People read detective fiction and go to see mystery and suspense plays because they want to be reassured that good will always triumph over evil. People have a basic, primal need to believe in good and evil. They see crime and violence in their streets, read about it in the newspapers, and see it broadcast on T.V. Detective fiction provides an escape to a place where there is always a solution. No author comes up with a better solution than Agatha Christie. She is a master of the puzzling detective story. Students love her work for its suspense and its twisting and turning plots. The Mousetrap is one of her most clever puzzles. The students will study The Mousetrap discussing with one another Ms. Christie�s unique writing style and the ways in which she utilizes and creates such riddling and perplexing plots. They will begin to study the literary elements of plot such as conflict, climax, and denouement. They will attempt to create their own puzzles and to write mini-plays based on Ms. Christie�s style.