Draft:Outline of crime fiction

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to crime fiction:

Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, often a murder. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as historical fiction or science fiction, but the boundaries are indistinct. Crime fiction has several subgenres, including detective fiction (such as the whodunit), courtroom drama, hard-boiled fiction, and legal thrillers. Most crime drama focuses on crime investigation and does not feature the courtroom. Suspense and mystery are key elements that are nearly ubiquitous to the genre.

What type of thing is crime fiction?

Crime fiction can be described as all of the following:

• Fiction – form of narrative which deals with imaginary elements.
  • Genre fiction – Fictional work fitting a specific genre. Also known as popular fiction.
• Genre – A genre of fiction.

Genres of crime fiction

• Detective fiction –
  • police procedural –
  • Puzzle mystery –
• Cozy mystery –
• Historical whodunit – Also a subgenre of Historical fiction.
• Legal thriller –
• Caper story –
• City mystery –
• Domestic Noir –
• Girl detective –

By country

• Chinese crime fiction
  • Gong'an fiction
• Kenyan crime fiction

Works of crime fiction

Television

• List of police television dramas

History of crime fiction

History of crime fiction

Influential people

Writers

• List of crime writers
  • List of Asian crime fiction writers
  • List of detective fiction authors