Mystery and Detective Fiction:

Abstract

Should public libraries collect detective fiction? On what basis? Demand alone does not seem a useful criterion in building enduring, high quality collections. Yet the quality of mystery fiction has been debated for years. Rather than continuing the debate on its old terms, we need to reframe it. Detective stories must be judged in terms of what they intend to accomplish within their genre. In evaluating a specific title, librarians should consider how well a work meets the requirements of the form, and what unique contribution it makes. These guidelines may be extended to other genres.