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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/33348
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

1. Make sure the reader know who the murderer is from the beginning, and then introduce Columbo.

Let's take my joke as a serious answer: assume we know the murderer from the very start of the story, what is the point of the story then? The answer is: What are the aftermath? Is there an investigation? Did he really took care of every piece of evidence against him? What if he made a mistake? Will he escape the police? What will happen to him if he's arrested? What if he's not? Will his nightmares pursue him?

If you are worried about the twist, we as a reader may not know immediately why he did it. This can be revealed bits after bits, or in a flashback with the last victim. Or during his arrestation.

When the murderer is discovered, it does not necessarily sign the end of the whole story. There's a lot of questions to be answered even when the reader know the truth, up to you to leave some questions open for after the reveal: the reader will not lose interest if there is still questions unanswered. If done well, a subplot can do the trick: "well, I know who the murderer is and why he did it, but will the dog survive?"

Original score: 1