History Main / AlwaysMurder

* The Literature/NeroWolfe mystery novels always feature murder sooner or later, even the ones that don't start out as murder cases. [[DirectLineToTheAuthor Narrator and aide Archie Goodwin]] in the books claims that there are many other cases (in one novel, Goodwin ends up on his own and gives a very brief summary of his solo career - it's successful). He only publishes the murder cases.

* ''Series/{{CSI}}'': After 8 seasons and counting, this trope has only been {{averted}} a minuscule number of times, mostly in the early seasons; in the episode "Suckers", the ColdOpen shows us a dead body in a pool, but we soon find out that it's just a lifeguard training dummy used to distract hotel security from an antique theft (as usual for the series, the [[TwoLinesNoWaiting B Plot]] was a straight up murder). Another early season episode featured what appeared to be a murder victim found in a dumpster but after several false leads was revealed to be a complete accident.
** This trope is so prevalent that when they investigate an elderly couple found dead in their home (including one who had hit his head in the bathroom) the idea of even one of the deaths being an accident isn't even mentioned by the [=CSI=]s. [[spoiler:It was again a series of accidents- he slipped in the tub and she fell on the knife]]

** Another, involving an elderly woman crashing her car on a cafe, turned to be murder-suicide on the part of the woman.

** ''Series/{{CSINY}}'', on the other hand, has had a few deaths ruled accidents and whatnot.
* In ''Series/{{Monk}}'' it is {{justified}} in that Monk is both an ex-Homicide detective and private consultant the San Francisco Police Department call in for more... interesting cases.

*** Another good case of this is "Mr. Monk Goes to a Rock Concert". Monk and Natalie accompany Captain Stottlemeyer to a music festival to search for his son. Monk comes along because of [[AmbiguousSyntax a misinterpretation]] of the words "rock show", leaving him stuck in the middle of a WildTeenParty in the parking lot. While searching for a payphone, he accidentally walks into a port-a-potty. Natalie finds him when he comes out. Then, as Monk and Natalie are walking away, a roadie's body falls out of another port-a-potty right at their feet.

*** Another particularly forced example is "Shadow", which features a generic double homicide. SVU is only called in because it looks like a ''might'' be a murder-suicide, which being a "domestic dispute" (the victims are a husband and wife) supposedly falls under SVU jurisdiction. Once it's clear the crime was double homicide SVU is kept on the case anyway, because "the Gilettes ''were'' Special Victims". This makes no sense because, even within the universe of the show, the NYPD has Major Case to handle crimes like this, especially once the prime suspect turns out to have been involved in a major fraud she was already under investigation for. The episode even introduced a SpecialGuest character (Det. Asok Ramsey from Special Frauds, played by Creator/NaveenAndrews) rather than feature a CrossOver with CI characters (who never crossed over onto any other ''Law & Order'' show while it was still running, though Kathryn Erbe did appear as Eames on SVU after it had been cancelled).

*** Another particularly forced example is "Shadow", which features a generic double homicide. SVU is only called in because it looks like a ''might'' be a murder-suicide, which being a "domestic dispute" (the victims are a husband and wife) supposedly falls under SVU jurisdiction. Once it's clear the crime was double homicide SVU is kept on the case anyway, because "the Gilettes ''were'' Special Victims". This makes no sense because, even within the universe of the show, the NTPD has Major Case to handle crimes like this, especially once the prime suspect turns out to have been involved in a major fraud she was already under investigation for. The episode even introduced a SpecialGuest character (Det. Asok Ramsey from Special Frauds, played by Creator/NaveenAndrews) rather than feature a CrossOver with CI characters (who never crossed over onto any other ''Law & Order'' show while it was still running, though Kathryn Erbe did appear as Eames on SVU after it had been cancelled).

* The Literature/NeroWolfe mystery novels always feature murder sooner or later, even the ones that don't start out as murder cases. [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis Narrator and aide Archie Goodwin]] in the books claims that there are many other cases (in one novel, Goodwin ends up on his own and gives a very brief summary of his solo career - it's successful). He only publishes the murder cases.

