This study examines a wide variety of twentieth-century Anglo-American detective and crime fiction. It will interest anyone who enjoys crime fiction, but is also designed to meet the needs of students, introducing important critical concepts and tracing generic development. Chapters 1-3 cover the main sub-genres of crime fiction from the days of Sherlock Holmes to those of Hannibal Lecter; chapters 4-6 discuss crime fiction as a vehicle for socio-political protest (e.g., in black and feminist crime novels).