Matthias Einterz, Jeremy Soto, Steven Thomas
Intro
Amateur Detective fiction has been a subgenre that has stood out in mystery fiction. It is one of the most popular types of mystery fiction and can be found in many books and movies that might not even seem like an amateur detective story. This is due to the fact that many detectives in pop-culture are not labeled as detectives which gives the story the subgenre of amateur detective. The ability for the reader to relate to the detective in these mysteries makes the subgenre extremely popular.
Features
Detective The “Detective” will be a non-police civilian with no current or previous career in solving crimes. They are often an acquaintance of the victim or a friend of one of the actual police detectives. This amateur is not only smarter than the police typically, but is also able to move about the environment unrecognized and without drawing attention.
Unrealistic According to John Dickinson Carr, detective fiction does not need to be realistic. This is especially true of Amature Detective stories where the reality of a civilian solving a crime is relatively low.
Link to the Author The characterization of the amateur detective will often give insight to the personality of the author. Sometimes the detective can represent the alter-ego of the author, or they can provide the author a new way of sharing their own world views. For example- Father Brown talks about many of the same faith based issues as his author G.K. Chesterton.
Famous Amateur Detectives
Miss Marple -Agatha Christie
C. Auguste Dupin- Edgar Allan Poe
Father Brown- G.K. Chesterton
Nancy Drew- Carolyn Keene*
Hardy Boys-Dixon & Robbins*
Jessica Fletcher- Murder She Wrote
Genre-defining Texts
Christie, Agatha. “The Blue Geranium.” Murderous Schemes: An Anthology of Classic Detective Stories, edited by Donald E. Westlake, Oxford University Press, 1996, pp. 207—220.
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Murders in the Rue Morgue, in The Unabridged Edgar Allan Poe, Running Press, 1983
Bentley, E. C. Trent's Last Case. Collins Crime Club, 2020.
The Hardy Boys, created by Franklin W. Dixon, 1927-2005
Oliver, Anthony. The Pew Group. Magna, 1987.
S., VAN DINE S. BENSON MURDER CASE. FLAME TREE Publishing, 2020.
Porter, Joyce. A Meddler and Her Murder. Bello, 2013.
Conclusion
These Amateur Detective stories have stood the test of time and landed themselves well to modern adaptations. The very first story in detective literature- Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” had an amateur detective, and the popular television shows “Murder She Wrote” and “Father Brown” were also based around amateur detectives. These stories do well at drawing the reader or viewer in, as they can personally relate to the amateur more easily than they might with a police detective.
Sources
“Amateur Detective.” Oxford Reference, www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195072396.001.0001/acref-9780195072396-e-0022.
Carr, John Dickson. “The Locked-Room Lecture.” The Art of the Mystery Story: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Howard Haycroft, Simon and Schuster, 1946, pp. 273—286.
R. F. Stewart, And Always a Detective: Chapters on the History of Detective Fiction (1980).
Julian Rutherford, Porter High, Ahmaud Hill
The Clue-puzzle mystery, commonly known as “Whodunit”, was written in the mid-1800’s. The first detective fiction text was "The Murders of Rue Morgue", by Edgar Allan Poe. Following Poe’s text, Wilkie Collins wrote the first detective novel, “The Moonstone” in 1868 (Martin). The term “Whodunit” was conceived by Donald Gordon, as he used this term in his review of “Half-Mast Murder”.
The most important feature of a clue-puzzle mystery, is the ability for the reader to take the place of the detective. Instead of just reading the text, the reader can divulge into the text. Reader-response theory focuses on the reader’s role in bringing meaning to the story through his or her own knowledge, experience, and opinions. The Westing Game provides bits of information the Westing heirs can piece together to form a complete picture. Raskin allows readers to play the game and fit the pieces of the puzzle together themselves rather than relying on a narrator (Morris, 2017). The clue-puzzle subgenre is appealing to the reader because the reader is given all of the clues to try and figure the case out. Sometimes, the reader may not be able to figure out who the culprit is, but the suspense and reader interaction keeps readers coming back for more.
Features
According to William G. Tapply’s, The Elements of Mystery Fiction: Writing the Modern Whodunit, he explains that the features of clue-puzzle mysteries are described as:
The puzzle- The important question that drives the plot of every mystery novel and short story is: Who did it? Who committed the crime (generally murder)? At the beginning, neither the reader nor the story’s protagonist knows the answer.
Detection- The investigation of the crime constitutes the story’s central action. When the puzzle is solved, the story ends.
The sleuth as hero- The protagonist is the character who solves the puzzle, generally through his intelligence, perseverance, courage, physical strength, moral conviction, or a combination of these qualities.
The worthy villain- The antagonist, generally the murderer, tests the limits of the sleuth’s. The villain is clever, resourceful, and single-mindedly intent on getting away with his crime. He makes the puzzle a supreme challenge for both the sleuth and the reader.
Fair play- All of the evidence uncovered by the sleuth, in the form of clues, is equally available to the The climactic revelation presents no evidence that hasn’t already been disclosed in the course of the story.
Realism and logic- Everything fits, makes sense, and could happen the way it’s depicted in the Mystery stories take place in actual places, or fictional places that seem real. They are populated with characters who resemble real people. Readers care about these characters, engage them emotionally, and feel as if they know them. (Tapply, 1995)
Genre-defining Texts
Christie, Agatha. “The Blue Geranium.” Murderous Schemes: An Anthology of Classic Detective Stories, edited by Donald E. Westlake, Oxford University Press, 1996, pp. 207—220.
Christie, Agatha. “Murder at the Vicarage.” 1930.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Adventure of the Speckled Band, compling.hss.ntu.edu.sg/canon/spec.html.
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Murders in the Rue Morgue, in The Unabridged Edgar Allan Poe, Running Press, 1983, pp. 655—84.
Raskin, Elllen. “The Westing Game.” E.P. Dutton, 1978.
These texts define the clue-puzzle subgenre. Authors such as Agatha Christie, Arthur Doyle and Ellen Raskin have made the clue-puzzle genre appealing for the reader. This subgenre of detective fiction allows for the reader to solve the case alongside the detective. A person looking to divulge in this subgenre can either read the texts, such as the ones above, or view them. Due to the popularity of Clue-puzzle mysteries, television series such as "Scooby Doo, Where Are You!" adobteed this subgenre. One of the most prominent characters in detective fiction is Sherlock Holmes, by Artuher Doyle. There are many books, television shows, and movies that have incorporated this character, which made him so recognizable.
References
Morris, Rebecca. 2017. Mystery. Essential Literary Genres. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Essential Library, an imprint of Abdo Publishing.
Martin, Emily. A Brief History of Whodunit. https://www.novelsuspects.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-whodunit/
Tapply, William G. 1995. The Elements of Mystery Fiction: Writing The Modern Whodunit
Blake Thomas, Gerard Seig, Ian Skalla
Palatable Murder: The Cozy Mystery
The Cozy Mystery genre is exactly what it sounds like: books with an easy, safe plot that provide the reader with a predictable, exciting murder mystery. Cozy mysteries gained popularity in the late 20th century as a response to the seriousness presented from the hardboiled mystery genre gaining popularity in the mid 20th century (Price). Authors and readers wanted to experience lighter mysteries that relied on the rules of mysteries more. The cozy mystery genre was an attempt to recreate the golden age of mysteries by basing their genre on the works of Agatha Christie, specifically Miss Jane Marple’s character. Readers are taken on a light journey through a comfortable, usually small town with a friendly, amatuer detective to try to solve the mild murder that has rattled the community of regular folks until they are eventually lead to a satisfactory resolution to the mystery and a general happy ending.