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* ''Series/TheXFiles'' almost always had someone die before they rolled the opening credits, despite the fact that the FBI doesn't usually investigate plain old murder unless it's federal - such as when it occurs in connection to kidnappings across state lines and other things. However, they do consult on serial killings even when they occur within one state, which seems to be like how they get their jurisdiction for the show, called in for unexplained phenomena.
** Plus, it's not like Mulder ever followed proper procedure anyway. He seemed to just choose cases at random and follow them with or without the FBI's approval.
* ''Series/{{Columbo}}'': Kind of {{justified}} since he's a homicide detective, but he's quite often called out to investigate cases that look like accidents or suicides but turn out to be murder.
** Although there was one episode where somebody got kidnapped and Columbo managed to save her from being killed, so there was absolutely no murder in that one.

*** At least one episode has a suicide staged as a murder by a broke guy hoping his life insurance policy will provide for his brother. Unfortunately, the [=CSI=]s end up figuring out the truth.
*** Another, involving an elderly woman crashing her car on a cafe, turned to be murder-suicide on the part of the woman.
*** An aversion happened on the case of a movie star that turned to be autoerotic asphyxiation ([[RippedFromTheHeadlines not long after]] David Carradine died), all for the sake of AnAesop against First World Problems.

* ''Series/{{Bones}}'', mainly because half the cast only works with dead people. There's always a corpse, but it isn't always murder-a few deaths have turned out to be accidents.

* {{Subverted}} in an episode of ''Series/QuincyME'': The corpse of the man who had apparently been beaten to death in an alley really died of natural causes: he'd had a medical condition which caused convulsions, and he'd beaten himself to death.
** Also {{averted}} in at least two episodes: "Semper Fi" [[spoiler: (in which a soldier found dead while doing night maneuvers turned out to have committed suicide)]] and "Murder By S.O.P." [[spoiler: (where the doctor who knows who committed that episode's murder and can prove it is killed in a car accident which is a ''genuine'' car accident)]].

** In "Rise from the Ashes", it's [[spoiler:played straight then it subverts itself then [[DoubleSubversion double subverts]] itself]] when the death of Neil Marshall is thought to be a murder by Darke but turns out to be [[spoiler:(accidental) manslaughter by Ema made to look like murder that then later turns out to be a set up the real murderer to make the original actual murder look like manslaughter.]] In other words it was a [[spoiler:murder made to look like manslaughter made to look like a murder]].

*** The first part of case 5 is a civil trial, where you play as Apollo Justice against [[HeroAntagonist Phoenix Wright]]. The trial in question is over who claims ownership of a relic that belonged to an archaeologist who apparently died in an accident. Of course, it turns out that he was actually murdered.

* This trope [[DeadFic would have been]] {{averted|Trope}} in ''VisualNovel/MyLittleInvestigations'' according to WordOfGod, making it LighterAndSofter than [[VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth the game it's based on]].

* This trope is {{averted|Trope}} in ''VisualNovel/MyLittleInvestigations'', making it LighterAndSofter than [[VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth the game it's based on]].

Note that this trope only requires a crime that is investigated ''as'' a murder shows up. In many cases it's NeverSuicide as well, but this trope still applies if what looks like a murder turns out to be suicide or an accident.

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** The case that ends up causing [[spoiler:Phoenix to lose his attorney's badge]] was actually suicide.

** In "Rise from the Ashes", it's played straight then it subverts itself then [[DoubleSubversion double subverts]] when the death of Neil Marshall is thought to be a murder by Darke but turns out to be [[spoiler: (accidental) manslaughter by Ema made to look like murder that then later turns out to be a set up the real murderer to make the original actual murder look like manslaughter.]] In other words it was a [[spoiler:murder made to look like manslaughter made to look like a murder]].
** Subverted in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'' during the [[spoiler: DLC case involving defending an Orca and eventually her trainer. It turns out the victim ''wasn't'' murdered at all and the suspect actually tried to save him from falling to his death. It was all just freak accident. Of course, there is still an attempted killing. Of the Orca that is.]]

