Considering its population is only around 300,000, Iceland seems to have more than its fair share of good crime writers. Yrsa Sigurdardottir keeps up the standard with Last Rituals (Hodder & Stoughton, pounds 11.99), a grisly chiller set in the depths...

Here’s a pop quiz: Which of the following fictional detectives was not created by a female writer: (a) private investigator Kinsey Millhone (b) medical examiner Kay Scarpetta (c) caterer Goldy Schulz (d) police officer Ray Weiss (e) none of the above.It’s a bit of a...

Michael Connelly: Los Angeles homicide detective Harry Bosch was sitting alone in the dark, listening to a jazz recording, when he got the call. A body with two in the head _ execution style _ had just been found at an overlook off Mulholland Drive.At...

The party was held down the hall from the morgue. The color scheme was purple, to denote mourning. The chitchat over hors d'oeuvres was about really interesting autopsies. And the guests included crime novelist Patricia Cornwell, who was the life of the party, even if...

Questioning Genre and how it effects the creativity of an author.

Describes the literary genre of crime fiction using certain texts as evidence for the analyses within the essay. Includes an analysis of works by Raymond Chandler, PD James and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Postulates that while the detective is usually the main character in crime fiction stories, supporting characters are equally important. Notes that authors often use supporting characters to reveal bits of information to further the story.