A 2012 study found mystery readers scored higher in empathy and analytical thinking, suggesting long-term cognitive benefits.
The news that the BBC has reincarnated Agatha Christie as a writing instructor has been sitting in my “WTF?” box on my cyber-desk for a few weeks now while I juggled mixed feeling about what this means for the publishing industry.
And in the adjacent box, labelled “Op-Eds I May or May Not Ever Get Around to Writing”, was a half-baked essay about why readers/viewers find crime (fiction and “true”) entertaining.
Back in nineteen-bow-and-arrow I wrote crime thriller that got agents excited but publishers passed on it. It sat on a floppy-disk (anyone remember those?) for an eternity until the Kindle UK store came along, and the repeatedly rejected book somehow sold more than a million copies online.
As an aside, Agatha Christie’s first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was rejected by six publishers, so my novel is in good company, although I have a way to go to match her two billion sales.
I mention my novel here because one of the final lines in the book is a 14 year old boy explaining his epiphany from “true crime” obsessive to insecure child. “True crime is when it happens to someone else. Real crime is when it happens to you.“
But what about fictional crime? Why is it that murder mysteries and crime thrillers are up there with romance as the hottest genres in books?
Murder mysteries and crime thrillers are also huge in TV, while romance is not? What’s that all about?
I make no pretence to understanding the romance market, so will steer clear of that debate, but as a thriller writer and editor of mysteries, the AI Agatha story got me thinking about the genre, boosted by a recent e-conversation with mystery author Anne R. Allen about why Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series is so popular.
That in turn got a mind-revival when Anne appeared on the Sleuthsayers blog talking about murder mystery’s appeal. In comments on her own blog, Anne said, perhaps tongue in cheek, “Mysteries stimulate many parts of the brain. So they make us smarter!“
In another overflowing box on my cyberdesk is the “Books I’ll Probably Never Get Around To Writing But Just In Case, Here’s The Premise” stash of three-quarter-baked ideas for books that simply demand (by me, admittedly) to be written. And tucked away in said box is a work on cognition and reading, a subject close to my heart as a teacher, but also important as a writer.
All of which coalesced into this essay as an exercise in cathartic release, if nothing else, but maybe you’ll enjoy the catharsis too.
At which point let me switch from conversational to debate mode and try keep the “op” at a distance in the rest of this “ed” (fat chance!), starting with the AI-Agatha problem.
AI-Resurrected Agatha Christie: Innovation or Ethical Quandary?
The Agatha Christie estate, in collaboration with BBC Maestro, has launched a groundbreaking AI-generated writing course featuring a digital “resurrection” of the late author. Using archival materials, an actress (Vivien Keene), and AI enhancements, the course presents Christie as a virtual instructor teaching crime-writing techniques derived from her letters, interviews, and novels. While marketed as a “profoundly moving” tribute, the project has, unsurprisingly, ignited fierce debate, and not just from the Luddite Fringe.
Public and Industry Reactions
Critics lambast the initiative as “exploitative” and “ghoulish,” arguing it sets a dangerous precedent for posthumous AI use without an author’s direct consent.
TNPS says: Given these initiatives are being done hand in hand with the author’s estate management, this argument doesn’t carry much weight. In any case the author loses all control once copyright expires, even if they have previously made clear their wishes about their IP’s future. (In this case, all Christie’s works are in copyright.)
Some writers fear competition from AI-resurrected authors, exacerbating concerns about declining incomes in the creative sector.
TNPS says: Author incomes have been declining since long before AI became a thing. Nowadays AI is becoming the go-to scapegoat for all publishing ills, almost none of which are, as yet, directly attributable to AI. In any case, the reality is that millions of dollars (the Authors Guild cites the figure $250 million) in AI-licensing deals have already passed hands, and much more is potentially on the table.
The uncanny valley effect of Christie’s AI likeness – described as “rubbery” and unsettling – further fueled backlash.
TNPS says: They’ve got a point, but it seems Christie’s family were happy, so who are we to judge? See next:
Supporters, including Christie’s great-grandson James Prichard, emphasise ethical safeguards: the script uses only her authenticated words, curated by scholars, and the estate retained oversight. Publishers like BBC Maestro frame it as a bridge between legacy and innovation, leveraging AI to democratise access to literary expertise.
AI’s Murky Role in Publishing
The Christie estate’s endorsement signals cautious industry acceptance of AI as a tool – not (yet) a creator – when paired with human oversight. Yet ethical dilemmas persist:
- Consent: Christie, famously private, never agreed to digital resurrection, raising questions about legacy control.
- Precedent: Could this enable corporations to monetise deceased authors’ personas broadly, as hinted by potential revivals of Tolkien or Austen? (Tolkein of course still under copyright, while Austen is fair game in legal terms.)
- Legal Gaps: Current copyright laws lack clear guidelines for AI-generated content, leaving estates and creators vulnerable.
