so that.....a thrill

I wrote the following paragraph:

A good mystery story leads the reader down the path and gives clues along the way so that when a conclusion is reached, the audience can follow it and feel a bit of a thrill at the brilliance of the detective.

I'm not sure about the uses of words and phrases here.

a) Is "so that" good here? I think "so" is enough.
b) Is "a bit of a thrill" okay here?

Silverobama said:

down the path

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I would use something like "through the plot" instead of that.

Silverobama said:

the audience

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"the reader".

Silverobama said:

at the brilliance of the detective.

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But not all mystery stories have detectives in them.

Silverobama said:

a) Is "so that" good here? I think "so" is enough.

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I prefer "so that".

Silverobama said:

b) Is "a bit of a thrill" okay here?

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It's okay.

Much appreciated. Please allow me to ask you some more question about this:

A good mystery story leads the reader through the plot and gives clues along the way so that when a conclusion is reached, the reader can follow it and feel a bit of a thrill at the brilliance of the detective.

a) Is the "the reader" plural here? Will it be better if I say "the readers"?
b) If there's more than one plot, can I say "through the plots"?

teechar said:

But not all mystery stories have detectives in them.

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c) What can I say instead to avoid this problem? What phrase would you suggest?

I've read a great many mystery stories in my life but can't ever remember being thrilled by the dénouements—stunned, astonished, gobsmacked perhaps.

I often admire the author's (not the fictional detective's) ingenuity.

Silverobama said:

a) Is the "the reader" plural here?

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No, it's singular.

Silverobama said:

Will it be better if I say "the readers"?

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No. The singular "reader" makes it feel personal.

Silverobama said:

b) If there's more than one plot, can I say "through the plots"?

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Usually, a novel has one main plot. It can have sub-plots, but it usually has only one main plot.

Silverobama said:

c) What can I say instead to avoid this problem? What phrase would you suggest?

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There is no problem.

I find "down the path" to be better. "Through the plot" is a bit too literal for me.