The Hometown Disappearance
A detective specializing in unsolved cases returns to his small hometown to solve the only case that eluded him: the disappearance of his high school best friend twenty years ago. Each clue he uncovers dredges up old secrets the town buried long ago and some of his own.
Suggested length: A short story: 1,500 to 5,000 words, or flash fiction under 1,000
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Plant the key clue in the first scene, in plain sight.
- Limit it to one location and one night.
- Let the most helpful witness be the one with the most to hide.
Writing mystery books
Who did it? You get every clue and a fair shot at the answer.
A mystery opens with a puzzle, usually a death, and closes with the solution. In between, a detective (professional or not) gathers clues and suspects while the reader tries to get there first. A mystery looks backward, at a crime that has already happened.
What readers expect
- A crime or puzzle early on
- Clues, suspects and red herrings
- A detective the reader follows
- A solution that is surprising but fair
A tip before you start
Play fair. Every clue your detective uses should appear on the page first, ideally hidden in plain sight.
More Detective prompts
- The Taxi's Unknown DestinationIn a bustling city, taxi drivers begin to disappear one by one, each after dropping off a mysterious passenger. Despite the lack of communication…
- The Investigator's Missing TwinDuring a high-profile charity gala, a celebrated private investigator is startled by a familiar face — her long-lost twin, presumed dead after…
- The Riddle of the Missing ArtifactA renowned detective receives an anonymous letter containing a riddle that leads to the first of several historical landmarks. At each location, a new…
- The Secret in the Stolen PaintingImagine a detective who specializes in art theft. Their latest case involves a stolen painting rumored to hold the key to an age-old secret society.…
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