Features
Protagonist: In the Cozy Mystery genre the protagonist is an amature detective who is, in most cases, a woman (though male protagonists exist). Usually, the protagonist has an occupation that allows them to hear gossip or gather information and they often have a friend in the police department (or something to the same effect) that allows them to get nonpublic info (Price).
Antagonist: Articulate to the point where they are not socially isolated or easily suspected due to lack of sociability. The Murder is well educated and ratioal and acts not out of evil but a logical motive which allows for “fair” mysteries (Houghton).
Setting: Cozy Mysteries take place in confined spaces or some sort of closed system. A small town is most popular, however, a marketplace or a manor works just as well. The main idea is to engender a sense of community that the protagonist cares about and in which they are an active member (Price).
Crimes: The crimes committed in a Cozy Murder mystery have a family friendly approach to how they’re presented. There is no on-the-page violence, explicitly sexual scenes, or swearing as that would eliminate the light atmosphere behind the story. On top of that, perilous scenes are never too scary, dark, or dangerous. The audience always knows that the protagonist and their companions are safe. Finally, when the crime is described for the audience, the descriptions are bloodless and devoid of gore or significant violence. Much like the Whodunit and golden age genres, the cozy mystery genre focuses on the mystery aspect of the crime and keeps the attention away from the violent parts (Price).
Sub Genres: many texts under the Cozy genre fall into three sub genres, culinary, animals, or crafts and hobbies. These sub genres all add to the comfortable and controlled environment that the Cozy genre enhabits. The culinary genre many times involves “junk-food” or other melas that generally constitute pleasure. Animals are generally pets, excluding exotic or dangerous animals and mainly involving pets such as cats and dogs. And crafts and hobbies are used to reinforce the cozy atmosphere of the text (Good Reads).
Comfort: Warmth and a feeling of contentment are central aspects of this genre. The setting, characters and dialogue act to create a comfortable atmosphere that never strings the reader allowing them to focus on the process of investigation and have a pleasant time doing so.
Resolution: In the Cozy genre, the mystery is always solved. There is no anxiety inducing ambiguous ending. The villain never gets away. This, complemented by the fact that in a cozy, the crime is solved logically and eventually explained in plain detail, leads to a satisfying feeling ending.
Characters
Miss Marple- the original detective of cozy mysteries, she is an old fashioned “typical old maid of fiction,” developed observational skills by simply people watching outside of St. Mary Mead and uses those skills to solve the case.
Jessica Fletcher (TV) - A sharp, old widow who lives in a small coastal town, highly successful mystery novel author which gives her superb observational skills, solved hundreds of cozy mysteries over her twelve year airtime.
Authors
Agatha Christie
Joanne Fluke
Alexander MaCall Smith
M.C. Beaton
Genre-defining Texts
Murder, she wrote (TV)
Miss Jane Marple Series (Agatha Christie)
The Chocholate Chip Cookie Murder (Joanne Fluke)
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Alexander McCall Smith)
Midsomer Murders (TV); although containing more gruesome murders the series takes place in a small town and utilizes the same strategies to comfort the reader and provide an enjoyable resolution.
Agatha Raisin series (M.C. Beaton)
Shakespeare and Hathaway (TV)
In short, the Cozy Mystery genre attempts to preserve the innocence of its readers and focus on creating a calm, controlled and comfortable setting for a mystery. These constraints on how graphic the text can be allows readers to enjoy the experience. Amateur detetives dominate this genre, logical and sound reasoning and the odd connection to a doctor or helpful friend to uncover the mystery. Cozy Mysteries are what they seem; light, contained, and focused on the process of detective work unaccosted by graphic content. Resolution of the mystery is essential; allowing the reader to have a sense of fulfilment which provides satisfaction at the end of the story. This genre will leave you content and smiling as the supporting cast offers comedic relief just in case the already docile murder is a bit too much.
Works cited
Price , Trizah. “What Makes a Cozy Mystery?” Novel Suspects, November 30, 2020. https://www.novelsuspects.com/articles/what-makes-a-cozy-mystery/.
Houghton, Kristen. “The Immense Popularity of the Cozy Mysteries.” HuffPost. HuffPost, February 4, 2017. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-immense-popularity-of-the-cozy-mysteries_b_9143266.
“Cozy Mystery Books.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/genres/cozy-mystery.
Wade Richard Ripple and Sam Patrick Russell
The term hard-boiled was originally used to refer to “tough drill sergeants who made men out of boys and soldiers out of civilians'' during WWI (DeAndrea p. 153). Hard-Boiled mysteries are nose to the ground stories that involve a private detective solving a crime that is surrounded by violence, greed, and corruption (Moore p. 3). The writing takes place in urban areas from the 1920s to the 1940s and usually is associated with the bad part of town. Lewis Moore says, “During the 1920s, Prohibition and the rise of the gangster provide a backdrop against which the genre develops.” (Moore p. 3). The Hard-Boiled writing style resonates with the readers, because it deals with the real concerns of life, yet the story is still unrealistic because the problems are solved. The Hard-Boiled genre puts characters in bad scenarios that seem impossible to get out of, yet the characters' brawn, quick wit, and decisiveness lead the detective out of trouble. Hard-Boiled relies heavily on the idea of love interests, and usually, the detective is helping a woman in distress.
Most Hard-Boiled mysteries are quite explicit with sex, brawling, and drinking all being center points of the work. Although Hammet, the most influential Hard-Boiled author, defines the genre as more than just a “tough, unsentimental point of view” (DeAndrea, p. 153). The Hard-Boiled genre uses the idea that the tough masculine ideology that the main character has is somewhat of a facade and that he is actually tender-hearted on the inside. This use of character development entices the reader to dive into the psyche of the detective and helps the reader rationalize the characters' harsh tone and demeanor.
Defining Characteristics
Features: Hard-Boiled mysteries are like other genres including Pulp and Noir mysteries, but Hard-Boiled has certain characteristics that define it as its own. Not only is this style explicit, but Hard-Boiled also has to have these features outlined by Otto Penzler, who is regarded as the world’s foremost authority on crime, mystery, and suspense fiction (Penzler).
-Private Investigator- The main character or hero leading the story should be a private investigator who has former knowledge and experience of the crime world. The P.I. should understand the world around him and should not be someone just getting into crime investigation.
-Realistic- The story must have a realistic narrative, and should not be convoluted with outlandish happenings. The story must have a real-life feel, and readers must be able to easily rationalize the plot.
-Toughness- The private investigator must be tough, and should not be afraid to get in fights and get beat up himself. Resilience should be a virtue that the P.I. has, and his steadfast working will be one of the best attributes he possesses.
-Moral Code- The private investigator must have some type of moral code, but the P.I. can be prone to violence, unlawful activities, and bending the rules. The P.I. is seeking justice, and they always stay true to their moral code no matter the circumstances.
-First Person- The writing is from the perspective of the P.I., and gives incite to internal thoughts and presumptions from the P.I..This style does not give incite to the criminal and is very much a one-sided perspective.
-Meager Rewards- The reward for the job is never anything outrageous. The reward should be enough for the P.I. to keep in business, but high profile or high reward cases are few.
