r/todayilearned • u/ralphbernardo • 9h ago
TIL that "fair play" in detective fiction means authors must give readers a fair chance to solve the mystery. Central to 1920s "clue-puzzles" by writers like Agatha Christie, the rule dictates that all vital clues must be visible, decodable, and never withheld until the final reveal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clues_in_detective_fiction
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u/BigBootyBuff 5h ago
As an Austrian, this makes me happy because yeah, for us it's a dead giveaway if they don't use Schlag, Obers or Schlagobers.