How Mysteries Have Lied to Me

I love me some mysteries. It’s actually one of the only genres that will make me read adult books because I can’t wait to dive into more mysteries that I can play detective and pretending solving the mystery is my biggest win in my life.

However, mysteries – YA and adult – despite being under some realistic fiction line of books aren’t always the most realistic. In fact, they have given me a lot of unrealistic expectations just like those YA contemporaries that I’ve had struggles with. Shall we go over some of the ways that they have clearly lied to me.

Myth #1: I will have prime opportunity to become a detective

I don’t know about you, but I don’t find that many opportunities to become a detective myself? Murders just don’t pop up willy nilly, and my town isn’t small enough that I feel an investment to rush off and become the next Sherlock if something happened. I actually did know someone that was murdered, but they had already caught the culprit when I found out about it. I never felt the need to become the next YA mystery heroine. I mean, the sheer amount of mysteries that are out there in the book world make me think murders are happening every two second, but I mean, other than what you see in the news, I’ve only have known the one. So, I guess, I just live my life now expecting things to just pop right on out like a Jack in the Box for me to solve.

Myth #2: The police = never right/super sketch/somehow miss super obvious clues

Almost every single mystery starts because the police are not doing their job. They are not proper policing and doing police things. They might not even realize that a person has actually even been murdered???? Our delightful MCs always know when a person has been murdered, and they take it upon themselves to solve it because the police either know nothing (Jon Snowing us all) or are corrupt enough to not do anything about it. It’s full on Those Meddling Kids here.

Okay, I believe the police mostly? Like, obviously, watching Netflix originals has me completely questioning everything, but I really do trust the police for the most part to solve a murder. I feel like they should have it. It wouldn’t be my first inclination to be like, I’MMA BE DETECTIVE BECAUSE MY KNOWLEDGE OF CRIMINAL MINDS HAS PREPARED ME FOR THIS DESPITE NOT HAVING SCHOOLING LIKE PROPER DETECTIVES.

Also, do police actually NOT believe anything? Like, I was once interviewed by the police for an accident and then once for a robbery, and they believed me twice??? Like, I felt like I had called them up and told them I remembered something about the robbery crime they wouldn’t have been like, LIES. I SHALL NOT LISTEN TO YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE YOUNG TEEN.

Myth #3: I will totally find a love interest

All great YA mysteries? Usually involve my favorite subset of romance: YA mysteries romance. Idk, but I just love a little side dish of romance with the intense mystery who killed who. It gives me so many feels. But seriously. There is a great love interest that will pop up and usually help solve a mystery. Love interest possibilities could be: the suspected killer, your best friend that offers to help you out but brings you some bowl of feels instead, a relative of the killer/suspected killer/victim, someone that is in the same boat of you (think One of Us is Lying where they’re all accused of murder but find some feels instead), detective or journalist’s relative or them themselves if we’re feeling really spicy here. So, um, I totally want to go on a mystery hunting time, since it’s bound to get me into some cute action!

Myth #4: The killer/culprit will most likely be someone close to me

Like, IDK about you, but I feel like I know my friends/family pretty good??? Like, I have a pretty good feeling that I would know if one of them were a killer. Besides having reading a ton of mysteries and binge watching Law & Order SVU since I was, like, 13, I feel like I got this. I could totally pick up if one of my friends or family members were a killer or sketchy enough to be one. However, a ton of mysteries pull out the plot twists that have the killer/end culprit as the killer and the MC is just all OMG, WAIT, WHAT. YOU ARE THE KILLER? I THOUGHT IT WAS THE SKETCHY GOTH BOY IN THE CORNER THAT CACKLES. But alas, no, it’s somehow the best friend? Or like the dad or something??? (I’m looking at you, SPOILERS: Riverdale and Gracepoint SPOILERS). I’m watching you, Dad, even though I legit know everything you’re doing and you’re a Disney fan because apparently fiction has taught me to expect the unexpected???

But okay, like, if my third cousin was a killer, I guess I could see this. Because I would be like OMG, SOMEONE RELATED ME TO MURDERED SOMEONE???? But also, I wouldn’t be super shocked because I don’t even know if I have a third cousin so they totally could be a killer.

Myth #5: I will somehow become an unreliable narrator

That’s right, y’all. I will turn full dark side soon. I will question everything I know, and I will be forever confused because something will spring up like multiple personality disorder or random moments of amnesia or blackouts that just so happen to coincide with sketchy things that happen. BECAUSE MIGHT I, BOOK PRINCESS, BE A KILLER? Alas, this is, at least, what mysteries have been telling me lately. However,  I have to majorly disagree. If I ever get to the point where I am displaying any of these behaviors, you will not be hearing from Mandy for a while – not because I’m off in jail because I’m killed like 20 people but because I have checked myself into a mental health facility.

Myth #6: I will willing walk into somewhere creepy for the sake of detectiving

Like, NO??? Am I the only one that watch/read these little crime fighters walking into a sketchy house or closed down mental institution or abandoned warehouse, and is like NO, NO, AND MORE NO. Okay, I’m all about solving a mystery – but if it involves going into a creepy, desolate wooded area where people have been MURDERED or have suspected MURDERERS in them?? This is literally asking for mental breakdowns, being murdered yourself, or bodily harm since if a place is deserted, it’s probably deserted for a REASON. Everyone has seriously no qualms about going into these places without proper panic attacks and concerns.

What do you think? How have mysteries lied to you? What is your favorite mystery? Any recs for me? Let’s discuss in the comments below!