In 1972, in an attempt to elevate the stature of the "crime novel," influential crime writer and critic Julian Symons cast numerous Golden Age detective fiction writers into literary perdition as "Humdrums," condemning their focus on puzzle plots over stylish writing and explorations of character, setting and theme. This volume explores the works of three prominent British "Humdrums"--Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, and Alfred Walter Stewart--revealing their work to be more complex, as puzzles and as social documents, than Symons allowed. By championing the intrinsic merit of these mystery writers, the study demonstrates that reintegrating the "Humdrums" into mystery genre studies provides a fuller understanding of the Golden Age of detective fiction and its aftermath.

Essays taken from Salem Press's Critical survey of mystery and detective fiction, published in 1988.

This collection surveys 100 of the writerswho have made the most lasting contributionsto the genre. Most articles are 2,500words, with longer articles on such majorfigures as Raymond Chandler, DashiellHammett, Ellery Queen and Rex Stout.Handy, ready-reference listings aredesigned to accommodate the uniquecharacteristics of mystery and detectivefiction, including author?s pseudonyms,types of plots, principal series and principalseries characters, and even a glossaryof terms peculiar to the genre.Reference elements include a complete,up-to-date list of authors? works, a glossaryof mystery and detective fiction terms,annotated bibliographies, a time line, anindex of series characters and a list ofauthors by plot type.

For more than a century, the mystery and detective story has been among the most popular forms of fiction in bookstores and libraries. Some writers (Edgar Allan Poe or Dashiell Hammett, for example) have attracted a considerable body of critical response; others have been the focus of less scrutiny. This bibliography is intended for the student, general reader, or mystery buff who needs some basic information about the mystery genre and its representative authors. Selective, rather than exhaustive, it serves as an introduction. Entries on the life and work of seventy-five writers from Margery Allingham, Raymond Chandler, and Amanda Cross to P.D. James, John D. MacDonald, Edgar Allan Poe, Ellery Queen, and Georges Simenon appear.

This bibliography provides citations for and annotations of 486 full- length works detective or mystery fiction that are either set on a college campus, or else feature key characters acting in their academic roles off-campus. Annotations include plot summaries (with special emphasis on the academic content) and biographical information on the author. Entries are listed chronologically by the first date of publication. They are indexed by author, by title, by character, and by college. A brief annotated bibliography of books, journal issues, and essays about college mysteries is also included. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR

Crime fiction is one of the most popular literary genres and has been for more than a century. At the heart of almost all forms of mysteries—from the Golden Age puzzler to the contemporary police procedural, from American hardboiled fiction to the Japanese timetable mystery—is the investigator. He—or, increasingly, she—can be a private eye, a police officer, or a general busybody. But whatever forms these investigators take, they are the key element of crime fiction. Criminals and their crimes come and go, while our attention is captured by these fascinating characters who exist at the intersection of so many different literary and social roles. 100 Greatest Literary Detectives offers a selection of the most influential, important, and intriguing fictional sleuths—amateur or professional—from around the world. From Sherlock Holmes to Harry Hole, Kinsey Millhone to Kiyoshi Mitarai, the detectives profiled here give readers a broader picture of one of fiction’s most popular genres. Each entry summarizes the distinctive features of notable investigators and their approaches to crime, provides a brief outline of major features of their fictional careers, and makes a case for their importance based on literary-historical impact, novelty, uniqueness, aesthetic quality, or cultural resonance. The characters profiled here include Lew Archer, Martin Beck, Father Brown, Brother Cadfael, Adam Dalgliesh, Mike Hammer, Miss Jane Marple, Hercule Poirot, Ellery Queen, Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, Kay Scarpetta, Sam Spade, Phillip Trent, V. I. Warshawski, Lord Peter Wimsey, Nero Wolfe, and many others. Readers will find some of their favorite detectives here, learn more about their literary and cultural significance, and discover other great sleuths—old and new, local and international—in this engaging volume. 100 Greatest Literary Detectives provides a fascinating look into some of the most intriguing fictional characters of all time.

100 Masters of Mystery and Detective Fiction is a response to the growing attention paid to genre fiction in schools and universities. Since Edgar Allan Poe invented the modern mystery story in the mid-19th century, the number of authors writing in this field has steadily grown, as have the appetites of growing numbers of readers. This collection surveys 100 of the writers who have made the most lasting contributions to the genre, covering such major figures as Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ellery Queen, and Rex Stout.Articles range in length from 2,500 to 6,000 words and are organized in a format designed to provide quick access to information. Handy ready-reference listings are designed to accommodate the unique characteristics of the mystery/detective fiction genre, including author's pseudonyms, types of plots, principal series and principal series characters, and even a glossary of terms peculiar to the genre. Ready-reference data at the top of each article include the author's name, birth and death information. A "Contribution" section pinpoints each author's impact on the genre. The "Biography" section offers a concise overview of the author's life, and the "Analysis" section, the core of each article, examines the author's most representative works. A bibliography at the end of each article lists the author's works chronologically both within and outside of the genre.