Hiding Easter Eggs

Yes, I know it's September. But I've been busy hiding Easter Eggs this week. Not real ones, of course. I suppose I could call it "laying a bread crumb trail" for my readers.

I am deep into writing the next Wharf Rat mystery, and I really want you - the reader - to be guessing right up to the end, BUT to have an "aha" moment, when you realize that the killer was obvious - if you were picking up the bread crumbs which I have gently laid for you to find.

It's a technique that's as old as the genre itself - laying bread crumbs in the story to point to the killer. It's a classic move that keeps readers engaged, guessing, and flipping pages until the very end.

But what exactly are these "bread crumbs"? They're the subtle hints, clues, and red herrings that we authors sprinkle throughout the story to keep you on your toes. They can be as innocuous as a seemingly throwaway comment from a side character or as blatant as a mysterious object found at the crime scene. The key is that they're all strategically placed to lead you down a certain path - whether it's towards the truth or a dead end.

In a way, it's kind of like hiding Easter eggs in a video game or movie. You know, those little nods and references that only die-hard fans will pick up on? Except instead of a cool bonus feature or inside joke, these Easter eggs are designed to help you solve the mystery.

Take Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express," for example. (Spoiler alert, by the way!) Throughout the story, there are all sorts of clues that point to different suspects - the missing button, the red kimono, the handkerchief with the initial "H." But it's not until the very end that we realize the significance of each one, and how they all fit together to reveal the shocking truth.

Of course, not all bread crumbs are created equal. Some authors are masters at hiding them in plain sight, while others are a bit more heavy-handed. And let's be real - there's nothing more frustrating than getting to the end of a mystery and realizing that the clues were either too obvious or too obscure to be satisfying.

But when it's done right, there's nothing quite like the thrill of putting all the pieces together and solving the case alongside the detective. It's like being part of an exclusive club, where only the most observant and clever readers get to join.

So that's what I've been doing this week. What are some of your favourite examples of "easter eggs" hidden in plain sight? Or an author you think is a master of laying bread crumb trails? Let me know in the comment section.