Point of View in Crime Stories by KM Rockwood

Contemporary crime fiction thrives on tension, psychology, and moral ambiguity. I’d

like to add a satisfying ending, but I realize that is a personal preference not shared by all authors and readers.

The choice of narrative point of view—first person, close third person, or distant third person—shapes how readers experience these elements. Each perspective offers distinct advantages and limitations in crafting suspense, character depth, and narrative control.

While I try to tell myself this is a choice I, as an author, make, I have to concede that usually characters show up in my brain with their own agenda and dictate how they must be presented. Sometimes they are telling me the story, which would be third person, usually close but sometimes more distant, or their story is so infused into my writing that I become a mere scribe to present what’s going on. They’ve taken over, and the story will proceed in a first-person point of view.

I do have a feeling that maybe a psychological trick akin to method acting, but I’d never make a good actor, so I’m not sure about that.

The various points of view have their advantages and disadvantages.

First Person: Immersion Through Intimacy

The narrator is a character in the story, often the detective, victim, or perpetrator, but sometimes an observer, using “I” and “me.”

Advantages:

Deep psychological access: Readers experience the narrator’s thoughts, fears, and biases directly.

Immediate tension: The reader is locked into the narrator’s perspective, heightening suspense and emotional stakes.

Unreliable narration: Ideal for psychological thrillers or mysteries with twists, as the narrator may mislead or omit important details.

Disadvantages:

Limited scope: The narrator can’t know what others are thinking or doing off-page, which may restrict plot development.

Risk of monotony: If the narrator’s voice isn’t compelling, the story can feel flat or self-indulgent. No whining allowed!

Harder to conceal clues: Readers see everything the narrator sees, so red herrings and reveals must be carefully managed. If the narrator sees or knows it, the reader should, too.

This works well for character-driven mysteries, cozies, psychological thrillers, and noir tales.

Close third person: flexibility and focus

A close third person point of view provides flexibility with a narrow focus. The narrator uses “he,” “she,” or “they,” but closely follows one character’s internal experience at a time.

Advantages:

Balance of intimacy and control: Offers deep insight into a character’s thoughts while allowing more narrative flexibility than first person.

Easier to shift perspective: Writers can switch to another character’s viewpoint in a new chapter or scene.

Subtle unreliability: The narrator may reflect the character’s biases without being

overtly deceptive.

Disadvantages:

Requires consistency, which can be hard to maintain: Sudden shifts in tone or knowledge throw a reader off.

Less voice-driven: Compared to first person, the narrative voice may feel more neutral and less intimate.

Can blur boundaries: If not well-managed, readers may confuse the narrator’s voice with the character’s thoughts.

This is often used in police procedurals, who-dun-its, cozies, and multi-perspective stories.

Distant third person: objectivity and scope

The narrator remains outside all the characters, providing a more detached overview of the entire situation.

Advantages:

Wider scope: Can describe events, settings, and character actions beyond any one person’s awareness. Clues can be interwoven more easily if a character doesn’t have to notice them.

Classic tone: Evokes traditional detective fiction or literary crime novels with a more formal style.

Control over pacing: The author can zoom in or out, revealing or withholding information strategically.

Disadvantages:

Emotional distance: Readers may feel less connected to characters’ inner lives. Readers have to care about the characters, or the book falls flat.

Harder to build suspense: Without a character’s limited viewpoint, tension may dissipate if the narrator reveals too much.

This is often used effectively in historical fiction, classic mystery stories, ensemble cast stories, and novels with complex plotting.

The ideal point of view in crime fiction depends on the story’s goals. First person excels in psychological depth and unreliable narration. Close third person offers a versatile middle ground, balancing intimacy with narrative control. Distant third person provides scope and objectivity but may sacrifice emotional immediacy.

Skilled writers sometimes blend these approaches—using close third for most scenes, switching to distant third for exposition, or layering first-person scenes or diary entries into a third-person narrative. The key is intentionality: choosing the lens that best serves the mystery, the mood, and the reader’s journey through the shadows.

Do you have a preferred point of view, or does it vary with the story?