Going back to the mysteries angle on adventures, I've been on a
The Shadow kick. I liked the comics, dig the '94 movie, and I've listened to many of the Radio plays previously*, but now I'm diving into the original pulps, and they're glorious.
'Razorfist' got me on the kick again recently, and in his review he commented that Walter B. Gibson (aka Maxwell Grant) the author, would write a crime story where the villains were clever and successful, and then go back and insert the Shadow and his agents to thwart them.
It's a technique I'm going to play with - especially for mystery/hidden enemy type adventures. I already try to make sure the bad guys have a plan or at least a desired outcome, even if that is 'to be left alone', but I want to play with this more.
*The Phillip Marlowe/The Shadow/any mystery short like that I find useful to listen to as a DM... they have a tight focus, and an economy of action and plot, with interesting NPCs fleshed out perfectly for their role in the story... I find it useful to listen to a short one when I feel bogged down in prep. I've never used a plot one-for-one but they help me go back and work on my pacing.