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

The locked room mystery is one of the iconic creations of popular fiction. Michael Cook's critical study reveals how this archetypal form of the puzzle story has had a significant effect in shaping the immensely popular genre of detective fiction. The book includes analysis of texts from Poe to the present day.

In 1663 Oxford, a servant girl confesses to a murder. But four witnesses--a medical student, the son of a traitor, a cryptographer, and an archivist--each finger a different culprit...

“Twists that’ll just take your breath away. A salty, stormy and seductive read.” —Mario Giordano, author of Auntie Poldi and the Vineyards of Etna Finisterre Island, off the coast of Maine, is beautiful and remote—the kind of place tourists love to visit. But not everyone is welcome. A dilapidated Victorian house has become home to a group of squatters and junkies, and strangers have a habit of bringing trouble. A young boy disappeared during the summer, and though he was found safely, the incident stirred suspicion among locals. Now another child is missing. Summoned to the island by a cryptic text, Hester Thursby discovers a community cleaning up from a devastating storm—and uncovers a murder. Soon Hester begins to connect the crime and the missing children. And as she untangles the secrets at the center of the small community, she finds grudges and loyalties that run deep, poised to converge with a force that will once again shake her convictions about the very nature of right and wrong . . . “Intense. . . . Hill is adept at building compassion for his characters in a tight-knit social web while implicating them in dark thoughts and actions. He remains a writer to watch.” —Publishers Weekly

Edgar Allan Poe essentially invented the detective story in 1841 with Murders in the Rue Morgue. In the years that followed, however, detective fiction in America saw no significant progress as a literary genre. Much to the dismay of moral crusaders like Anthony Comstock, dime novels and other sensationalist publications satisfied the public's hunger for a yarn. Things changed as the century waned, and eventually the detective was reborn as a figure of American literature. In part these changes were due to a combination of social conditions, including the rise and decline of the police as an institution; the parallel development of private detectives; the birth of the crusading newspaper reporter; and the beginnings of forensic science. Influential, too, was the new role model offered by a wildly popular British import named Sherlock Holmes. Focusing on the late 19th century and early 20th, this volume covers the formative years of American detective fiction. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

One of the New York Times Book Review's Top Ten Best Crime Novels of 2020 One of USA Today's Best Books 2020 "[A] hypnotic debut. . . .[An] uncommonly clever whodunit."--New York Times Book Review Perfect for lovers of Agatha Christie and The Secret History, The Truants is a seductive, unsettling, and beautifully written debut novel of literary suspense--a thrilling exploration of deceit, first love, and the depths to which obsession can drive us. People disappear when they most want to be seen. Jess Walker has come to a concrete campus under the flat gray skies of East Anglia for one reason: to be taught by the mesmerizing and rebellious Dr. Lorna Clay, whose seminars soon transform Jess's thinking on life, love, and Agatha Christie. Swept up in Lorna's thrall, Jess falls in with a tightly knit group of rule-breakers--Alec, a courageous South African journalist with a nihilistic streak; Georgie, a seductive, pill-popping aristocrat; and Nick, a handsome geologist with layers of his own. But the dynamic between the friends begins to darken, until a tragedy shatters their friendships and love affairs, and reveals a terrible secret. Soon Jess must face the question she fears most: what is the true cost of an extraordinary life? An Entertainment Weekly Best Book of January A USA Today Must-Read Book of Winter An Observer Book of the Year (UK) A Marie Claire Top 5 Christmas Read (UK) A Times Best New Crime Novel (UK) A Guardian Top 10 Golden Age Detective Novel An Irish Times Best Debut of 2019 An Apple Books Pick for January

MURDER IN THE ACADEMY is a gripping must-read thriller - perfect for fans of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Steig Larsson, THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY by Agatha Christie and THE CUCKOO'S CALLING by Robert Galbraith. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A new crime series set in Belfast. Cleverly constructred, with a plot that will keep you reading until the end.' Áine Toner, Belfast Telegraph Reluctant sleuth Alice Fox uncovers some dirty secrets in Belfast. A new year, a new term and the staff of the Department of Peace and Reconciliation return from the Christmas break with renewed hope and energy. One person is missing, however. Then a violent storm reveals a grisly murder. It soon becomes clear to DI Caroline Paton that the victim, Dr Helen Breen, was almost universally disliked among the college staff - but surely departmental politics or boardroom squabbles would not unleash such a level of brutality? Alice Fox, visiting research fellow, agrees and finds herself distracted from her studies as she is drawn back into old patterns of life as a detective in the States. She soon finds herself playing a key support role in Caroline Paton's murder investigation. How did Helen Breen arouse such murderous rage? Or are there more sinister forces at work?