The butler did it is one of the most overused mystery cliches – to the point it is rarely ever used these days. After all, as soon as a reader (or viewer if it’s a tv show or movie) see a butler, they immediately joke “the butler did it”.
Below are some of the mystery tropes that I find are overused and therefore aren’t my favourite to read. Some really do depend on the genre, for example, the whole cozy mystery genre relies on an incompetent police force (and in that genre I have no problems with the police being incompetent at all).
The Incompetent Policeman: The amateur sleuth outsmarts the local police officer who misses the obvious clues or heads in completely the wrong direction and won’t be swayed.
The Surprise Villain: The villain is revealed at the end of the book with little foreshadowing, as a shock to the reader, rather than a reward for following the clues.
The Dark Past Connection: The investigator is made to take on a case that too closely mirrors their own past trauma or a prior unsolved mistake.
The Dead Men Tell No Tales Confession: A cornered criminal is about to confess vital information to the sleuth, only to be suddenly shot by a hidden sniper, collapse from poison or some other sudden death.
There are probably some I have missed, but they are the ones that spring to mind. Do you have a trope (mystery or another genre) that you feel is overused?
August 3, 2026 at 9:37 pm
Believe it or not “the butler did it” is in one of Agatha Christie‘s books, only he isn’t actually the butler, just posing. I more often read novels about the amateur sleuth and their buddy the cop than an incompetent cop, eg Brother Cadfael and his “cop” buddy Hugh Beringar. However, I do remember the incompetent policeman in Enid Blyton’s Five Findouters stories. He is even called Mr Goon and the kids have a dog that snaps at his heels regularly. They always solve the mystery before he can.
August 5, 2026 at 8:28 am
Sue, “cop buddy” i have no problems with – they are usually really good. And I don’t mind if there is one competent cop and an incompetent (because they usually frustrate the good cop as much as the amateur sleuth). I think I class kids stories (like Enid Blyton) with cosy mysteries where it’s okay they are incompetent.
August 4, 2026 at 6:37 am
There was a movie (I think it was a movie) where the butler did it ended up being the resolution, but it was also treated like an eye-roll and a joke. But it was a very skilled writer who pulled that one off. Otherwise, yeah, so very much overused.
August 5, 2026 at 8:29 am
A really good writer could possibly pull off “the butler did it” for that reason – everyone jokes about it so they probably won’t consider it seriously – the ultimate red herring!