In researching various murder mystery novels, I found that many of them use a similar red color to place emphasis on the fact that its a murder mystery, since red symbolizes blood and anger. If they're not using red, then they're likely placing emphasis on a weapon (like in Agatha Christie
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd) or using sharp shapes to give the feeling of a weapon (Patricia Cornwell
Body of Evidence). Some may also feature a grungy texture in the background or over the text (Kathy Reich
Deja Dead and Brigham and Reed
Math is Murder).
You can find more popular murder mystery books over at
Goodreads.com.
