Towards Sherlock Holmes: A Thematic History of Crime Fiction in the 19th Century World

＂Crime fiction features specialists who identify criminals to protect an anxious citizenry. Before detectives came to play the central role, the protagonists tended to be lawyers. English writers like Gaskell, Dickens and Collins contributed to the genreand American and French authors created new forms. This book explores thematic aspects of 19th century crime fiction’s complex history＂--