Periodic Sentence:
A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end, after all introductory elements such as words, phrases and dependent clauses.

Example
"Across the stream, beyond the clearing, from behind a fallen tree, the lion emerged."
-Anonymous

Explanation:
This is an example of a periodic sentence, and was given as an example with the definition. This is a periodic sentence because the main idea, the lion, is introduced at the end. This adds to the level of suspense, nwhich can be useful in a detective novel/murder mystery novel. Also adds an effect of structural variety, making the sentence jump more than just a plain, dull, unoriginal sentence.