This small, slim book (in small print) is a wonderful history and overview of the crime fiction genre. It is written by a UK research professor who writes about aspects of literature and culture, and has written several literary biographies. Bradford traces the history of "crime fiction" from the very early precursors (crime in literature; think Oedipus the King, Hamlet, Tom Jones…etc, prison writings…etc) to those early writers; such as Edgar Allan Poe with his Inspector Dupin, and Wilkie Collins and other writers of what were called "Sensation" novels (which feature conspiracy themes and a cast of characters from the upper classes). He discusses the British "Golden Age", the arrival of Noir and the 'Hard-Boiled'. He continues with the 60s and 70s in the UK and the US.(this is bit of an over- simplification of the history on my part). This study could be likened to following a family tree as its branches spread and multiply.

International crime fiction is also covered, beginning with Europe and moving methodically to the other continents. Very interesting, I thought, in both their similarities and differences. And crime fiction was curtailed under Nazi Germany, banned by Mussolini in Italy, Franco in Spain, and Stalin in Russia (one would have thought that the despots would had better things to do…)

There is a somewhat lackluster chapter on Gender (although important) and a final chapter discussing related literature i.e. spy fiction, legal dramas, and the thriller.

This book is intelligently accessible, perhaps a wee bit dense, certainly meant for those who are interested in the literary history and ‘nuts and bolts’ of the genre. Looking at a genre historically reminds us that little is written in a vacuum; and we can ponder how much general history affected change the genre. I very much enjoyed this little book for what new things I learned, the interesting questions I entertained, but also unexpectedly how it charted my entire reading life in this genre. ( )

I love this series of books - from the distinctive bifold covers with their varying colour stripes, to the promise of insight into a specific topic. Sadly, this was a bit below par in terms of content, for me. It touched on early crime writers, sneered at Golden Age writers, especially those stuck up British ones; and glossed over the renaissance of detective driven novels before sneering again at all those spinster-detectives.
It felt a little too much like the author's hobby horses being aired, rather than a factual introduction to a topic. ( )