What Do Modern Mystery Novels and Medieval Mystery Plays Have in Common? Sin. ‹ CrimeReads

Over the Münster's central doors is a fifteenth-century Last Judgement scene made up of over three hundred colorful sandstone sculptures. It shows men and women who emerge from their graves, are judged by a stern Jesus, and then find themselves sent on their separate ways by the archangel Michael, the saved rising to heaven and the damned falling into hell. The sculptors had a great time with hell, portraying it in gruesome detail with flames, grinning demons, tortured souls, and a large green Satan presiding over all.

Being immersed in medieval imagery for the sake of my present writing project is probably to blame for the idea I'd like to propose, which is that modern mystery novels have something in common with medieval morality plays.