Authors and Important Texts:
-Dashiell Hammett: A former private investigator himself, is the pioneer of the Hard-Boiled detective genre.
Texts: The Road Home (1922), Red Harvest (1929), The Dain Curse (1929), The Maltese Falcon (1930),
-Carroll John Daly: Like Hammett, Daly was a pioneer of the industry. Daly was the first to create a Hard-Boiled detective story, and his signature character was Race Williams.
Texts: The False Burton Combs (1922)
-Mickey Spillane: A Hard-Boiled writer best known for his story’s extreme mix of sex and violence. He is not afraid to hurt people, but only those who commit a crime.
Texts: The Jury (1947), One Lonely Night (1951), The Girl Hunters (1962)
-Raymond Chandler: He was inspired by Hammett to get into the Hard-Boiled genre. Many of his early works from 1939 to the late 1940s were published in Black Mask.
Texts: The Big Sleep (1939), Farwell, My Lovely (1940)
These authors and texts defined the genre. Most of these authors were published in the infamous Black Mask magazine. Black Mask was created in 1920, and quickly made the Hard-Boiled genre popular. Daly was the first to be published in the magazine, but it was Hammett’s character Sam Spade that really set the standard for the genre.
Important Characters:
Sam Spade: Spade was Hammett’s signature detective character and he was a “romantic notion of what a real-life PI would have liked to be” (DeAndrea, p. 153) He is the traditional hard-boiled mystery poster boy.
Race Williams: Williams was always able to get out of sticky situations, most of the time by shooting his way out. He was a classic Hard-Boiled character, always showing toughness and the ability to think on his feet.
Mike Hammer: A violent protagonist who viscously pursued the bad guy all while identifying as a villain himself.
Phillip Marlowe: A more sympathetic representation of Hammett’s Sam Spade, even further romanticized in a fantasy world.
Citations:
“Carroll John Daly:The First Hard Boiled Detective Writer.” Vintage Library, www.vintagelibrary.com/pulpfiction/authors/Carroll-John-Daly.php.
Encyclopedia Mysteriosa: a Comprehensive Guide to the Art of Detection in Print, Film, Radio and Television, by William L. DeAndrea, Macmillan, 1997.
Gregory A. Waller (1985) Mike Hammer and the Detective Film of the 1980s, Journal of Popular Film and Television, 13:3, 108-125, DOI: 10.1080/01956051.1985.10661999
Moore, Lewis D. Cracking the Hard-Boiled Detective: a Critical History from the 1920s to the Present. McFarland, 2006.
Penzler, Otto. “What Is a Hard-Boiled Novel?” CrimeReads, 8 May 2018, crimereads.com/what-is-a-hard-boiled-novel/.
“Raymond Chandler.” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/name/nm0151452/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm.
James Lewis, Thai Phung, and Tyler Scheidt
HISTORICAL MYSTERIES HISTORY (19th Century)
Historical mysteries (or historical whodunit) is a subgenre of two literary genres, historical fiction, and mystery fiction. The works of this sub-genre are the example of sub-categories set in a historical context. For example, Florence King's "A Wasp Looks at Lizzie Borden". It’s identified as a creative nonfiction/historical mystery by analyzing the murder weapon to criticize WASP culture. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves the solving of a mystery or crime, which is usually murder.
The genre transports its audience to another time and place, either real or imagined. The work of this genre requires a balance of historical research and creativity to integrate the imaginary elements into real historical events. While it often includes real people and events, the genre introduces a completely unique story to its audience from its fiction writer.
1. Genre features
Historical mysteries are a combination of two literary genres, historical fiction, and mystery fiction, so it reflects both of these genres’ distinctive features. Based on the research of historical fiction and mystery fiction of “Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories” by S.S. Van Dine and “Seven Rules for Writing Historical Fiction” by Elizabeth Crook, the historical mysteries can be explained as follows:
Characterization: The characters are ordinary people who did or could have lived in the historical setting. They are usually shaped by the historical setting. In addition, they also change throughout the storyline and the crime in order to resolve it. The characters of this genre include a detective, victim(s), a murder/criminal - culprit, witnesses, etc.
Historical setting: There is a mixture of reality and fictional events. Significant historical events are historically accurate, but minor events and/or characters may be added or modified. The place and time are particularly historical. Everything must be based on historical-geographical location and historical period.
Plot–chain, and events: The plot must be plausible and convincing. The problem or puzzling event is a result of the time or place in history for characters to resolve. The active audience should also be able to keep track of the story and collect evidence similar to the detective. In addition, the author usually uses foreshadowing or clues to tease the audience’s curiosity. The crime or event is usually a result of time or place in the history for the character to resolve. Throughout the storyline, the audience usually has a sense that that the story (crime) really happened or could have happened.
Problem/Conflict: The mystery of the story, which is usually a crime, gets the detective and other characters involved throughout the storyline of the particular historical mystery. The authors should fill the story with clues (e.g. from crime scene investigation, suspenseful dialogue, etc.) to get the audience to be actively involved in piecing information together. In addition, The story must be told with significant details to place the audience in the historical setting with the problem. Some events are accurate, but not all information is authentic. Characters and dialog that are being made up need to relate information without distortion of events to include different points of view during the historical time. In short, the story requires this made-up information to fits the historical aspects.
The Solution: The solution to the problem is the way the action is resolved. It is important that the solution is believable, based on the plot and the chain of events. The author of this genre must include all the necessary evidence for the audience to get to this solution. The solution to the story’s problem should satisfy the audience for both problem and historical aspects.
2. Genre-defining texts
The Face of a Stranger – Anne Perry
Death Comes as the End – Agatha Christies
March Violets – Philip Kerr
Mosley, Walter. “Smoke. “Six Easy Pieces: Easy Rawlins Stories, Washington Square, 2003, pp. 1—40.
The Clockmaker’s Daughter - Kate Morton
Conclusion
Today, the historical mystery genre remains thriving. Famous authors like Sue Grafton, Robert B Parker, and Anny Perry are famous figures in the genre. The mystery novel has changed over time but it never seems to fail to fascinate its readers.
3. References
Van Dine, S.S. “Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories,” The Art of the Mystery Story: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Howard Haycroft, Simon and Schuster, 1946, pp. 189—193.
Crook, E., 2005. “Seven Rules for Writing Historical Fiction”, article by Elizabeth Crook. [online] Elizabethcrookbooks.com. Available at: <http://www.elizabethcrookbooks.com/articles/historical_fiction.htm>
King, Florence. “A Wasp Looks at Lizzie Borden.” Retellings: A Thematic Literature Anthology, edited by M.B. Clarke and A.G. Clarke, McGraw Hill, 2004, pp. 246—253.
Elijah Scurlock, Daniel Burkert
The golden age (American) mystery was set between the first and second world wars, from around the 1920’s -1930’s. These types of mysteries were ones where a puzzle needed to be solved, and the audience could solve it with the detective. The golden age includes a variety of sub genres of detective fiction such as hard-boiled, cozy mysteries, and locked room.
The golden age (American) genre also had an emphasis on fairness and what influenced this are the 20 rules for writing detective stories that S.S. Van Dine lays out. Ronald Knox simplifies these with his own 10 commandments of detective fiction. This genre is geared towards the intellectual reader who can pick up on the smallest of details and disregard any red herrings effectively to be able to solve the story with the detective, or perhaps even before the detective.
