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Detective Stories Quotes: Mystery Writing and Craft

Mystery, Writing, Craft

Several detective stories quotes treat the genre as pure entertainment, with one author calling it light literature rather than Best-Seller propaganda or classical writing.

Writing detective stories is about writing light literature, for entertainment. It isn't primarily a question of writing propaganda or classical literature.

Quotes by Stieg Larsson

My first two novels were quirky detective stories followed by a couple of SF/Fantasy novels.

Quotes by Paul G. Tremblay

The thing I don't like about detective stories is looking for criminals.

Quotes by Natsuo Kirino

I didn't know I was doing film noir, I thought they were detective stories with low lighting!

Quotes by Marie Windsor

About Quotes

I think it's important to recognise that 'The Da Vinci Code' opened up a vast new audience for a general readership interested in historical detective stories and research into history.

Quotes by Elizabeth Kostova

If you look at the best-seller list for American fiction, they're all sequels to detective stories or stories about hunting serial killers. That's what's called American fiction these days.

Quotes by Albert Brooks

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Frequently Asked Questions

What part of writing detective stories does one author dislike most?
One author says the thing they dislike about detective stories is the actual process of looking for criminals within the plot, suggesting the mystery-solving mechanics can feel more like a chore than the fun part of writing.
Do the quotes treat detective stories as serious literature?
Not really. One author is explicit that writing detective fiction is about light literature meant for entertainment, not propaganda or Best-Seller-style classical writing.
Is there a quote about accidentally writing in the film noir style?
Yes, one author admits they didn't realize they were writing film noir at all. They simply thought of their work as detective stories with low lighting, discovering the genre label only afterward.
What did one author write before moving into detective fiction?
One quote mentions the author's first two novels were quirky Detective stories, followed later by a couple of science fiction and fantasy novels, showing a genre shift over their career.
Do these quotes suggest detective fiction is looked down on by its own writers?
Somewhat. Several authors describe the genre modestly, framing it as entertainment rather than high art, though none suggest they dislike writing it, just that they see it clearly for what it is.

Others describe the genre almost by accident, like a writer who didn't realize their Detective fiction had drifted into film noir until someone pointed out the low lighting.