Starting a novel

There's a lot to writing a novel, and one of these things is determination. You have to be determined because the process is a long one. I've not done it myself, but I've read about it. Research "Agents" "Publishers" and "Publishing Guidelines" look up "Grammar" "Spelling" "Plot" "Genre" etc. You'll have to have a manuscript I believe, and a resume wouldn't hurt either. You'll need time to spend on the novel, and the determination to not get distracted and / or quit. Decide whether you want it to be published in a magazine, or in a book, or in your own book... I guess you need to decide how far you want to go, because if it's a best seller the public will (probably) want more. Well I hope that this has helped.

You want to decide what you want the detective to investigate and then research that particular crime. But perhaps more important, is to actually start writing. What research you need to do will become crystal clear. The most important thing is to get that first draft down.

I think that the first thing you should do is to read and read more detective novels, just to get a feel for what this genre is. This might also give you more ideas for your novel. Then, once you have ideas about your story, you'll be able to know more about what to research.

John Grisham first novel, A time to kill, was written after he attended a court session in which a gal was recounting her experience. He thought "what if I am the father of the gal? How will I react?" So I think you can follow on a high profile or just a murder case from the beginning of the court hearing to the end. It will provide a lot of real life experience for you. The novel is likely to capture the audience if base on real life, and with a bit of imaginatin, you can personalise the detective, the victim, family and friends of the victim. All the best in your writings.