Authors
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Viewed as the Agatha Christie of America
Credited with the phrase “The butler did it” even though she never directly used the phrase (Merriman)
SS Van Dine
Pseudonym for Willard Huntington Wright
Studied the mystery detective genre while recovering from an illness before eventually writing his own novels (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Ellery Queen
Pseudonym for Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee aka (Daniel Nathan and Manford Lepofsky)
Dannay and Lee were cousins coauthoring under the same pseudonym (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Erie Stanley Gardner
Famous for his creation of the character of Perry Mason
Wrote novels, scripts for radio, and movie scripts (All three based on the character Perry Mason) (Encyclopaedia.com)
Major Works
The Door by Mary Roberts Rinehart
This is the work that is often credited with starting the cliché that the butler did it.
The Red Lamp by Mary Roberts Rinehart (Merriman)
Philo Vance Series by SS Van Dine
“Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories” by SS Van Dine
This was an essay that SS Van Dine wrote in order to explain the genre to other writers
This essay was published in American Magazine (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner
Published in the Saturday Evening Post
Created character of Perry Mason (Encyclopaedia.com)
Features
The golden age of detective fiction was defined by specific guidelines that S.S. Van Dine and Ronald Knox believed to be important rules that writers needed to keep in mind when developing a mystery. The list below comprises what can be seen as the most crucial components of the golden age genre:
Detective: There must only be one detective, if there were multiple the reader would have to divide their interest as well as having an unfair advantage. The detective himself must not commit the crime, and must not discover any clues which are not immediately produced for the reader. This does not mean that the reader must pick up on or correctly discern what the clue is or what it means, just that it must be present within the story that the reader has a chance of discovery.
Culprit: There must only be culprit, they may however have a helper or co-plotter, but the main responsibility for the crime must be by one person. The culprit must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story and must play a more or less prominent role. Enough so that the reader has taken interest. A professional criminal may not be the one to commit the current crime and no use of undiscovered poisons or anything that needs long scientific explanations can be used as a means to commit the crime. The butler or servant can be the culprit but should be avoided, it is too easy, and twins, or doubles, cannot be used unless the reader has been duly prepared for them.
Fair: Reader must have equal opportunity with the detective to solve the crime. No tricks can be played on the reader that is not also being played on the detective by the culprit. No accident must ever help the detective in determining the culprit or the how of the crime. The way in which crime is committed must not delve into pseudo science or imaginative or speculative devices, it cannot become a fantasy story if it is to stay within the detective fiction genre. The solution must be apparent. This means, after hearing the explanation from the detective for the crime, the reader can look back and see that the solution had been there the whole time, had they picked up on the clues.
Story: Must not be a love interest because that would deviate for the main problem at hand, and that is solving a crime. There should not be any long side stories, no subtly worked out character analyses, and the crime must never be an accident or a suicide. The motive for the criminal must be personal because politics is too complicated and uninteresting.
Solution: The solving of the crime must be done without the use of anything that could be considered paranormal. There needs to be some type of logical reasoning, things like intuition, Ouija boards, fortune tellers, etc. are off limits. Along with that any supernatural explanation, like it was a ghost or demon, are ruled out as well.
There must be a body.
The Golden Age of American detective fiction historically is dated in the 1920s and 1930s. This era was highlighted by many different subgenres including hardboiled, cozy, and locked room mysteries. There was an emphasis at this time to follow a structure that has been laid out by S.S. Van Dine and Ronald Knox. There were many other contributors to the field at the time including Mary Roberts Rhinehart, Ellery Queen, and Erle Stanley Gardner. This being the Golden Age, these writers and their ideas and characters have had long lasting effects that can still be noticed today. Even the cliché of blaming the butler stemmed from this time. It suffices to say that the foundation that was set during this time, is the same one that is used by detective fiction writers today.
References
Dewan, P. The golden age of detective fiction. http://mysterypageturners.blogspot.com/2010/04/golden-age-of-detective-fiction.html#:~:text=The%20novels%20from%20this%20era,%2C%20maps%2C%20and%20railway%20timetables.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc. Ellery Queen. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ellery-Queen.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc. S.S. Van Dine. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/S-S-Van-Dine.
Encyclopaedia.com. Erle Stanley Gardner. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/american-literature-biographies/erle-stanley-gardner.
Martin, E. (2021, February 8). A Brief History of Detective Fiction. Novel Suspects. https://www.novelsuspects.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-detective-fiction/.
Merriman, C. D. (2006). Biography of Mary Roberts Rinehart. The Literature Network: Online classic literature, poems, and quotes. Essays & Summaries. http://www.online-literature.com/mary-rinehart/.
O'Neil, S. (2017, January 28). Ronald Knox's Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction. http://seanoneillwriter.com/ronald-knoxs-ten-commandments-of-detective-fiction/.
Van Dine, S.S. “Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories,” The Art of the Mystery Story: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Howard Haycroft, Simon and Schuster, 1946, pp. 189—193.
Jake Reid
Technically speaking, the British Golden Age, in reference to the detective fiction phenomenon, is confined to the roughly twenty-year period between the end of the first World War and the beginning of the second. However, the subgenre that is British Golden Age has roots as far back as the 1880’s with writers such as English author Arthur Conan Doyle’s Adventures of Sherlock Holmes works showing signs of influence in British Golden Age writing that carried in Great Britain to the start of the second World War.
Unlike their American counterparts, who created new subgenres such as “hard-boiled” stories and expanded the boundaries of the genre laterally, the queens of the era who dominated the influence of British literature maintained the inspirations of the mid-to-late 19th century while pushing detective fiction forward in ways such as the “cozy” detective story, as seen with the adventures of Agatha Christie’s detective character Miss Marple.
A British Golden Age story invokes most of the same tropes that define detective fiction as have been established from the first popularization of detective stories while creating new settings or tropes with which one can play and create a shifted puzzle for the reader.
Specific Features
Golden Age stories follow a formulaic plotline that most of us are familiar with to this day, but there are many notable characteristics which stand out in British Golden Age writing.
Outsider Detective - The sleuth character, whatever the profession or hobby other than investigation, is virtually always an outsider to the rest of the cast of characters. Think Miss Marple in “The Blue Geranium,” where she is a mutual acquaintance to the household with murder troubles leading into the story. This method puts the investigator and reader on the same level as far as familiarity with the settings and people which drive the plot forward. There is a reason for this and is a device to allow for another key characteristic of Golden Age fiction, the role of the reader as an investigator.
“They connect with the community only while they investigate. And once the crime has been solved, they no longer have a right to remain. They disappear.” (Horowitz)
Puzzle Solved openly through rationality - British detective fiction in the Golden Age can be seen as a step into escapism and gameplay, as most stories of the time are set up as puzzles which the reader must solve along with the detective. The violence of the early 20th century drew many away from the thriller aspects of mystery fiction, and the dominating genre in mystery of the age reflected this aversion by constructing interesting, well-written stories as clue games like crossword puzzles. Each step along the path of the plot has some set of clues which the reader must accept or reject as genuine; the majority are genuine yet fit into the solution in a creative way. Since the reader must be able to follow the clues to a rewarding ending and be able to reread and catch what they missed. This requires the solution to derive from the clues of the plot in a logical manner, in order to remain fair with the audience.
