Mystery Terms

Match each term to the correct definition Motive A reason that a person does something – can include love, hatred, anger or greed Mood The emotional atmosphere (feeling) that the author creates Hunch A guess or feeling not based on facts Foreshadowing Hints or clues about what is to come in the story Evidence An object, action, or statement that helps to prove who committed the crime Detective An investigator looking for and gathering facts to solve mystery Match each term to the correct definition Deduction Drawing a conclusion based on facts or observations Crime An action that breaks the law Clue A fact or object that gives information toward solving the crime Breakthrough A discovery that helps solve the crime Alibi An excuse that an accused person uses to show that he or she was not at the scene of the crime Accomplice Someone who helps commit a crime Match each term to the correct definition Witness A person who has knowledge about a crime. Suspense A feeling of uncertainty and dread about what will happen Suspect A person who has a motive to have committed the crime. Sleuth A detective Red Herring A false clue that throws the reader and detective off track. Mystery Something that is unknown Fill in the blanks with the correct mystery term One dark and stormy night, a crime was committed in sleepy Calabasas, California.The neighborhood busybody, old Mrs. Kardashian, became a witness when she was looking out her window and saw a figure, dressed in all black, enter an empty house. She then heard the house alarm go off and saw the same figure run out of the house.Mrs. Kardashian had a hunch that something bad had happened, so she called the police.Detective Will Smith, formerly of the MIB unit, was immediately assigned to the case and began searching for any clues as to who the intruder could be.When Detective Will Smith went to the scene of the crime, he found a piece of evidence in the house: a business card with the name Justin Bieber on it.When Justin Bieber was pulled into the police station for questioning, he had an airtight alibi. He was out to dinner with his mom.It turned out that the business card was just a red herring, because video footage shows Justin at a restaurant in LA with family at the same time that the house was broken into.Detective Will Smith went back to the scene of the crime. He searched and searched, and FINALLY! He had a breakthrough - fingerprints on the door handle of the house as well as strands of hair on the floor!After testing the fingerprints and the strands of hair, Detective Will Smith was able to deduce who the newsuspect was.The fingerprints and hair had matched that of Selena Gomez. The mystery had been solved!Detective Will Smith asked Selena what her motive was behind breaking into the house.Selena said that she was an just accomplice for Beyonce, who was trying to figure out what Lady Gaga’s next crazy outfit was!