crime in literature

"Written by mortician and forensic expert Carla Valentine, The Science of Murder explores the real-life cases that inspired Agatha Christie and shows how the great mystery writer may have kept up to date with the latest developments in forensic science, from ballistics to blood-splatter analysis. Valentine examines the use of fingerprints, firearms, handwriting, impressions, and toxicology in Christie's novels, before finally revealing the role the dead body itself played in offering vital clues to dastardly crimes"--.

Presents a comprehensive guide to the mystery novels by former jockey Dick Francis and includes plot summaries and character analyses, and an exclusive interview with the author.

Discusses the known sciences that can explain real and fictional murders in English history.

Analyzes important writers in the genre beginning with authors of ancient Greece and Rome to the present days.

Presents an overview of the life and work of U.S. novelist and short storywriter Patricia Highsmith, discussing the themes and interests that characterize her writing, and includes a chronology, notes, and selected bibliography.

Examines crime and punishment during the European Renaissance period and includes illustrated photographs and drawings describing how sentences were carried out for beggars and outcasts, robbers and murderers, and those who committed treason.