Suspense is a key component of crime fiction – done right, and a crime novel will grip you from start to finish. It is one of the things that keep us coming back to the genre as readers, so it’s worth it as writers to take the time to get it just right.

With this in mind, here are some of the key steps to successfully building suspense in crime fiction.

Make sure the reader cares

Before you do almost anything else, you need to know that the reader will care about the story you are creating. This means that the premise needs to be sufficiently inviting, and your protagonist (or other characters involved in the suspense) needs to be if not likeable, then in some way sympathetic.

Get your timing right

Whatever is going to create the suspense in your novel – a killer on the loose, someone being stalked, a personal threat or issue hanging over the protagonist – needs to be introduced at the right time. This will, of course, vary from novel to novel, so it’s worth doing some planning to make sure you choose the right moment.

Place your clues carefully

One of the great things about suspense in crime fiction is that it keeps us guessing – there is often a drip-feed of information and clues throughout the novel, which leaves us wanting more and trying to figure out what’s going on. Make sure things keep building.

Provide answers and then take them away

One of the classic ways of building suspense is to give your protagonist a victory – and then take it away, only to ratchet up the pressure once again. For instance, the detective thinks that they’ve worked how who the murderer is, only for another murder to take place while the original suspect is in custody – the personal error and grave consequences raise the stakes and help to drive the story forward.

Don’t give the game away too soon

But when you do give the game away, make sure it packs a punch. Don’t kill the suspense by revealing too much in advance or making it too easy to guess what’s going on – keep at least a couple of things up your sleeve until the end. The success of suspense in crime fiction doesn’t just depend on the process of it throughout the novel, but also on the resolution; it needs to be satisfying, and worth all the time spent on it throughout the rest of the book.

What are your tips for creating suspense in crime fiction?