Such a restrictive definition leads inevitably to arguments about what exactly constitutes "detective work," and whether works that include some element of detection, but are not dependent on it, should be included. Howard Haycraft is quite clear on this in his book
Murder for Pleasure (1941), when he says, "the crime in a mystery story is only the means to an end which is—detection."
Perhaps the first work in English to have its entire plot based around the solution to a crime is a play, sometimes attributed to Shakespeare, called Arden of Faversham. The play was first published in 1592, and is based on the true story of the murder of a wealthy, and much disliked landowner, Thomas Arden, which took place in 1551. Arden's body is discovered on his land, not far from his house. The fact that the body is outside points to his having been murdered by neighbouring farmers and labourers, jealous at Arden's acquisition of nearby land. What the detective figure, Franklin, sets out to prove is that Arden was murdered in his house, by his adulterous wife, Alice, and her lover.
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