“The novels from this era are plot- and puzzle-driven. Golden Age writers focus on clever and intriguing storylines, often at the expense of character development.” (Dewan)
You need a body – Every good detective story has a body by the end of the first act. This was true for decades before the end of the first World War, but almost all detective stories of the time solved the mystery of a murder. Now, there is a uniquity in Golden Age stories. The murder or murders, however gruesome, are always done “off-screen” in order to keep the real violence of the stories to a minimum. Despite the era’s mixed emotions toward violence, murder was still the most attractive form of crime in fiction.
“Cozy” mysteries - So prevalent in the era it is considered a subgenre in its own right, the thematic setting of the “cozy” mystery movement place the game of the story in utmost importance. All violence, sexual or otherwise, occurs out of sight or before the story is told and descriptions of gruesome results or methods beyond what is needed to solve the puzzle is avoided. The sleuth may be a resident of the town or village where the story is set but is still an effective outsider according to the narrative and is specifically an amateur detective or a hobbyist.
“The murders may be brutal but are generally not described in that way.” (Horowitz)
“Isolated” communities - This can be seen as a looser way of conveying the locked-room method in detective fiction. Whereas a locked-room mystery normally occurs within a building closed off from the world or the crime is committed behind a locked door, the isolated village or estate approach is an effective way used by Golden Age authors to allow for convenient acquaintances in the cast and a relatively closed off community through “natural” means. This reaches back to tropes in detective fiction as old as Sherlock Holmes, whose cliché “murdered country squire” is on level playing field with “the butler did it.” The setting is close and normally cordial; even the murderers have a sense of respect.
“They take place in a gentler world where people live in close communities—St. Mary Mead perhaps or even the reinvented villages of Midsomer.” (Horowitz)
Familiar Cast of Characters - Because of this isolated setting, the cast of characters, who all become suspects, have some relation to one another, whether with a few people or the whole group. Everyone is now a suspect; everyone now has some discernable motive to commit the crime. This broadens the possibilities within the game and provides for a level competitive field where characters compete for our suspicion.
“Everyone knows everyone, which is actually a vital ingredient of the story. It’s why everyone is a suspect and also why the truth, when the net curtains are torn down, is so shocking.” (Horowitz)
Significant Authors
The British variation of the Golden Age saw women dominate the genre by a fairly large margin. The works of these authors laid the foundation for most mystery writing today. Such authors include:
Agatha Christie - The undisputed queen of detective fiction, the bestselling fiction author of all time, and writer of some of the most memorable crime stories ever written, including Murder on the Orient Express and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
Josephine Tey - The pseudonym for Scottish author and playwright Elizabeth MacKintosh, who created the Inspector Alan Grant Series.
G.K. Chesterton – Apologetic, philosopher, critic and author most known for writing the mysteries of Father Brown.
Dorothy Sayers – Poet and author of the extremely influential stories revolving around Lord Peter Wimsey.
Margery Allingham - Scottish author known for her historical work such as The Daughter of Time and for creating the fictional detective, Albert Campion.
Significant Characters
Hercule Poirot - French detective of Agatha Christie’s creation known, aside of Orient Express and Death on the Nile, for his great mustache.
Miss Marple - Eccentric yet kindly sleuth of Agatha Christie’s cozier stories mostly occurring in the community of St. Mary Mead.
Father Brown – Fictional Priest and detective of creation by G.K. Chesterton in works published actively for thirty years. Unlike many more deductive characters, Father Brown tends to rely on intuition ().
Albert Campion - Upper-class detective created by Margery Allingham.
Lord Peter Wimsey – Described as a “monocled aristocratic dilettante” (Britannica), the refined gentleman detective created by Dorothy Sayers.
Alan Grant – Detective Inspector if Scotland Yard and one of the few detectives on the British side during the Golden Age to be in law enforcement; created by Dorothy Sayers.
Significant Works
And then There Were None (1939) Agatha Christie
Christie’s best-known work which breaks multiple detective fiction rules while crafting a devastating narrative.
The Blue Geranium (1929) Agatha Christie
A work we had studied in class, and an adventure of Miss Marple, in which she solves the murder of a troubled woman.
A Shilling for Candles (1936) Josephine Tey
Inspector Alan Grant solves the mystery of the drowning of actress Christine Clay. It is the basis for the Alfred Hitchcock movie Young and Innocent.
Murder on the Orient Express (1934) Agatha Christie
Hercule Poirot’s most famous exploit, a locked-room mystery involving the murder of a man on a train away from station. I should avoid too many spoilers, but if you are fan of mystery stories you are most likely aware of this story, which breaks a key “rule” of the detective genre.
The Quick One (1935) G.K. Chesterton
One of the most famous of the later Father Brown stories.
Unnatural Death (1927) Dorothy Sayers
Lord Wimsey investigates the mysterious death of elderly cancer patient Agatha Dawson.
Death at the President’s Lodging (1937) Michael Innes
Detective Appleby solves the murder of the president of St. Anthony’s College.
References
“Lord Peter Wimsey.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica,
Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Lord-Peter-Wimsey.
Horowitz, Anthony. “The Gold in Golden Age Detective Fiction.” Criminal Element, 9 Nov. 2020, www.criminalelement.com/the-gold-in-golden-age-detective-fiction/
Dewan, Pauline. The Golden Age of Detective Fiction, 27 Apr. 2010,
mysterypageturners.blogspot.com/2010/04/golden-age-of-detective-fiction.html#:~:text=The%20novels%20from%20this%20era,%2C%20maps%2C%20and%20railway%20timetables.
Graves, Walter. “The Best Selling Fiction Authors of All Time.” Ranker, 7 Nov. 2018, www.ranker.com/list/the-best-selling-fiction-authors-of-all-time/walter-graves.
Jake Vermeulen
Zain Raza
A typical detective story involves a plot in which a series of clues are given to the viewer and those clues are used to deduce the killer at the end of the story. An inverted story is exactly as it sounds: it’s the opposite of a typical storyline. The story begins by describing the murder – usually in the very first scenes or sentences. In some cases, the viewer may even know who, what, where, and why right from the beginning. All the excitement and thrill lies in the chase. The storyline revolves around the question of how the detective will solve a crime that seems to have no trail left behind. To keep the audience at the edge of their seats, the narrator periodically shifts who has the upper hand, between the detective and the criminal. Connor Raikes, a screenwriter and blogger, writes about Columbo, an inverted detective television series, that:
Columbo creators William Link and Richard Levinson understood that the chase can be just as interesting as the mystery. The show compels you to watch, not to identify the murderer, but to watch how the murderer gets caught. This plot structure is the "reverse whodunnit" - or, to borrow the term coined by Link and Levinson, a "howcatchem.” (2019).
Features
Inverted Detective Stories often share many of the same characteristics. While many of these are negotiable to a certain extent, they typically exhibit many of these features:
Starts with the Crime – the story is “inverted” because instead of finding out who the killer is and how the murder was committed at the end, the murder is described (usually in great detail) within the first few scenes of the story. The audience usually knows many, if not most, of the key details of the crime, including the identity of the murderer. This is the defining feature of inverted detective stories.
“No” Mystery: the killer and the method of killing is usually known from the very beginning. This changes our focus and makes us more interested in finding out how the detective catches the murderer. This makes for a different type of audience engagement. Author Shane Mawe argues that:
Much like competition stories, this format was designed to include and engage the reading audience, who enjoy full knowledge of the circumstances of the crime and can concentrate on the unraveling of the case, which moves from “whodunit” to “howcatchem.” Knowledge is power, and with inverted mysteries, authors offer their readers the feeling of participation. (2020).
