Writing a Mystery Novel

Who done it?  Mystery novels are one of the most enjoyable reads for lovers of fiction.  Writing an intriguing mystery is crucial for capturing readers of this genre and we don’t want to disappoint our readers.  Let’s narrow down some pointers on writing a great mystery.
First you will need to think of a problem that starts off your book.  Do a little reading beforehand in newspapers or old news editions.  Research is good too.  If you are writing about murder it is good to know some details - I think murder mystery writers are likely a morbid bunch.  If you have a contact in the medical field, that would be beneficial.  Or someone on the police force could also give you some tips.  Ask yourself questions and think like a detective. If your mystery is about murder ask yourself where were they killed, how, what time of day was it.  Good writing is in the details.  Not all mystery novels have to include murder of course.  Whichever one you decide to pursue, good literature requires that you understand the problem as well as anyone else could - you will be an expert.
The second thing you will need is a good character.  Before you start writing think about who the main character is. Their personality, any quirks that make them enjoyable, or are they serious.  A description of their looks will help give a mental picture.  Writing a strong main character will help the novel take focus.  Your readers will become invested and want to keep reading to see what will happen to them.  Remember the main character is the one solving our mystery, so a well written main character will drive your story.  Readers of fiction forget that the character is not real if he or she is written well.
Then it would be good to think about minor characters also.  These characters can be helpful or problematic for our main character; but for our plot they are critical, we can't provide a good story without them.  Writing interesting minor characters will aid in rounding out our main character's traits.  How does the main character deal with problems presented by others?  When they are helped, what is their reaction?  Each character should have a purpose for being in your novel so that it is believable.
Now is a good time to plan your strategy - the story!  We have our problem and a main character; now how are they going to solve the problem.  The reader is along for the ride, and they solve the mystery too so we have to leave clues.  Some will be small and others big and some are there to mislead.  So we need a mystery, will it be a crime or something unusual that is hard to explain.  Think about what the main character discovers.  Be careful not to give too much information to the reader - let them discover this story as it unfolds.
It is important to have your solution written down before you start to write.  This keeps your clues in order and flowing.  For the main character to get to the solution try marking clues backwards.  So have your solution; then write clues from that point going back to the beginning where the problem started.  With a list of clues some will be minor to add intrigue but one should be crucial to the story.  Then write down who is blocking the clues and who is helping to solve the problem.
The clues are important for the reader.  It helps them to try and solve the mystery.  Keep them interesting and suspenseful so our readers is invested to find out the solution.
These pointers will give you a good start to writing a great mystery novel.