Be Gay Do Crimes: The mystery story model of implicit queer storytelling

A thought experiment: You’ve taken a mystery novel out of the library, and you’re almost at the end. As you curl up with a nice cup of tea and prepare to read the last chapter, your mind is whirring with theories and questions — you’re pretty sure you’re supposed to think it was the butler, but something about that just doesn’t add up, and why would the author even mention that the archduke had a purple polkadot umbrella too if it wasn’t going to end up being relevant?? You turn the page, breath held in anticipation….. Only to find…