Motive and the Chase: because the ‘how’ and ‘by whom’ of the crime is known to the reader, the focus tends to shift toward why the killer committed the murder, or how the detective will catch the killer. Columbo and Luther writer Neil Cross said, “I thought there was great drama to be found in watching a psychological duel between cop and criminal” (“London Belongs to Luther,” 2010).
Dramatic Irony: sets up many opportunities for dramatic irony because the reader knows more about the crime than the detective does. The reader can see when the detective is right on the cusp of making a crucial discovery, or when he has close encounters with the culprit.
Plays with our Focus: the stories often rely on the audience being “so occupied with the crime” the first time around that we miss or overlook key details. This helps keep the narrative fresh and exciting as we rediscover things that we might have thought insignificant at first, which later prove to be important to the investigation. The originator of the subgenre, R. Austin Freeman, wrote that:
The reader had seen the crime committed, knew all about the criminal, and was in possession of all the facts. It would have seemed that there was nothing left to tell, but I calculated that the reader would be so occupied with the crime that he would overlook the evidence. And so it turned out. The second part, which described the investigation of the crime, had to most readers the effect of new matter. (1941).
Popular in Visual Mediums: some of the more prominent examples of this genre can be found in movies and television shows. Examples of this include Dial M for Murder, Columbo, Luther, and Criminal Minds which all utilize the format of showing the crime first.
Genre-defining Texts & Authors
Iles, F. (1931). Malice aforethought: The story of commonplace crime. New York: Harper.
Knott, Frederick. Dial M for Murder: Final Script. 1953.
Breckman, Andy, and David Hoberman. “Monk.” Episode, n.d.
Roman, John L. Whole. Law & Order: Criminal Intent, September 30, 2001.
Bester, Alfred. 1983. Demolished Man. Pocket Books.
Sayers, Dorothy L. 1987. Strong Poison. Mattituck, NY: Amereon.
Conclusion
The person who is credited with creating the genre of inverted detective stories is R. Austin Freeman. His first work regarding this genre can be found in his 1912 collection of short stories The Singing Bone. The genre has become particularly popular in film and television in part because it gives the opportunity to start off with an attention-grabbing scene – the murder itself.
References
Raikes, Connor. 2019. “The ‘Howcatchem’ Hero - How Columbo’s Innovative Plot Structure Makes You Love Him More — Connor Raikes.” Connorraikes.com. Connor Raikes. May 28, 2019. https://www.connorraikes.com/script-studies/howcatchem-hero-columbo.
Freeman, R. Austin. 2018. The Singing Bone (Freeman) (1912) by: R. Austin Freeman. North Charleston, SC: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
Mawe, Shane. "Freeman Wills Crofts and the Inverted Mystery." In Guilt Rules All: Irish Mystery, Detective, and Crime Fiction, edited by Mannion Elizabeth and Cliff Brian, 13-25. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 2020. Accessed March 8, 2021. doi:10.2307/j.ctvz9389g.5.
“London Belongs to Luther.” Televisual, May 2010, 10-12. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f3h&AN=55432110&site=ehost-live&scope=site
R. Austin Freeman. “The Art of the Detective Story.” In Dr. Thorndyke’s Crime File. Dodd, Mead & Company, 1941.
Elan Justice Pavlinich
The locked-room mystery, also identified as an impossible crime, need not refer to a literal locked room. Locked-room mysteries are elaborate clue puzzles that initially present a crime, not limited to murder, that does not immediately suggest a culprit. An authority on mystery and detective fiction, Otto Penzler, explains:
The story does not actually require a hermetically sealed chamber so much as a location with an utterly inaccessible murder victim. A bludgeoned, stabbed or strangled body in the centre of pristine snow or sand is just as baffling as a lone figure on a boat at sea or aboard a one-man plane or in the classic locked room. (2014)
The keystone of the locked-room subgenre, of course, frequently includes a sealed room in which a corpse is discovered, appearing as though it was impossible for the culprit to have escaped the room, and thus detection. The clues and context create a game that generally adheres to the rules for mystery fiction established by S.S. Van Dine in 1928 in an effort to maintain fairness and the integrity of the genre—although it should be noted that some of these rules are informed by misogyny, racism, and homophobia that later writers successfully challenge (189-93, and Rollyson 1907). Audiences are invited to match wits with the detective(s) to identify not only “whodunnit,” but also “howdunnit.”
Features
According to John Dickson Carr’s foundational “lecture”—which is actually excerpted from a speech delivered by the amateur detective Dr. Gideon Fell in The Three Coffins—locked-room mysteries can be perpetrated or explained as:
Coincidental: a series of events/accidents have resulted in the victim expiring alone in a sealed room after having locked themselves inside. Sometimes this includes circumstances that give the appearance of a struggle having taken place in the room (i.e. broken furniture, torn clothing on the corpse, blood stains, etc.)
Mechanical murder: a device is rigged within the sealed room to not only kill the victim in the absence of a murder and/or any suspects whatsoever, but the device is also constructed to conceal its own presence from inspectors.
Impersonation: the victim is already dead, but the killer or perhaps another character, is mistaken for or disguised as the victim, which can obfuscate the time of death.
Inside/outside confusion: circumstances compel observers to assume the murderer must have been inside the room, but in fact the murder was perpetrated from outside.
False First Responder: the murderer seems to be entering the room in good faith, perhaps to rescue the victim, but in fact they murder the victim upon entering, conceal the means by which they did it, and therefore appear to have entered the locked room at the same time as other witnesses with no means or opportunity.
Suicide: the culprit or circumstances disguise the suicide to look like murder.
Induced Suicide: The victim is coerced by the murderer, using something such as a toxin or other means of manipulation, to kill their self within the sealed room.
(Carr 277—81)
Genre-defining Texts
Carr, John Dickson. The Three Coffins, Impress, 2009.
Christie, Agatha. “The Blue Geranium.” Murderous Schemes: An Anthology of Classic Detective Stories, edited by Donald E. Westlake, Oxford University Press, 1996, pp. 207—220.
Death in Paradise, created by Robert Thorogood, BBC, 2011—.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Adventure of the Speckled Band, compling.hss.ntu.edu.sg/canon/spec.html.
Hammett, Dashiell. “Tom, Dick, or Harry.” Nightmare Town, edited by Kirby McCauley, Martin H. Greenberg, and Ed Gorman, Alfred A. Knopf, 1999, pp. 236—249.
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Murders in the Rue Morgue, in The Unabridged Edgar Allan Poe, Running Press, 1983, pp. 655—84.
The first locked-room mystery—indeed, the first detective story—is Edgar Allen Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue, published in 1841. This subgenre of mystery and detective fiction remains popular in novels, television, and movies because it invites audiences to solve the crimes along with the fictional detective(s), with an emphasis on fair gameplay and logical reasoning.
References
Carr, John Dickson. “The Locked-Room Lecture.” The Art of the Mystery Story: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Howard Haycroft, Simon and Schuster, 1946, pp. 273—286.
Penzler, Otto. “The Locked Room Mysteries: As a new collection of the genre’s best is published, its editor Otto Penzler explains the rules of engagement.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 28 Dec. 2014, https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/locked-room-mysteries-new-collection-genre-s-best-published-its-editor-otto-penzler-explains-rules-engagement-9947360.html.
