Definition
A red herring is a narrative false lead - a clue, character, or plot detail designed to send the reader (or the characters) in the wrong direction. The name comes from the old idea that smoked herring, which turns red, could be used to throw hunting dogs off a scent trail. In fiction, red herrings create complexity and surprise by making the reader think they have figured things out, only to reveal they were looking at the wrong thing entirely.
Why It Matters
Red herrings keep your readers engaged and humble. They prevent your plot from being too predictable by adding false trails that make the real solution harder to guess. They are essential in mystery and thriller writing, but they work in any genre where you want to surprise the reader. A romance can have a red herring love interest. A fantasy can have a red herring prophecy. The trick is making the misdirection feel fair in retrospect.
Types of Red Herring
Famous Examples
Christie was the master of red herrings. In this novel, nearly every character appears guilty at some point, and the real solution is so buried beneath misdirection that most readers never see it coming.
Sirius Black is set up as a terrifying threat for the entire book - an escaped murderer coming for Harry. The reveal that he is actually an ally, and the real villain is hiding in plain sight as a pet rat, is a classic red herring payoff.
Johnson layers multiple red herrings throughout the film, making the audience think they understand the mystery early on, then pulling the rug out repeatedly. The film is also a commentary on how red herrings work in the mystery genre itself.
Common Mistakes
A red herring should be misleading, not dishonest. When the real answer is revealed, the reader should be able to look back and see that the clues were there all along. If the red herring worked only because you withheld crucial information, it feels unfair.
If you set up a suspicious character or mysterious clue as a red herring, the reader still needs to understand what it actually was. An unresolved red herring feels like a plot hole, not a clever misdirection.
If you strip away the red herring and the answer is immediately obvious, the misdirection was doing too much heavy lifting. The real solution should be satisfying to discover, not simply the only thing left.
If everything is a false lead, the reader stops trusting anything you write and checks out. Use red herrings strategically - a few well-placed ones are far more effective than a dozen.
Try It Yourself
Write a 600-word mystery scene where three suspects are being questioned about a missing item. Plant one red herring - a detail about one suspect that seems damning but is actually innocent. Give the reader enough information to spot the real culprit if they pay close attention to the right details rather than the obvious ones.
Track Your Clues and Red Herrings
Novelium's plotting tools let you map every clue, false lead, and reveal so your mystery holds together from the first page to the final twist.