--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Secrecy can be sexy. It's essential to…" description: "\"Secrecy can be sexy. It's essential to any good mystery novel.\" — Heather Brooke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/heather-brooke-9035_any_secrecy-can-be-sexy-it-s-essential-to-an_3174242.jpg" --- # Secrecy can be sexy. It's essential to any good mystery… ![“Secrecy can be sexy. It's essential to any good mystery novel.” quote by Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/heather-brooke-9035_any_secrecy-can-be-sexy-it-s-essential-to-an_3174242.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/heather-brooke-9035_any_secrecy-can-be-sexy-it-s-essential-to-an_3174242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/heather-brooke-9035_any_secrecy-can-be-sexy-it-s-essential-to-an_3174242.jpg) > “Secrecy can be sexy. It's essential to any good mystery novel.” [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Secrecy adds allure and drives curiosity, making mystery stories compelling. **In simple terms:** Keeping secrets makes mysteries exciting. Key Takeaway Use intrigue to engage readers. Themes mystery secrecy engagement Mood intriguing playful Type creative strategic When to use this quote - writing workshops - plot development - marketing pitches Key Concepts narrative tension psychology of curiosity Questions to Reflect On - What secrets can you reveal without ruining suspense? - How to balance secrecy with clarity? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on secrecy can make a story feel contrived. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Secrecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrecy/) [Sexy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexy/) ## Related quotes > [Secrecy is the first essential in affairs of the State.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/secrecy-is-the-first-essential-in-affairs-of-the-state/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The secrecy surrounding wealth and the anxiety of talking about money is absurd. If you are rich and you live well and you spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-johnson/the-secrecy-surrounding-wealth-and-the-anxiety-of-talking-about-money/) [Jamie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-johnson/) > [“Great mystery novel for the beach. Just when you think you know where the plot is going, it goes somewhere else. Big surprise ending!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-milman/great-mystery-novel-for-the-beach-just-when-you-think-you-know-where/) Harry A. Milman > [I had thought for years, probably 30 or 40 years, that it would be a lot of fun to try my hand at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/i-had-thought-for-years-probably-30-or-40-years-that-it-would-be-a/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) > [If you're reading a mystery novel, you kind of want the character to solve the crime instead of completely bumble their way through it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/if-you-re-reading-a-mystery-novel-you-kind-of-want-the-character-to/) [Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/) > [There are two ways to approach the writing of a mystery novel: adhere to the rules, or break them with glee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-weinman/there-are-two-ways-to-approach-the-writing-of-a-mystery-novel-adhere/) [Sarah Weinman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-weinman/) > [Although we might think of Holmes as the Ur-sleuth, the seminal inspiration for many writers comes not from the chronicles of Baker Street but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-weinman/although-we-might-think-of-holmes-as-the-ur-sleuth-the-seminal/) [Sarah Weinman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-weinman/) > [“There is only one motive for writing a novel: to be published and read. To me there is no distinction between the mystery novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-franklin-bardin/there-is-only-one-motive-for-writing-a-novel-to-be-published-and-read/) John Franklin Bardin > [It's important to write a mystery novel where the takeaway is not a giveaway - where something could be read over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimenez-lai/it-s-important-to-write-a-mystery-novel-where-the-takeaway-is-not-a/) [Jimenez Lai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimenez-lai/) > [I don't believe that murders can be "solved." I think that this is the big lie of the mystery novel, that you should close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pelecanos/i-don-t-believe-that-murders-can-be-solved-i-think-that-this-is-the/) [George Pelecanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pelecanos/) > [Has all the trappings of a mystery novel, doesn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-cornwell/has-all-the-trappings-of-a-mystery-novel-doesn-t-it/) [Patricia Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-cornwell/) > [A mystery novel localizes the awesome force of the real death outside the book, winds it tightly in a plot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/a-mystery-novel-localizes-the-awesome-force-of-the-real-death-outside/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“The solution, once revealed, must seem to have been inevitable. At least half of all the mystery novels published violate this law." ( Casual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/the-solution-once-revealed-must-seem-to-have-been-inevitable-at-least/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Politicians often claim secrecy is necessary for good governance or national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/politicians-often-claim-secrecy-is-necessary-for-good-governance-or/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [Leaks are not the problem; they are the symptom. They reveal a disconnect between what people want and need to know and what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/leaks-are-not-the-problem-they-are-the-symptom-they-reveal-a/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) ## More by Heather Brooke > [Newspapers are not free and they never have been. They can appear to be so, but someone, somewhere is covering the costs whether that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/newspapers-are-not-free-and-they-never-have-been-they-can-appear-to/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [In Britain, it's bred into you, the idea that you can't really change anything, so why bother. When I went to school in America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/in-britain-it-s-bred-into-you-the-idea-that-you-can-t-really-change/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [There's a temptation not to vote at all as a protest, but it's definitely not a protest. In fact, all it does is keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/there-s-a-temptation-not-to-vote-at-all-as-a-protest-but-it-s/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [There are corporate private investigators, companies doing very forensic background checks on people. 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Why, the people who provide cyber security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/in-whose-interest-is-it-to-hype-up-the-collapse-of-the-internet-from/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [I pine for a return to the type of old-school journalism and the tough newspapermen and women of the Thirties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/i-pine-for-a-return-to-the-type-of-old-school-journalism-and-the/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [The movement towards radical transparency and accountability has been gaining steam for several decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/the-movement-towards-radical-transparency-and-accountability-has-been/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [Traditional publishers require an author to submit a manuscript six months in advance, and if pressed, no later than two or three.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/traditional-publishers-require-an-author-to-submit-a-manuscript-six/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [I've always worked on the fringe of the British press establishment, carving out this niche for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/i-ve-always-worked-on-the-fringe-of-the-british-press-establishment/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [A generation of people are being radicalised by the criminalisation of information sharing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/a-generation-of-people-are-being-radicalised-by-the-criminalisation/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) [Explore all 75 Heather Brooke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) ## More Any quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. 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I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [We earned any fans with the way we play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-white/we-earned-any-fans-with-the-way-we-play/) [Jimmy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-white/) > [Hard work and a good education will take you further than any government program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-schock/hard-work-and-a-good-education-will-take-you-further-than-any/) [Aaron Schock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-schock/) > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [The system in Germany is different, as you sign up with a company for two or three years, and you work exclusively with them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wlaschiha/the-system-in-germany-is-different-as-you-sign-up-with-a-company-for/) [Tom Wlaschiha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wlaschiha/) > [I'm writing about real things. 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