Written by Alessio Guerrero. Edited by Naomi Jalloh. Mystery novels often rely on familiar ideas and patterns to keep readers engaged. From suspicious characters to unexpected revelations, these repeating elements, called tropes, help build suspense and guide readers through the story. Some readers criticize tropes, saying they make stories predictable; however, they give writers a base to work with. What really matters is how authors use these tropes and whether they choose to follow them or p