Still More Genres and Tropes: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Previously: Coming-of-Age, Fantasy, Romance, Horror, Paranormal, Science Fiction

A “trope,” not to be confused with nor transformed into a cliché, is an element a reader expects as a characteristic of a genre (such as magical creatures or talismans in a fantasy story).  A cliché, on the other hand, occurs when you take a trope too far (rich-boy-loves-poor-girl romance, for example). The material difference between the two is what fresh, new characters, settings, or magical canon you bring to a familiar element.
No, you don’t have to use every trope listed here in your stories.  This is for reference and guidance only.  And the “possible conflicts” are just suggestions as well.

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller:

It may seem a little unfair to lump all three of these together, but the tropes are similar and the necessity for vivdly-portrayed settings, interesting, complex characters and tight plotting and pacing are universal.

Possible tropes: Lonely detective/ police officer/ private investigator who is usually three steps ahead of others in his or her profession, often has to fight the establishment to bring about justice.
--The brilliant genius crimesolver may have a drug problem, an alcohol problem, or both.  Or, in these more politically-correct times, he or she may be a recovering addict.  These heroes are more interesting if they are somehow flawed and conflicted, their genius being almost a curse, so self-medication, OCD, bipolar disorder, etc., are ways to humanize them. Sherlock Holmes was a near-sociopath with a drug problem. Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time featured a teen with Asperger’s syndrome who, incidentally, idolized Sherlock Holmes. Do your research if you’re going to give your characters learning disabilities, behavior disorders, neuroses.
--Some writers give their flawed, brilliant protagonist a supportive significant other.  Dr. Watson’s wife Mary would be an example. Whether Sherlock is capable of deep and abiding love for anyone has been debated for over a century. The morally-ambiguous and brilliant Irene Adler, rather than being a love interest in any traditional sense, is more of a foil for Sherlock, one who meets him on equal ground and challenges him.
Mystery-suspense-thriller writers who cannot write strong female characters usually opt to have a male protag and just give him a generic girl (or several of them) to scratch the occasional itch. This could be a mark of a lazy writer, or it could be used by a skilled one to create a protagonist who is relationship or intimacy-challenged.
--Your protagonist could be a novelist who writes mysteries and is good at solving real-life ones or a journalist who works the crime/police beat and is often one step ahead of the cops in putting puzzles together.
--Settings are usually cites as they offer a wider variety of locales and characters, places to meet and places to hide. You have many cities to choose from and each has its own personality and character.  A port city is going to have a different “vibe” than one in the Midwest, a city in Western Europe will feel different from an Asian city. Do your research! Dan Brown places Versailles north of Paris in The Da Vinci Code. A writer who cannot read a map is going to have credibility issues.
Notable exception to the “gritty city” setting:  Tony Hillerman’s series of mysteries featuring Di-neh (Navajo) characters, the two main protagonists being members of the nation’s tribal police. Native folklore and history, with a touch of the supernatural, figure in the stories, most of the action taking place in the wide-open spaces of the American southwest.
. --Protagonist has to sometimes go outside the law to solve the mystery and bring the “bad guys” to justice.
--Suspense is a necessary element, so tension and pacing are crucial in a mystery.
--Protagonist will sometimes have a “score” to settle--with a crime boss or even with the department or agency she currently or formerly worked for.
Because there isn’t a wide range of tropes in this genre, you need to create interesting characters.
Make sure you’re thorough in your research on your settings and procedures. Mystery fans who’ve read the good stuff know procedure--police, medical, legal--and will call BS on anything that doesn’t ring true.
Disclaimer:  The brevity of this post would seem to reflect that there isn’t much to challenge writers in this genre, but sloppy plotting, jerky pacing, and poor research will sink your story quicker than a pair of cement shoes.
Most common conflicts:  person v. self, person, society--often all three