Crime Fiction provides a lively introduction to what is both a wide-ranging and hugely popular literary genre. Using examples from a variety of novels, short stories, films and televisions series, John Scaggs:

*presents a concise history of crime fiction - from biblical narratives to James Ellroy - broadening the genre to include revenge tragedy and the gothic novel

*explores the key sub-genres of crime fiction, such as "Rational Criminal Investigation," "The Hard-Boiled Mode," "The Police Procedural" and "Historical Crime Fiction"

*locates texts and their recurring themes and motifs in a wider social and historical context

*outlines the various critical concepts that are central to the study of crime fiction, including gender, narrative theory and film theory

*considers contemporary television series like "C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation" alongside the "classic" whodunnits of Agatha Christie.