(Originally titled: "The Technique of the Mystery Story")Do you love mystery stories, such as the Sherlock Holmes stories and those of Edgar Allan Poe and Agatha Christie?Do you ever yearn to be a good writer of mysteries?Carolyn Wells was a prolific author of mystery novels. In this detailed book, she teaches the history, types, principles, devices, plots, and structures of mystery writings. This is virtually a miniature course in creative writing of the mystery story.Originally published in 1913, this was the first full-length book in English about mystery and detective fiction. Still valuable as an instruction manual after over a century, Well's wisdom and critical acumen brought to this volume has enabled millions of mystery writers world-wide to discover and dissect what makes a successful mystery story.