle.

What Feels Like Cheating in a Plot Twist?

If the detective knows something but the reader doesn’t, it’s not a twist, it’s a gotcha. You must show everything the reader needs to solve it (even if it’s difficult to find - this is part of the pleasure for the reader).

Sudden, Unestablished Revelations

Don’t introduce a surprise killer or motive in the last chapter with no buildup. That undercuts suspense and feels unfair.

Implausible Behaviour for Shock Value

If a character acts wildly out of line with their personality just to fuel a twist, it weakens believability.

Overuse of Coincidence

Coincidence can start a story, but it shouldn’t resolve a mystery.

Techniques for Building Twists that 'play fair'

The 'Double Meaning'  Method

Let a clue suggest one thing now and something else entirely later.

Tip: Let the characters misinterpret the clue, allowing readers to follow suit.

Foreshadowing with Restraint

Hint at the twist emotionally or visually, rather than with exposition.

Example: A mirror image, a repeated phrase, or a minor symbolic gesture.

Time Bomb Clue

Plant a clue that the reader doesn’t recognise as important until suddenly it “explodes” into relevance.

Use an Unreliable Point of View

Not to lie to the reader but to reflect how perception and memory distort truth.

The clue should emerge naturally from character behaviour or choices and not be dropped in arbitrarily.

Example: A suspect unconsciously straightening a crooked picture frame may link them to a ransacked room later.

Make clues reflect the larger emotional truth or moral question of the story.

Example: A discarded child’s toy at the crime scene isn’t just a clue, it hints at the victim’s broken home life.

No clue should exist in isolation. It should tie into at least one other clue, forming a web that readers can eventually untangle.

Classic Examples of Fair Twists with Good Clues:

Agatha Christie — The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: The narrator’s omissions become meaningful.

• Tana French — In the Woods: Clues in the narrator’s own trauma and evasions.

• Gillian Flynn — Gone Girl: Diary entries provide clues that are both emotional and deceptive.

• Raymond Chandler — The Big Sleep: Clues are often in what’s not said.

 Practical Writing Exercise

Write a scene where:

A character sees something out of place (for example a muddy footprint in a room).

• Make it seem innocuous at first, or tie it to a misleading explanation.

• Much later, reveal the significance but let the reader go back and say, 'Ah, it was right there!'




Hope this helps. See you soon! Bfn, still on the Suffolk writer trail...!!!