The Third Teacher: What Crime Fiction Can Learn from the Classroom? | Jessica Holme

Dear Reader,

What if the most important character in a crime novel isn’t the detective, the victim, or

even the killer but the setting itself?

In early childhood education, particularly within the Reggio Emilia approach, there’s a

compelling idea known as the “third teacher.” Alongside adults and peers, the environment plays an active role in shaping behaviour, guiding curiosity, and influencing how children interact with the world. Classrooms are not neutral spaces; they are carefully designed ecosystems that subtly direct movement, attention, and discovery.

Crime fiction, perhaps surprisingly, operates on the same principle.

We often think of setting as backdrop; a gloomy moor, a cramped flat, a fog-drenched

street. In the most effective crime stories, the environment is doing far more than setting the scene. It is shaping the narrative itself. It determines what characters can see, where they can go, what they can hide, and what they might miss. In this sense, setting becomes an invisible instructor, quietly teaching the characters and the reader what is possible.

Consider how space controls behaviour. A locked room mystery doesn’t just present

a puzzle; it dictates the boundaries of logic. A narrow alley channels pursuit. An isolated

house cuts off escape. Just like a thoughtfully arranged classroom, the layout of a crime

scene influences interaction, movement, and outcome.

Then there is access. What is visible, reachable, or concealed. In a classroom,

materials are placed to invite exploration. In crime fiction, clues are placed (or obscured) to guide suspicion. A hidden drawer, a poorly lit corner, a conveniently placed mirror these are not incidental details. They are deliberate design choices that control the flow of information.

Atmosphere plays its part too. Hemingway famously advised writers to pay attention to the weather. In his work, weather is never just weather. It presses on characters, limits them, exposes them, or drives them forward. The emotional tone of a space whether calm, chaotic, sterile, or decaying affects how characters behave within it. A brightly lit room may expose truths; darkness invites uncertainty. Fog blurs perception. Silence amplifies tension. The environment doesn’t just hold the story’s mood; it actively produces it.

And, just as in education, none of this is accidental. The teacher designs the

classroom. The writer designs the world. Every corridor, window, and shadow is constructed with intent. Seen this way, the setting in crime fiction is not passive. It is participatory. It guides, restricts, misleads, and reveals. It shapes decisions and, at times, determines fate. Just as a well-designed classroom quietly teaches, a well-crafted setting in crime fiction quietly reveals, restricts, and deceives. It doesn’t speak yet it is always telling us something.

Speak soon,

Jessica Holme

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Jessica is a Creative Writing master’s student documenting her journey through the craft of storytelling. On her Substack, she shares reflections and insights from her studies, original creative pieces, and interviews with writers about their craft and creative process. You can follow her work here: https://substack.com/@jpholme