Murder Most Foul

MURDER MOST FOUL Honors 13409 2.5 credits

Why is it so fun to read about murder? It’s the most inhumane action a person can perpetrate, yet even the gentlest people are eager to cozy up with a “good murder.” In this class, we’ll examine the development of the genre from Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle, through the “Golden Age” of mysteries by Agatha Christie and Dashiell Hammett, and Barbara Neely. There will also be some outside reading so students can explore types of mysteries not discussed in class. Students will follow along as they try to solve the crimes detailed in the stories while also analyzing the language and technique that builds the stories themselves. Along the way, we’ll examine how the writer plants clues and red herrings, the difference between “fair” and “unfair” mysteries, and discuss how this lowly genre can make big social statements. Continued skill development in composition, speaking, vocabulary, language, and literary and non-fiction studies are the essential components of this course.