What Is Crime Literature Genre?
The crime genre has been a massively famous category of literature ever since the mid-1800s. As the name suggests, the crime genre is categorized mainly by a fascinating story focused on deciphering a crime. Crime stories require a leading character, typically some investigator, irrespective of a professional or a novice or even a private detective, who is highly passionate about unravelling crime mysteries. There might or might not be uniformed police officers involved, and there should always be a list of possible suspects that are criminals worthy of the hero’s efforts to apprehend and expose them.
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Subgenres of Crime Fiction Books
Although the early history of crime fiction books solely focused on detective stories, the contemporary era offers so many distinct subgenres of crime fiction, which include:
Sci-Fi thrillers– This is an objectively new category of the genre in which the character is usually a scientist or pathologist working to unravel the crime by collecting all related evidence and minor details left on the victim’s body or at the crime scene as examined in the mortuary.
Hard-edged detective fiction-This includes more experimental plots, comprising planned crimes and corrupt police officers; in this case, the investigator can trust no one and follow his intuitions and solve the crime on his own.
Reversed crime fiction– These stories are exceptional in that the criminal is exposed right from the story’s start.
Legal thrillers– these novels center on the aftermath situations when the crime is solved, and the delinquent is detained; the prime focus is on legal procedures and rules.
Contemporary PI fiction– the characters of these novels are private detectives rather than trained detectives or unskillful sleuths.
Law enforcement agency procedurals– These are based primarily on crime prevention books that include true stories of genuine police officers. These books include many facts and details of original police works and procedures, including police interviews with suspects, providing crime prevention measurements, their theories, examples and facts by describing their actual experiences.
Features of the Crime Fiction Genre
While there are numerous subgenres in crime fiction, all crime novels have some significant elements and characteristics. First, they must comprise an actual plot containing a considerable crime. There must be leading characters who are eager to solve the crime, and also, a list of suspects and, eventually, the culprit of the crime must be flawlessly revealed.
Main Characteristics
However, each subgenre has its differences; all crime fiction books share basic yet significant components:
The Protagonist
The protagonist of the crime fiction novel is usually a detective, private investigator or just an average person trying to unravel the crime’s mystery. The lead character does not have to be pleasant but does have to be fascinating and intellectual enough to smartly put all the pieces of clues together and move the story along. In order to keep the protagonist’s character interesting, there is nearly always something exceptional, original, or diverse about their personality or situation.
The Suspects
The potential suspects of the crime novels are significant to the story’s suspense and intrigue. If the readers discern who the delinquent is from the starting clues, then there might be no point in continuing with the story. Thus, it is up to the author to familiarize numerous suspects or persons of curiosity. Deliberately misleading suspects are clues called red herrings. This is intentionally done to keep the reader presuming and actively engaged in the crime’s mystery.
The Criminal
The criminal is necessary to any good crime fiction book. The heinous criminal has to be well harmonized against their rival, the story’s hero. So, the convict must be intellectual, devious, and have the skills to get away with almost everything and must be a character in the crime story, presented early on, so as not to ‘trick’ the reader when the end comes with a convict who was never mentioned.
A Genuine Plot
A genuine or convincing storyline is obligatory to make a crime fiction novel worth reading. If the plot is awkward, if the main facts are left out, or if the reader is quarrelling with the story’s details, the story has drastically failed. The essential part that makes the crime fiction genre immensely entertaining is the readers being utterly involved with the protagonist to solve the unsolvable crime. However, it is fictitious, but still; the story should be as genuine as possible. This keeps the readers concentrated on the story rather than discharging the story.
