Murder Most Foul

Explorations in Crime Writing

by Barbara Stanners

Murder has always exuded a fascinating hold on our psyche, simultaneously repulsive and thrilling. Investigating ‘whodunit’ requires a keen mind and a determined search for the truth. This is typically marked by a logical, deductive process which draws us into the investigation itself. Many critics have noted the escapist nature of crime writing while others have stressed the effectiveness of the genre as a vehicle for exploring contemporary issues. Whether in the form of fiction, film, short story, graphic novel or other mediums including television, this broad based genre has retained universal appeal.

This text examines the reasons behind its enduring popularity, evaluating the themes and stylistic elements that have been retained as well as those that have changed in response to shifting societal views, values and ‘norms’.

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Contents

Genre The ‘classic’ Murder Mystery Investigating Murder Murder – The Ultimate Taboo The Evolution of the Detective – M. Billingham     Classic Detection    Edgar Allen Poe’s Detective stories    ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ – E. A. Poe Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’- A. C. Doyle     Golden Age’ of Crime Writing    The ‘cosy whodunit’    Christie’s Detectives    ‘The Mousetrap’ – Agatha Christie Hard-boiled’ Detectives ‘The Big Sleep’ – Howard Hawks Guidelines and Essays Crime Writing Poetry     Genre Appropriation / Subversion ‘It Had to be Murder’ –Cornell Woolrich ‘Rear Window’ – A.  Hitchcock The Real Inspector Hound- T. Stoppard ‘The Skull Beneath the Skin’ - P. D. James ‘Anil’s Ghost’- M. O Feminised Crime Writing ‘The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender’ – M. Day Responding and Composing Skills ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ – R. Dahl ‘Full Time’ – S. O’Brien The Writing Process Writing a Thesis Bibliography