Detective Fiction

What is detective fiction? Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective — either professional or amateur — investigates a crime, often murder. It is one of the most popular types of the mystery genre among both children and adults. Detective Fiction is a puzzle that must be solved like a mathematical equation, a musical score, or a scientific experiment.

True detective fiction in the English-speaking world is considered to have begun in 1841 with the publication of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", featuring the first fictional detective C. Auguste Dupin who is not a professional detective.

In 1887, Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, probably the most famous of all fictional detectives. Sherlock Holmes is not the original fiction detective (he was influenced by Poe's Dupin and Gaboriau's Lecoq), but his name has become almost a synonym for the part. 

Sherlock Holmes lives in London at 221B Baker Street Sherlock Holmes lives in London at 221B Baker Street. He is famous for his intellectual prowess (extraordinary ability) and is renowned (known and admired) for his skillful use of astute observation, deductive reasoning, and forensic (relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes) skills to solve difficult cases. Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories featuring Holmes, and all but four stories are narrated by Holmes's friend, assistant, and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson.

Characters modelled on Sherlock Holmes

The period of the 1920s and 1930s is generally referred to as the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. In Golden Age detective stories, an outsider — sometimes a salaried investigator or a police officer, but often a gifted amateur — investigates a murder committed in a closed environment by one of a limited number of suspects. The most widespread subgenre of the detective novel became the whodunit (or whodunnit, short for "who done it?") where a murder happens and there is a closed circle of suspects, and each suspect must have a credible motive as well as a reasonable opportunity for committing the crime. In addition, the central character is a detective who eventually solves the mystery by logical deduction from facts fairly presented to the reader.

Many of the most popular books of the Golden Age were written by Agatha Christie who produced long series of books (Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None) featuring her detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

Words connected with detective fiction People 1. Sleuth: “private eye”/private investigator/detective investigating the case 2. Sidekick: ”helper,” person/animal who helps detective investigate the crime Quick Quiz: On a separate piece of paper, list as many sleuths who have sidekicks you can think of. The person with the most pairs or groups wins. 3. Victim: person to whom the crime happened 4. Snitch: person who tells on someone else 5. Suspect: a person who may be involved in the crime 6. Witness: someone who saw what happened 7. Culprit: person who commits or assists in the crime 8. Fugitive: person running from the law 9. Secondary Source: witness who has information (s)he heard from someone else

Words connected with detective fiction Technical Terms 10. Crime: illegal act that is committed 11. Clues: pieces of the puzzle that help solve the mystery 12. Lead: information or clues concerning the case 13. Interrogate: to ask questions related to the crime 14. Alibi: proof that a suspect was nowhere near the crime 15. Evidence: something that helps prove who the criminal is 16. Deduction: using the facts to infer a conclusion

One more: Quick Quiz #2 17. Red Herring

A red herring is a false clue or lead A red herring is a false clue or lead. The phrase means “camouflage” and comes from the process of curing a herring (type of fish). When a herring is salted and smoked slowly over a wood fire, it turns a dark reddish brown colour and gains a strong flavour and scent. The smell is so strong that it overwhelms other scents. According to some old tales, red herrings were pulled across the trail of hounds to confuse and throw them off the trail. Sometimes writers of detective fiction deliberately “fake-out” readers by planting misleading clues — known as red herrings.

Elements of a Mystery A crime Variety of characters Clues Suspense and tension Solution

Appearances Can Be Deceiving A detective’s appearance can have a major affect on his/her effectiveness on the job. For example, Ironsides, a detective your grandparents will remember from television, was in a wheelchair. Suspects did not think he was a threat because he was physically challenged. Similarly, Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple is an elderly woman. Again, suspects do not find her threatening and tell her things they might not tell the police.

Solving the Mystery Fact Assumption Inference Deduction Something that cannot be disputed Ben Siefert is dead. Assumption A guess Ben Siefert was murdered. Inference A guess based on the facts Whoever murdered Ben Siefert has something to hide. Deduction An educated guess Ben Siefert must have threatened to tell the killer’s secret.

Three Rules of Crime Solving Motive The prime suspect must have had a reason to commit the crime. Means The prime suspect must have had a way to commit the crime. Opportunity The prime suspect must have had the chance to commit the crime.

Clues Fingerprints (dead man’s on steering wheel) Suspicious items (matchbook at deserted farm) Blood/Hair/Fabric Body Parts (prosthetic arm found with bullet in it) Personal items (earring found near crime scene) Financial records Lifestyle changes (building new house) Telephone calls What people say about themselves/others Connections between and among people