The mystery novel that I chose to read this month is The Hound oBaskervillees. It is a novel in the Sherlock Holmes series. It is one of my favorite books and a model for the genre because of the setting and characters.
Numerous books have everyday settings. Theses may include a park, a school, or a dark ally. However, the setting in this novel beats all of them. It is in the late 1800’s in England. The specific setting is in thBaskervillele Estate. It is surrounded by breathtaking scenery by day and is dark and scary by night. The actual estate itself is very spooky. It has a mysterious felling that I think many books in the mystery genre are missing.
Another thing that makes this series a model for mystery books is the interesting characters. They all have something to hide or bring to the table. This ensures that they all have a purpose and they are not just there for an off topic short story. For example, Sherlock can think of things before they happen so he knows whom to pursue. Another example is butler Barrymore. He is helping his escaped brother, who is an insane killer, by giving him food from the mansion. The killer then gives Watson a lead. He tells him he might have seen the suspect hiding near him. Except for the red herring, all the story lines relate to each other, which is another thing that should be a standard in mystery novels.
All in all, I believe that The Hound oBaskervillees is a great model for the mystery genre. It has a fascinating setting and compelling characters. I also recommend that you read the story to see what a true mystery is like.