Rollyson, Carl E. Critical Survey of Mystery and Detective Fiction, Salem, 2008.
Van Dine, S.S. “Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories,” The Art of the Mystery Story: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Howard Haycroft, Simon and Schuster, 1946, pp. 189—193.
Austin Bethel, Sammy Lebron, Micah Keller
Noir Detective Genre:1914-present
Origin:1914
Peaked: 1930-1940s
Noir, the French term for black, represents a sub genre of detective mystery fiction.The genre first surfaced in low-paying pulp presses during the first World War and gained popularity during the Great Depression (1930s) . The genre still remains in full swing today with slight alterations. Noir fiction is characterized by darker, pessimistic tropes as well as centering on the villain of the story. This is the exact opposite approach of many other genres of detective fiction. An expert on mystery and detective fiction, Otto Penzler, elaborates:
“Most mystery fiction focuses on the detective, and noir fiction focuses on the villain. The people in noir fiction are dark and doomed—they are losers, they are pessimistic, they are hopeless. If you have a private eye, the private eye is a hero; and he’s going to solve the crime and the bad guy will be caught. That’s a happy ending, but that’s not a noir ending” (Crouch 1).
In other words, there will be no heroes or happy endings for any Noir narrative. The key themes of the Noir subgenre include the corrosive effects of money, the struggle with existence, insecurities of masculinity, and an obsession with the grotesque. Penzler, however, offers an even more straightforward characterization of Noir. He states, “Noir is about sex and money, and sometimes about revenge” (Crouch 2). These dark tails have been around for sometime now, and show no signs of slowing down.
Features
According to Lee Horsley’s publication, The Noir Thriller—a title offering comprehensive explanations of both Noir literature and film; Noir fiction is commonly associated with:
Looming Darkness: The worlds contained in Noir novels are gritty and in disarray. The people who compose such worlds are far from perfect, especially the protagonist.
Violence: Significant crimes are almost always that of murder. The detective himself/herself often gets into fights as well.
Pessimism: All who inhabit a Noir world recognize their collective situation, hope and happiness is either rare or unheard of.
Greif/Angst: Everyone has underlying dread and unresolved problems. They often seek means to escape or at least ignore their conflicts through activities like sex and violence.
Central Focus: Whether or not a plot is told in first person by the protagonist or even in third person with viewpoints of others, everything serves to develop a reader’s understanding of how the protagonist experiences the world.
Genre-defining Texts
Abbott, Megan. Queenpin. Simon & Schuster, 2007.
Cain, James M. The Postman Always Rings Twice. Alfred A. Knopf, 1934.
Hammett, Dashiell. The Maltese Falcon. Alfred A. Knopf, 1930.
Cain, James M. Double Indemnity. Liberty Magazine , 1936.
Thompson, Jim. The Killer Inside Me. Fawcett Publications, 1952.
Woolrich, Cornell. The Bride Wore Black. Simon & Schuster, 1940.
Hye-Young, Pyun. The Law of Lines. Simon & Schuster., 2020.
The Noir genre has entertained audiences since the early 1900s, but the genre remains active today with authors like Pyun Hye-Young continuing to produce riveting works such as The Law of Lines. This sub-genre of detective fiction continues to entice audiences in novels, television, and movies as there is an ever growing interest in the mind of the criminal.
Issac Salinas & Jacob Price
Pulp Magazines, mentioned as inexpensive fiction magazines sold mainly from the 1890's-1950's. These magazines were mediocre quality in a 7"x10" untrimmed format with roughly cut wood pulp pages, and were brittle which made them hard to preserve. The vivid front covers of pulp magazines were the most attractive and durable aspects of the magazine. In most pulp magazine stories, no matter how hard the problems were, the problems were solved by the smart actions of sharp-witted individuals. During the 1920's many people were attracted to pulp magazines because they offered reasonably realistic explorations of crime and social changes. Stories were mainly character issue driven and rooted in human behavior and less emphasis was placed on the plot as explained by Joseph T. Shaw,
" In the new pattern the main theme was character conflict; the crime or its threat was incidental." (Goodstone 88)
There were many issues at the time during the 1920s including trauma following WWI, economic hardship caused by the Great Depression, poor living conditions of the poor to lower middle class and immigrants, and disease. Most people during this time period had all these issues that could not be solved and reading stories of those solving their own individual problems would create a feeling of hope/gratification as described by Raymond Chandler,
"Raymond Chandler, who was perhaps the most fluent of the brittle Black Mask stylists, went on to describe the "hard-boiled" story's emotional basis: 'it does not believe that murder will out and justice will be done-unless some very determined individual makes it his business to see that justice is done. The stories were about the men who made it happen'. Describing the technical basis for the Black Mask type of story he said that 'the scene outranked the okot, in the sense that a good plot was one which made good scenes'." (Goodstone 88)
The cornerstone of Pulp Magazine stories involve sporadic scenes that catch the attention of the reader. As mentioned previously, scenes were very important in pulp magazine stories because good scenes help create a good plot. This type of literature adheres to the rules of mystery and detective fiction because of how pulp detective and mystery fiction stories were written to where the problems are very real and there is no deception and the stories are just the characters trying to solve the crimes that had been committed. Thus the "game" in pulp stories can be considered fair as mentioned by S.S Van Dine's Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Fiction.
Features
As stated by Carl E. Royson, in the Critical Survey of Mystery and Detective Fiction, Pulp Magazine stories can be explained as:
Low Cost: Due to technological advancements publishers were able to drop their prices which allowed access to the lower class who had not previously been able to have the money or intellect required for such magazines.
Accessible: Due to the low cost of publishing and printing and the demand for more entertainment pulps were sold everywhere including kiosks, magazine stands, train stations, and candy stores.
Escape/ Alternate Reality: Due to the issues at the time as well as everyday issues in peoples lives, people often sought escapes in pulp magazines much as people do today with video games or TV.
Quick Pacing: The increased attraction for pulp magazines helped support a growing numbers of writers. These writers would have to produce massive volumes of material because some publishers would only pay them 1 cent per line. So in turn the rapid writing often mean that quality suffered but the public didn't seem to mind.
Character Issue Driven: Many detective and crime stories used individualistic heroes who used violence, which grew out of personal codes of ethics. The readers would find out after reading the story that victims weren't completely innocent and the villain's were not all totally guilty. One focal point is that character issue driven stories show how characters effect human morality and behavior.
Abundance of Material: Many up and coming writers were often encouraged to submit work to pulp magazine publishers, and due to the rapidly growing demand for pulps, those who would become published quickly were made into house hold names.
Genre-defining Texts
White, Matthew Jr. " The Argosy" Frank Munsey Co. (1882-96)
Shaw, Joseph T. " The Black Mask" Pro-Distributors. (1920)
Terrill, Rogers. " Dime Mystery Magazine" Popular. (1932)
Bacon, Daisy. "Love Story Magazine" Street & Smith.(1921)
Davis, Robert H. "The All-Story Magazine" Frank Munsey Co. (1905)
The first pulp magazine, originally a magazine designed for adolescents boys, was Argosy by Frank A. Munsey ( Carl E. Rollyson 1). This subgenre of mystery and detective fiction is still popular because it engages readers by offering solutions to problems raised by the stories themselves, emphasizing instant gratification for the readers.
