Crime fiction

Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalises crimes, their detection, criminals, and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as historical fiction or science fiction, but the boundaries are indistinct. Crime fiction has multiple sub-genres, including detective fiction (such as the whodunit), courtroom drama, hard-boiled fiction and legal thrillers. Suspense and mystery are key elements that are nearly ubiquitous to the genre.

In Italy people commonly call a story about detectives or crimes giallo (English: yellow), because books of crime fiction have usually had a yellow cover since the 1930s.

History of crime fiction

The earliest known crime fiction is Thomas Skinner Sturr's anonymous Richmond, or stories in the life of a Bow Street officer (1827); the earliest full-length novel in the genre is The Rector of Veilbye by the Danish author Steen Steensen Blicher, published in 1829. Better known are the earlier dark works of Edgar Allan Poe (e.g., "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841), "The Mystery of Marie Roget" (1842), and "The Purloined Letter" (1844)). Wilkie Collins' epistolary novel The Woman in White was published in 1860, while The Moonstone (1868) is often thought to be his masterpiece. French author Émile Gaboriau's Monsieur Lecoq (1868) laid the groundwork for the methodical, scientifically minded detective. The evolution of locked room mysteries was one of the landmarks in the history of crime fiction. The Sherlock Holmes mysteries of Arthur Conan Doyle are said to have been singularly responsible for the huge popularity in this genre. A precursor was Paul Féval, whose series Les Habits Noirs (1862–67) features Scotland Yard detectives and criminal conspiracies. The best-selling crime novel of the nineteenth century was Fergus Hume's The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886), set in Melbourne, Australia.

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Latest News for: crime novels

‘Blood-pumping’, ‘outstanding’, ‘urgent and essential’: the best Australian books out in April

The Observer 06 Apr 2025
His last book, Deep Water, was a nonfiction hit – but he’s back on fiction again, this time a crime novel set in a future Sydney that has been transformed by rising sea levels.

Ziedan’s ‘Azazeel’ and the haunting of Hypa

The News International 06 Apr 2025
‘Azazeel’ is perhaps the most controversial novel to come out in Egypt this century ... The novel prompts us to think about the grave realities of religious intolerance that has been leading blind followers and extremist clergy to commit heinous crimes.

Six decades of a life — seen through just six days

The Times/The Sunday Times 06 Apr 2025
She’s more of a dreamer and the florid prose of this novel reflects her romantic, almost spiritual vision of the world, even if some of the similes are a little too fey ... brilliantly brainy crime caper.

Help! I’m trapped in Groundhog Day, the novel

The Times/The Sunday Times 06 Apr 2025
BETA. Today's Quizle. Q. Test your knowledge ... Culture. Books ... FICTION. Sally Rooney meets The Secret History? A brilliantly brainy crime caper ... This novel by a Nobel winner has all the dynamism of a snail on a hot day ... .

ONBOOKS | OPINION: Ron Currie weaves multiple strands into crime novel

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 05 Apr 2025
NEW On the move? Let us read it for you. LISTEN NOW Your browser does not support the audio element ....

Chris Hemsworth makes shocking confession about working with Halle Berry

The News International 05 Apr 2025
Halle Berry, Chris Hemsworth to share screen in new film 'Crime 101' ... The 41-year-old has just worked with the Catwoman actress in upcoming film Crime 101 ... Backed by Amazon MGM, Crime 101 is an adaptation of the Don Winslow's novel of the same name ... .

‘Shetland’ Season 10 Gets a Huge Update After Divisive Season 9

Collider 04 Apr 2025
Based on the novels by Ann Cleeves, the beloved BBC crime series Shetland may have stumbled in ...

For romance novelist Abby Jimenez, it’s one happy ending after another

Sun Sentinel 04 Apr 2025
Abby Jimenez is renowned for her romance novels, a number of which have become bestsellers ... Abby Jimenez’s romance novels, as ranked by our reader ... Clever ‘Queens of Crime’ a meticulously researched novel about women mystery writers.

The 7 Best New Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now

The Wrap 04 Apr 2025
Based on a novel by crime fiction legend Elmore Leonard, the film follows Jack Foley (George Clooney), a career bank robber, as his efforts to escape prison and make an illegal living put him in the crosshairs of U.S.

ILFD 2025 programme revealed

The Irish Times 04 Apr 2025
... her familicide novel ... Ken was an accomplished writer whose work was recognised not only by his fans, but also by his peers, including his receipt of the Shamus Award for Best Crime Novel of the Year.

Book review: Clever ‘Queens of Crime’ a meticulously researched novel about women mystery writers

Sun Sentinel 03 Apr 2025
The Queens of Crime’ by Marie Benedict ... In the novel, Christie is recruited by crime author Dorothy Sayers, who has just founded the Detection Club, “the preeminent organization of mystery writers” in England.

New Florida law cracking down on undocumented immigrants is challenged

Sun Sentinel 03 Apr 2025
“Under this novel system, the state of Florida has created its own immigration crimes, completely outside the federal immigration system,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Immigrant Justice wrote.

Rachel Joyce’s new novel, The Homemade God, is the perfect holiday read

The Times/The Sunday Times 03 Apr 2025
There’s something comforting about Rachel Joyce’s novels, at least in the anticipation, but when you start reading one you remember how disturbing they can be ... Sally Rooney meets The Secret History? A brilliantly brainy crime caper.

These 12 Noteworthy books by California authors made an impact in 2024

Press Telegram 02 Apr 2025
The first adult novel by bestselling YA writer Nicola Yoon, it’s a thriller about a wealthy Black family in LA searching for a place to call home ... After 25 books, most of them crime novels, many of them acclaimed, Winslow was done.

Doctor Lucifer by Anthony Lee Recognized as a Finalist in International Book Contest

GetNews 02 Apr 2025
... thrillers that shaped my literary journey—medical thrillers by Robin Cook and Tess Gerritsen, the gripping crime fiction of Michael Connelly, and Ian Fleming’s iconic James Bond novels.
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