Research like a detective by Donalee Moulton

 

Hung Out To Die- A Riel Brava Mystery, by donalee Moulton — Books We Love Publishing Inc.

In historical settings, investigators often have limitations modern detectives don’t—and this goes well beyond technology. Everything from restricted travel, class barriers, rigid gender roles. These limitations can be opportunities to connect with your reader. Lean into them; they nudge creativity and add tension. 

 

The sleuth’s personality and background should also reflect the era while also offering traits—curiosity, stubbornness, empathy—that transcend time. 

 

Research like a detective, not an archivist  

If your detective needs to walk down a street in 1912 Montreal, you should know what that street smelled like, whether cobblestones rattled under carriage wheels, and how likely your character was to meet someone selling newspapers on the corner. 

 

Sources for rich and authentic detail include: 

• Newspapers and periodicals from the time (full of language, concerns, and advertisements) 

• Diaries and letters for personal perspectives (where possible) 

• Historical maps for accurate geography 

• Material culture research—what fabrics, foods, and objects were common 

 

The goal is to take readers into this world by recreating it for them without overwhelming them with facts that will weigh your story down and bore readers. Instead, let historical details work like seasoning—enhancing the flavour without overpowering the dish. 

 

Layer in historical conflict 

The best historical mysteries don’t just place a modern crime in an old-fashioned setting—they weave the mystery into the fabric of the time. A theft in 1920 might be tied to Prohibition smuggling. A murder in 16th-century Spain could intersect with religious persecution. These historical tensions add stakes and make the story more than a puzzle; they transform it into a lens through which readers experience the era. 

 

Make dialogue a cornerstone 

Language is one of the quickest ways to immerse readers in the past, but it’s also a common pitfall. Too much archaic phrasing can make dialogue stiff and hard to follow, while overly modern speech breaks the illusion. 

 

The key is selective authenticity: 

• Use period-appropriate vocabulary for objects, occupations, and social customs. 

• Avoid slang that didn’t exist yet (dictionaries can help here). 

• Keep sentence structure readable for modern audiences. 

 

Keep pacing tight 

While the past moved at a different pace, your plot shouldn’t drag. Balance richly detailed scenes with moments of action and revelation. In historical mysteries, tension often comes from the slow build—delays in communication, the time it takes to travel, the risk of misinformation spreading—but every delay should raise stakes, not stall the plot. 

 

End on a deeper note 

When the mystery is solved, consider how this crime fits the morality of the era. Would a killer from a higher social class face justice? Would certain motives be more understandable—or unforgivable—back then? The ending of a historical mystery should leave readers feeling they’ve solved more than a crime, but that they’ve understood something about the world that once was.