Detective, Mystery, and Suspense Fiction

History and Criticism

The following is a select list of specialized sources. For additional titles search CATNYP under the subject Detective and mystery stories--History and criticism.

Barnes, Melvyn P. Murder in print: a guide to two centuries of crime fiction (London: Barn Owl Books, 1986) JFE 94-6988 A standard reference covering 260 authors. Includes brief criticism of over 500 titles.

Barzun, Jacques. A Catalogue of crime, rev. and enl. ed. (New York, NY: Harper and Row, 1989) *RS-NAL 91-7442 A critical survey of 7500 titles in five parts. Each entry includes a plot summary and critical commentary. The author's column in the periodical The Armchair Detective provides a continuing update of the information in this volume.

Goulart, Ron. Cheap thrills: an informal history of the pulp magazines (New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House, 1972) JFE 73-2317 A classic history covering a unique form of popular literature which includes adventure, mystery and detective stories.

Haycraft, Howard. The art of the mystery story: a collection of critical essays (New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1946) An excellent early collection which includes essays by Erle Stanley Gardner, Dorothy Sayers, Ellery Queen, et. al. Covers Poe to 1946. A standard reference.

Hoppenstand, Gary, ed. The Dime novel detective (Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1982) JFF 83-602 Offers a representative selection of dime novel detective stories accompanied by bibliographic material to assist scholars.

Keating, H. R. F. Crime and mystery: the 100 best books (London: Xanadu, 1987) *R-*GBO 88-3148 Keating is a novelist and also critic for the London Times. He offers his critique and commentary of crime writers from 1845-1986. One of the most respected names in the field.

Keating, H. R. F., ed. Whodunit?: a guide to crime, suspense and spy fiction (New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1982) JFE 83-1903 A comprehensive history and analysis of the genre and its various subgenres. Covers short stories, suspense novels, thrillers, gothics and espionage stories.

Klein, Kathleen. The Woman detective: gender and genre, 2 nd ed. (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1995) JFE 95-9045 Traces the development of the "female paid, professional private investigators" in British, Canadian and American novels from 1864-1994. Bibliography. Index of women detectives, general index.

Panek, LeRoy. An introduction to the detective story (Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1987) JFE 87-5047 Discusses the literary and cultural forces that have influenced the detective story from ancient to modern times. A serious scholarly work.

Pronzini, Bill. 1001 midnights: the aficionado's guide to mystery and detective fiction (New York, NY: Arbor House, 1986) JFE 97-4413 A collection of in-depth reviews of over 1000 titles. Reviews are signed. Selected works are singled out as Cornerstone or Notable titles.

Symons, Julian. Bloody murder: from the detective to the crime novel: a history, 4 th ed. (London: Pan Books, 1994) JFC 96-1638 "The best crime stories are not simply entertainments but also literature." This classic study of crime fiction by one of the most respected crime writers has been fully revised and brought up to date. This "final edition" includes "A Postscript for the Nineties." Index.

Winks, Robin. Detective fiction: a collection of critical essays, 3 rd ed. (Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press, 1988) JFD 88-12731 Very good essays by top critics in the field, including such notables as W. H. Auden, Dorothy Sayers, Jacques Barzun. The first edition, containing different material, is in JFD 81-6237.