Lessons for Modern Authors
Despite these debates, Christie’s methods remain relevant:
- Plot Precision: Her meticulous clue placement and misdirection offer timeless lessons in suspense.
- Character Archetypes: Detectives like Poirot and Marple demonstrate how quirks and relatability transcend eras.
- Pacing: Christie’s “less is more” approach to violence – focusing on intellectual puzzles over graphic detail – resonates in today’s “cozy mystery” trend.
For writers tackling modern settings, her emphasis on structure and psychological tension provides a scaffold, even as themes evolve (e.g., integrating technology or social media-driven motives).
The 4:50 From St Pancras International
There’s also the intriguing consideration of retro-style writing. Way back when I was an editor and writing tutor, the standard advice was to read widely, and certainly read the classics, but don’t try and write like them. They are of their time.
Yet many authors are making a mint from imitation Jane Austen style writing, and the market is flooded with “new” Sherlock Holmes stories written in the style of Conan Doyle.
Maybe there’s a whole new field of fun to be had writing in Christie’s style in modern-day settings. The 4:50 From St Pancras International, anyone?
Here’s the thing: The Christie project epitomises AI’s dual potential: a tool for preservation and education, yet a Pandora’s box of ethical risks. As publishing navigates this terrain, transparency, estate agency, and respect for authorial intent must anchor innovation – lest the industry solve one mystery only to create another.
But where did this obsession with Christie come from? Did she really create the cozy mystery genre? Here I draw heavily on my time back in the UK tutoring English literature students and yet another not quite written book about the evolution of the novel.
The catalyst was Frankenstein, and the book I nearly wrote was about how Shelley’s novel was written amid the 1816 summer of darkness (Mt. Tambora volcanic eruption in 1815) and deeply inspired by the science of the day (the Galvani frogs’ legs experiment in 1791, Volta’s battery in 1800, etc).
None of which is directly relevant to this essay, so back to topic:
The Origins of the Genre and Early Female Sleuths
The murder mystery genre, with its roots in 19th-century detective fiction, emerged alongside societal shifts in gender roles and intellectual curiosity. While Edgar Allan Poe’s Auguste Dupin (1841) and Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes (1887) dominated early detective fiction, female sleuths began carving their niche in the late 1800s. These pioneers laid the groundwork for characters like Miss Marple, challenging norms and reshaping the genre.
Predecessors to Miss Marple
- Miss Gladden (1863): Featured in Andrew Forrester Jr.’s The Female Detective, she is often cited as the first professional female detective in literature. Her pragmatic approach to solving crimes through observation and deduction set a template for future characters.
- Hilda Adams (1914): Created by Mary Roberts Rinehart, Adams (nicknamed “Miss Pinkerton”) was a nurse-detective whose medical knowledge and undercover work in hospitals prefigured the “amateur sleuth” archetype.
- Lady Molly of Scotland Yard (1910): Baroness Orczy’s aristocratic detective solved cases using intuition and social access, blending femininity with authority – a dynamic Christie later subverted with Miss Marple’s unassuming village persona.
NB I’m sure there are more, but these sprung to mind as I began writing this post, and I must confess I’ll now be ferreting out ebook versions this coming week – especially Emma Orczy’s Lady Molly, which I first came across as a kid and was my first introduction to the idea of a female detective.
I didn’t realise back then, as I transitioned from children’s to adult literature, how much these early characters navigated societal constraints, often balancing “feminine” traits like empathy with intellectual rigor. Yet they faced criticism from contemporaries like Howard Haycraft, who argued women were “unsatisfactory principal detectives”. Christie’s Miss Marple, of course, would later defy such biases, proving that quiet observation and humility could rival Holmesian egotistic bravado.
Agatha Christie’s Inspirations and the Birth of Miss Marple
Christie’s creation of Miss Marple in 1927 was both a personal and literary revolution. Drawing from her life and cultural milieu, she crafted a character who redefined the detective genre.
Key Influences
Family and Environment:
Christie’s step-grandmother, Margaret Miller, inspired Miss Marple’s sharp-eyed curiosity and skepticism. Miller’s village cronies, with their gossipy yet astute observations of human nature, became the blueprint for St. Mary Mead’s residents.
Financial insecurity in Christie’s childhood, exacerbated by her father’s death, instilled a fascination with money as a motive for crime – a theme recurring in Marple’s cases
Literary Rivalries:
A bet with her sister Madge, who doubted Christie could write a detective story, spurred her to create The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). This competitive spirit later fueled her rivalry with Sherlock Holmes, leading her to later position Miss Marple as a gentler but equally incisive counterpoint to Poirot.
World War I and Pharmacology:
Christie’s work as a wartime nurse and dispensary assistant exposed her to poisons, which feature in 83 of her plots. Her nightmares about pharmaceutical errors translated into meticulously plotted poisonings, a hallmark of her mysteries.
Miss Marple’s Evolution
Initially introduced as a gossiping spinster in The Murder at the Vicarage (1930), Marple gradually softened into a kinder, yet no less perceptive, figure.
