Character Dimensionality
Mystery is all about puzzle. Deeper characters provide more puzzling challenges to your sleuth. Your sleuth is challenged by the obstacles the other characters throw his way. One of the best ways to create a puzzle for your sleuth is to give each character a secret and a lie.
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Or more than one.
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Secrets and the lies characters use to preserve the secret add a human dimension to characters.
Whether it’s the villain or a suspect each character has things they don’t want others to know.
Your sleuth is challenged by diving through the lies to get to the truth that lies underneath.
Ultimately, he must separate the various truths to get to the one that reveals the killer.
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 
Thanks, Chris.
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Thank YOU for the great article, Zara 👍😃
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I’ve just such a character. The problem is, He hides in plain sight, his backgrtound check holds up, but he isn’t who or what he claims to be. He pretends to be a champion of the people when in reality he’d jsut as soon see the people swept out of the way. My central character is starting to figure him out, but the truth is going to be bigger than he’ll want to believe.
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