Virkelighetskrim Mysteriers møteplass

Abstract

This article is an examination of some central characteristics of the true crime genre, including three mysteries of existence which makes the crime cases continually fascinating. «Mystery» is defined in the philosophical sense of Gabriel Marcel, and are in this context the mystery of evil, the mystery of death, and the mystery of guilt. The article analyzes some literary magazines, studying how the stories they contain are told, including how the texts paradoxically tend to give two very different perspectives on evil. It aims to identify genre patterns and topics that keep the reader’s interest from story to story. Two cases are used to explore how true crime stories grapples with worrying questions. The article exposes characteristics of the genre on a deeper level than the dramatization and suspense patterns, showing how the mysteries of existence are reasons for the appeal of the genre.