Why Amateur Sleuths Are So Popular in Books

We all love to read those mystery books where it's an amateur sleuth who solves the crime. But, why is that such a popular sub-genre of mysteries? What is it that makes them so fascinating for us to read?

Amateur sleuths have many values to offer us as readers of mystery books. Whether they are bumbling characters who seem to stumble their way through to the solution or they are talented, smart and charming investigators, we still love them. For some, it's the process of outwitting the police. That can be fun when we see the talent of our amateur sleuth going way beyond what the police can do. Agatha Christie's Hecule Poirot is probably the most famous at outwitting the police.

For some of us, it's the idea that even an untrained, ordinary person can be smart enough to solve the murder and discover whodunit. It's as though even someone just like us can be a successful sleuth. After all, wouldn't we love to be in their shoes and figure out the clues? There is something intriguing in that idea.

Many times, it is simply the way the amateur sleuths must poke their nose into the crime and what is going on. They often get admonished by the police detective investigating it. There is humor in that. Our amateur sleuth stepping on the toes of the police and we know they are going to be found out and get in trouble. It's like waiting for that second shoe to drop. That makes them fun to read.

Of course, interwoven through our amateur sleuth story is a good mystery. And reading a good mystery is what it's all about.