GOF as Mystery Novel

[Jim Flanagan]

No: HPFGUIDX 9383

GOF seems to have many of the elements of a mystery novel, but in my 
opinion it is somewhat flawed as I'll explain below.  First, the 
mystery novel elements (as I see them) are:

- a crime and a victim (in this case, HP is the obvious victim, and 
the anticipated crime, whatever it turns out to be, will be very 
nasty.  )

- an unfolding of information that allows the reader to gather facts 
about the crime 

- red herrings along the way (Karkaroff, Bagman, Snape (the perennial 
red herring), Moody, Krum...)

- the climax, relevation, and explanation

Unfortunately, the information provided by the author of GOF is not 
nearly enough for an intelligent reader to figure out "whodoneit."  
My own response when Moody admits to being the Bad Guy, was mild 
disappointment because there was so little evidence given along the 
way to implicate him.  A good mystery would have the reader 
saying, "of course it was Moody!"

I'm curious if anyone else has looked at GOF in this way. I'd be 
particularly interested in comments from folks who have taken a 
course in mystery writing, or who have written mysteries themselves.

-Jim Flanagan