The Significance of Historical Crime Fiction in Tracking Culture: A Study and Composure of a Novel within the Genre
Date
2025-05
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Mystery writing is a genre that has evolved substantially since its inception,
inviting intrigue, exploration, and conversation. Within the countless subsections that
have emerged as a result of new voices and perspectives are thousands of texts that
effectively portray societal evolution. A leader in this objective is historical crime
fiction, a genre that involves significant research to rebuild an era that has passed in
synchrony with a realistic narrative, interwoven with mystery. The extensive time and
effort placed into crafting these stories should afford them stronger recognition in
academia as informational sources. This thesis involves two methods that indicate the
merits of the historical crime fiction genre. The first is a synopsis, which summarizes
the evolution of crime in both society and fiction, and how various genres related to
mystery have transformed, each providing unique insights into society’s opinions
regarding such monstrosity. The second is the partial construction of an independent
creative novel situated in 1840’s London, along with a full story outline, to insert my
own voice into the collective genre while proving that significant research is necessary
within the ensuing annotated bibliography. As I continue writing my novel, I will
conduct ongoing research to eliminate any anachronism, further demonstrating the
constant effort mandated to add to the genre. Utilizing the voices and stories within
historical crime fiction can be a valuable asset to researchers and society alike as a
method of learning about culture, and they should be appropriately prioritized.