Crime Fiction - Later and Contemporary Contributions To The Whodunit

Later and Contemporary Contributions To The Whodunit

• The historical whodunnit: Also a sub-genre of historical fiction. The setting of the story and the crime has some historical significance
• The inverted detective story: Also known as "howcatchem", the commission of the crime and the identity of the perpetrator is revealed to the reader first, then the rest of the story describes the detective's attempt to solve the mystery.
• The American hard-boiled school: Distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex, the sleuth usually also confronts danger and engages in violence.
• The police procedural: The detective is a member of the police, and thus the activities of a police force are usually convincingly depicted.
• The legal thriller: The major characters are instead lawyers and their employees, and they become involved in proving their cases.
• The spy novel: The major characters are instead spies, usually working for an intelligence agency.
• Caper stories and the criminal novel: Stories told from the point of view of the criminals.
• The psychological suspense: This specific sub-genre of the thriller genre also incorporates elements from detective fiction, as the protagonist must solve the mystery of the psychological conflict presented in these types of stories.
• Spoofs and parodies