** Subverted in ''VisualNovel/DaiGyakutenSaibanNaruhodouRyuunosukeNoBouken'' in [[spoiler: the second case where the incident was involuntary manslaughter thanks to a set of unfortunate coincidences and misunderstandings. The fourth case averts the trope by having the victim merely stabbed in the back but not dead, as well as revealing that it was just an accident.]]

* Generally averted in ''VideoGame/LANoire''. While cases tend to open with murder or attempted murder, several don't, such as when you deal with a rash of car thefts. In the cases that do have murders, the investigation often winds up revealing bigger crimes, such as pornography rings, drug trade, corporate espionage, and [[spoiler:a massive real-estate conspiracy.]]
* ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward'' is so twisty with this that, depending on which timeline and path you play in the game, straight plays can seem like subverts and vis-versa, and entire parts become completely different, and in actual fact, in a sense [[spoiler:most of the main murders end up not having murder victims]] depending on which way you look at it.

* [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in ''Franchise/DanganRonpa''. The one making the rules for the DeadlyGame explicitly states that trials are to be held for murders and only murders. Even when a personal treasure of the mastermind is stolen he doesn't act or change the rules (though he does get mighty pissed). It ''is'', however, [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] in the fourth case, where it turns out that [[spoiler: the victim killed themselves in direct defiance of the aforementioned DeadlyGame]].

* ''Film/{{Untraceable}}'' is a cybercrime movie that managed to end up being about murders. (Of course, something like identity theft would make a pretty boring thriller.) Whether or not ''Film/TheNet'' proves the latter point is up to debate.

** Subverted in ''VisualNovel/ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' in the first case: Espella is accused of several crimes, but not murder. Played straight in every subsequent case, though (as a secondary charge, with [[BurnTheWitch witchcraft]] being the primary concern).

** The one case Phoenix takes that isn't a murder [[spoiler:turns out to be a cover for a murder across town]]. Maya {{lampshade|Hanging}}s it:

* [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in ''Franchise/DanganRonpa''. The one making the rules for the DeadlyGame explicitly states that trials are to be held for murders and only murders. Even when a personal treasure of the mastermind is stolen he doesn't act or change the rules (though he does get mighty pissed).

*** Played with during the third case as [[spoiler:the "murder" Phoenix is investigating is actually a complicated suicide that was designed to shift blame away from his wife, who would have been convicted and tried of capital murder for a self-defense killing she committed against someone who was very likely going to kill her. The Pool of Souls prevents her from getting a fair trial as she would be instantly portrayed as guilty with no one willing to defend her, so her husband contrived his own suicide in a bid to throw suspicion off her and pin his and the actual victim's deaths on a family friend]].

Applied, of course, for RuleOfDrama. What crime can possibly be more vile than taking a life of someone we care about ([[UniquenessValue the author will make sure of that]]), the highest asset [[ValuesDissonance in the modern (Western) society]]?

* ''VideoGame/ApolloJusticeAceAttorneyCase5TurnaboutSubstitution'' provides an interesting example. You know full well before you start playing that someone ''will'' end up dead, since this is an Franchise/AceAttorney fangame. During the first day of the trial, you sucessfully prove that [[spoiler:[[HisNameReallyIsBarkeep Judge Chambers]] did not kill Robert Enlemeyer and that Enlemeyer is still alive.]] It looks like nobody's dead after all... until [[spoiler:Judge Chambers is killed by his own car near his brother's grave.]] The second day of the trial has you defending a (supposed) serial killer of [[spoiler:Chambers's]] death.

* ''TurnaboutSubstitution'' provides an interesting example. You know full well before you start playing that someone ''will'' end up dead, since this is an Franchise/AceAttorney fangame. During the first day of the trial, you sucessfully prove that [[spoiler:[[HisNameReallyIsBarkeep Judge Chambers]] did not kill Robert Enlemeyer and that Enlemeyer is still alive.]] It looks like nobody's dead after all... until [[spoiler:Judge Chambers is killed by his own car near his brother's grave.]] The second day of the trial has you defending a (supposed) serial killer of [[spoiler:Chambers's]] death.

* In an {{Averted|aversion}}, the majority of Literature/SherlockHolmes' do not involve murders.

* In an aversion, the majority of Literature/SherlockHolmes' do not involve murders.