Christie’s own aging and observations of village life refined the character, blending gentle humor with psychological acuity, but worth keeping in mind that Christie began writing Marple as a character much older than the author. More usually we see authors write about characters younger than themselves, perhaps projecting qualities they wished they had had when they were that age.
By Nemesis (1971), Marple’s role as a moral arbiter – rooted in Anglican values – cemented her as a symbol of justice in a chaotic world. Sadly, Christie would pass away just a few years later, in 1976.
Whisper Over A Cup Of Tea
But the bottom line is, Miss Marple, a genteel spinster in a tweed skirt, revolutionised detective fiction by proving that intellect need not shout – it can whisper over a cup of tea. Christie’s genius lay in recognising that the human brain craves both mystery and order, a duality female sleuths embody with unique nuance. As neuroscience and literature converge, Marple’s legacy endures: a reminder that the quietest voices often solve the loudest crimes.
Which brings us the third element of this essay: the aforesaid neuroscience, a topic I’m endlessly fascinated by and that drives my teaching as much as my writing. And that can answer – or at least guide us towards answers – to the big question: why are cozy mysteries so popular? And why does the heinous crime of murder inevitably feature?
Order in Chaos
Murder mysteries – whether in Agatha Christie novels or Midsomer Murders episodes, per the example given in Anne R Allen’s post – tap into a primal human desire: the restoration of order. In an unpredictable world, these stories offer a controlled environment where chaos (murder) is neatly resolved by logic (the sleuth). Key cultural drivers include:
- Moral Catharsis: The genre reaffirms societal values – justice prevails, secrets unravel, and wrongdoers face consequences. For “everyday family folk,” this provides emotional reassurance. (I’d add here Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books are also about justice and wrongdoers facing consequences, but vigilante justice is another topic for another day.)
- Puzzle-Solving as Play: Humans are hardwired to solve problems. Mysteries turn violence into an intellectual game, distancing audiences from the horror of murder while engaging their deductive skills. And of course that is exactly what the board game Cluedo (Clue in the US) does.
- Relatable Heroes: Amateur sleuths like Miss Marple or TV’s Jessica Fletcher mirror the viewer’s perspective – ordinary people navigating extraordinary situations. This democratises heroism.
- Relatable Professionals: Where the sleuths are professionals – be it Sherlock or Midsomer’s DCI Barnaby – it is their human foibles that shine through and keep us captivated beyond the problem-solving.
The Neuroscience of “Sleuthing”
But does reading or watching mysteries really make us smarter? Sure, working out whodunnit before the formal revelation is always satisfying – especially on a second reading or viewing! – but actually there’s a lot of science behind all this.
Here’s how cozy mysteries stimulate the brain, with a stress on cozy mysteries. Action thrillers have some factors in common but also have other stimulation impacts beyond the scope of this essay (but stay tuned for that book if I ever live long enough to write it!).
- Pattern Recognition: Mysteries activate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, responsible for logical reasoning. As audiences piece together clues, they exercise working memory and hypothesis testing – skills linked to fluid intelligence.
- Dopamine-Driven Engagement: The “aha!” moment of solving a mystery triggers a dopamine release, akin to completing a crossword puzzle. Except a crossword puzzle is not complete until you fill in that last box. With a cozy mystery the buzz can come from pinpointing the bad guy (or gal) early in the text, if you’re good enough to make the connections, or if the author has been lax enough to make the clues stand out. This reward cycle fosters addictive engagement. (Full disclosure: I’ve read all of Anne R Allen’s Camilla Randall cozy mysteries, and even had the privilege of editing some of them, and have never made a correct call, yet of course on a re-reading every clue is there.)
- Stress Lite: Unlike horror, mysteries induce mild tension (e.g., “Who did it?”) without graphic violence. This low-stakes stress activates the brain’s seeking system, creating curiosity without overwhelming fear.
And here’s food for thought (and an excuse for reading and watching more in this genre!): A 2012 study in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts found mystery readers scored higher in empathy and analytical thinking, suggesting long-term cognitive benefits.
The Family-Friendly Paradox: Murder In the Living Room
Murder mysteries thrive as “safe” entertainment for broad audiences because:
- Violence is Abstracted: The crime is often off-page/screen, focusing on aftermath over gore. This aligns with cultural norms that shun explicit brutality but accept crime as narrative fuel.
- Procedural Fascination: Police methods (DNA, forensics) or amateur sleuthing (library research, eavesdropping) mirror real-world problem-solving, making the genre both educational and aspirational.
- Social Bonding: Shared speculation (“Was it the butler?”) fosters communal engagement, whether in book clubs or family living rooms.
The Brain’s Detective Agency
Murder mysteries endure because they satisfy a dual craving: cognitive stimulation and emotional safety. They transform morbid curiosity into a socially acceptable – even virtuous – pursuit, blending the thrill of danger with the comfort of resolution. While they may not turn readers into geniuses, they certainly keep our neural detectives sharp.
This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsletter.