References
Goodstone, Tony. The Pulps: Fifty Years of American Pop Culture. Chelsea House, 1970.
Rollyson, Carl E. Critical Survey of Mystery and Detective Fiction, Salem, 2008, pp. 1934-1944
“The Pulp Magazines Project.” Edited by Patrick Scott Belk and Nathan Vernon Madison, Pulp Magazines Project, www.pulpmags.org/index.htm.
Van Dine, S.S. “Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories,” The Art of the Mystery Story: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Howard Haycroft, Simon and Schuster, 1946, pp. 189—193.
Dei'Marlon Scisney & Elijah Jackson
Introduction
True crime is a genre where the author examines a “true” or actual crime, detailing real people’s accounts and lives. This “realistic” crime fiction mode includes murder and about “40 percent focus on tales of serial killers.” True crime can be found in various texts, including books, films, podcasts, and even recent television shows (TrueCrime). As early as 1889, William Roughead, who can be described as the “dean of the modern true crime genre,” wrote and published essays on the murder trials he attended. Inevitably, the genre seeks to recount the “emotional and sensational,” and in this emotion and sensation spears murder and gore, what Mark Seltzer describes as America’s “wound culture.” He describes Americans as “fascinated with torn and opened bodies, beginning in the 1960s” (Seltzer 4). Truman Capote’s “non-fiction novel” In Cold Blood (1965) can be credited for establishing the modern American style of True Crime; however, as True Crime becomes more engrained in American society with television, how we consume True Crime has changed. For example, OJ Simpson, Amanda Knox, Adnan Syed, Lindsey Lohan, Phil Spector, etc., all experienced something in common, the 24/7 coverage, coupled with hyperbolized characterizations, elevated these individuals to a new level of “fame” not experienced before.
Features
According to Mark Seltzer Serial Killers and Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders true-crimes mysteries can be perpetrated or explained based on the type of killer and the asssociations behind killings:
Types of Killers:
Serial killer: a series of events/accidents have resulted in the victim expiring alone in a sealed room after having locked themselves inside. Sometimes this includes circumstances that give the appearance of a struggle having taken place in the room (i.e. broken furniture, torn clothing on the corpse, blood stains, etc.)
Mass Murderer- a person, responsible for the deaths of many individuals, especially a political or military leader.
Spree Killer- a serial killer whose murders occur in a very short span of time and follow no discernible pattern
Cult- a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader
Associations behind Killings:
Sexual Sadism- the deriving of sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others
Rape- a criminal offense defined in most states as forcible sexual relations with a person against that person’s will
Sexual Repressing- prevented from expressing your sexuality. The motivation behind serial sexual homicide: "sex, power, and control, and anger."
Necrophilia- erotic attraction/sexual contact with corpses
Cannibalism- the act of a human eating the flesh of another human
Sex Offender- generic term for all persons convicted of crimes involving sex, including rape, molestation, sexual harassment, and pornography production or distribution
Genre-defining Texts
Norman Mailer's The Executioner's Song (1979), which was the first book in the genre to win a Pulitzer Prize.
Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood
Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
Mark Seltzer: Serial Killers: Death and Life in America’s Wound Culture
Irving, H.B., "The First Railway Murder" in The Railway Murders: Ten Classic True Crime Stories, ed. by Jonathan Goodman (London: Allison & Busby, 1984), pp. 15–35
The first true-crime mystery—indeed, the first true crime novel—is Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, first published in 1966. True crime is the non-fiction subgenre of mystery and detective fiction. The book is written as if it were a novel, complete with dialog, and Truman Capote referred to as "New Journalism." This New Journalism was considered Avant-Garde (new form) in the 1960s and 1970s. It has carried over into this emphasis on the killer, combining journalistic research with fiction writing to report stories about real-life events.
References
Barak, G. (1994). Media, process, and the social construction of crime: Studies in newsmaking criminology. USA: Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Publication Data.
Brown, W. J., Duane, J. J., & Fraser, B. P. (1997). Media coverage and public opinion of the o.j. simpson trial: Implications for the criminal justice system. Communication Law and Policy, 2(2), 261-287.
Van Dine, S.S. “Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories,” The Art of the Mystery Story: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Howard Haycroft, Simon and Schuster, 1946, pp. 189—193.
Thesis/Argument:
We argue that contemporary American true crime, stemming from New Journalism, is merely a serialized narrative deeply influenced by the media, inevitably limiting the discussion on gender, class, and race but rather placing the killer on a pedestal, inevitably dramatizing the individual and making them somewhat of an icon.
Keifer Carmean and Max Lundy
This genre was most prominent during the 1880’s
Police Procedural
Police procedural seems to be the way in which the justice system works and how different aspects function along with one another. The key aspects that came from The Detective’s handbook are Criminal Justice System, Criminal Investigation, Evidence, The Players in a Criminal Investigation, Detectives Relationship with the Prosecution and Defense Counsel Police Misconduct, and Defendant’s Constitutional Rights. This Subgenre goes into great detail in the ways that the crime should be interpreted through the justice system.
This genre was pretty easy to pick out if you were trying to figure out what genre the text may be or where it is coming from. Police procedural normally would be tagged on the front with a police badge or something of that sort that made it stick out. “If you are looking at a book with a badge on the cover, you can rest assured it’s a police novel.” (crimereads.com)
Warrants, fingerprints, and bloodstain patterns are just a few of the things that go into the investigation process of a crime. The general topic as stated before talks about the day to day duties that the cops entail. “A Police Procedural is concerned with an accurate representation of the day to day realities and procedures of the police and law enforcement.” (tvtropes.org)There are different players that are involved in a criminal investigation. The prosecutor “is responsible for advising, investigating, prosecuting, advocating, reforming, investigating, and/or negotiating.” (The Detectives Handbook) There will be times that the prosecutor may not want to work with a certain detective because they have worked a lot of cases together.
Features
According to Otto Penzler in “What Is a Police Procedural?” This genre can be broken down into three sub-genres.
Independent: the story is told through the eyes of one person, likely a detective, who seemingly solves the crime with the only help being facts and information from side characters.
True Police Procedural: all the steps of the procedure are involved from the collection of evidence, interrogations, psychological tests and other parts all done by various parts of the police.
Police Drama: the story is less concerned with the proper procedures of the police. On the other hand it is more concerned with the personal lives of the policemen and how that affects the rest of the story.
Procedures: each book and series has its unique characters that help take care of each step. These procedures have a wide range from crime scene security to evidence analysis. Some of these steps happen behind the scenes and the answers appear to us and the narrator at the proper time.
Genre-defining Texts
Collins, Wilkie, and Anthea Trodd. The Moonstone. Oxford [Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1982.
Dickens, Charles, Nicola Bradbury, and Hablot K. Browne. Bleak House. London: Penguin, 1996.
Patterson, James. 21st Birthday: (Women’s Murder Club 21). Random House, 2021.
Merlis, Iris. Into the Woods. Distributed by Image Entertainment, 1999.
Olsen, Gregg. Lying Next to Me. Amazon, 2019.
Sources
Otto Penzler. "What Is a Police Procedural?" 09 May 2018. Web. 09 Mar. 2021.
"Police Procedural." TV Tropes. Web. 09 Mar. 2021.
Primasita, Fitria & Putra, Heddy. (2019). An Introduction to the Police Procedural: A Subgenre of Detective Genre. Jurnal Humaniora. 31. 33. 10.22146/jh.v31i1.15309.