Crime Fiction Research Articles

Translation and adaptation studies on common ground: the Murat Davman crime fiction series

ABSTRACT When claims emerged that Ümit Deniz’s Murat Davman crime fiction series (1956–1974) was an adaptation of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer series (1946–1996), they were quickly debunked. The claims, however, prompted questions about whether Deniz’ series may be an adaptation of other novels Deniz translated into Turkish. This article reads Deniz’ corpus with the tools of intertextuality and translation theory and characterizes his series as both a concealed translation/global adaptation of the Hammer series, other novels and an original work. In so doing, it brings together hitherto distinct disciplines and offers a revised constructive interpretation of the East–West relationship when it comes to discussion of the circulation of texts, which is usually structured by assumptions of the incompetency and backwardness of the East and the perceived superiority of the West. Through the series, we see the importance of recognizing the potential of East–West as moments of mutual enrichment.

A tulajdonnevek műfajépítő szerepe a Sorsod Borsod című regionális krimiben

The paper aims to show the role of proper names in defining the novel Sorsod Borsod [‘Borsod is Your Fate’] as a regional crime novel. A further objective is to demonstrate how proper names are used to connect the text of this literary work to the elements of reality and to examine the role played by the reader’s competence in naming practices when distinguishing between fictional and real-life names. The paper provides a brief overview of the source text, outlining the genre-specific characteristics of regional crime fiction. It presents the framework in which the proper names of the novel are analysed. Then, it examines the relationship between the fictional names and the genre-specific characteristics of the novel (representations of topographical features, stereotypes, local spaces and persons). The comprehensive analysis of names encompasses place names, institutional names, personal names, animal names, and other types of names of the region depicted in this crime fiction. The paper examines the presence of ethno-stereotypes in personal names and suggests that proper names may serve as regional labels. The analysis concludes that the novel is dominated by fictional place names that link the textual world to the real world. Moreover, a significant proportion of the surnames in the novel are fictional names reflecting the settlement names of the real-world region. The author has clearly made an effort to follow real-world name patterns in all types of names. The paper states that proper names in this work play an important role in building up the genre of the regional crime novel, as they contribute to the representation of regional particularities rather than to the plot, period or characterisation in the novel.

London in the Novels by Robert Galbraith: a text-world perspective

The Strike series of contemporary crime fiction novels by Robert Galbraith exhibits an abundance of descriptions of real-life London. The aim of this article is to explore their functions in the context of the author’s works. Characteristic properties of the cityscapes in the novels are the merged perspectives of the omniscient narrator and a character, foregrounded details, contrasts in images and attitudes, and the use of metaphor and personification. Text World Theory allows us to explain how they aid in constructing mental representations, or text-worlds, of the city and examine functions fulfilled by the depictions of London in R. Galbraith’s fiction: (1) emphasising connectedness between the discourse- and text-worlds, (2) creating an atmospheric background, (3) broadening readers’ understanding of characters, (4) making London a character in its own right, (5) advancing the story. The first function is typical of all the text-worlds analysed; it indicates the real-world nature of fictional information as a distinctive feature of the Strike series.

Studying crime in fiction: An introduction By EricSandberg, London: Routledge. 2024. pp. 204. £35.99 (pbk)

Studying crime in fiction: An introduction By EricSandberg, London: Routledge. 2024. pp. 204. £35.99 (pbk)

Crime Fiction in the Archives: Hunting for Dashiell Hammett in the 1970s

This is an essay about the archive. It considers what the archive is, who or what constitutes it and for what purposes, and how we understand the archiving of knowledge as a disciplinary practice: that is, as a practice of disciplinary power and as a means of producing academic disciplines. It is also an essay about two archives in particular: the Dashiell Hammett Family Papers and the Richard Layman Collection of Dashiell Hammett, both housed in the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at the University of South Carolina. These archives give us a fascinating insight into the fraught business of accruing, or trying to accrue, the materials that would eventually be consecrated in the archive – what was known and, crucially, not known about Hammett's life and writing prior to the publication of the first biographies and critical works. As such, they illuminate the relationship between the gathering of information and the establishing of academic disciplines, in this case, crime fiction as a legitimate area of scholarly inquiry. This is also, therefore, an essay about the emergence of crime fiction studies as a scholarly discipline.

Book Review: Anne Grydehøj: Contemporary French and Scandinavian Crime Fiction: Citizenship, Gender and Ethnicity

Book Review: Anne Grydehøj: <i>Contemporary French and Scandinavian Crime Fiction: Citizenship, Gender and Ethnicity</i>

Urdu Crime Fiction, 1890–1950: An Informal History, written by C. M. Naim

Urdu Crime Fiction, 1890–1950: An Informal History, written by C. M. Naim

Судебный следователь, адвокат, благородный филантроп: Ранняя русская уголовная проза 1860–1890-х гг. в поисках героя-расследователя

The article is devoted to the process of searching for the “detective hero” by early Russian crime fiction of the 1860–1880s. With the posthumous new rise of E. Sue’s popularity on the background – thanks to V. Krestovsky’s novel “The Slums of St. Petersburg,” – it could be a character like Prince Rodolphe of Gerolstein, an almost omnipotent restorer of social justice, operating with equal dexterity both in slums and in high society. As criminal fiction works with elements of “mysterymania” (imitation of “The Mysteries of Paris” in one form or another), we analyze in chronological order the collection of essays “The Mysteries of Moscow” by M. M. Maksimov, the novels “Child” and “Killer” by P. A Salmanov, “Odessa Catacombs” by V. M. Antonov and “New Broom” by A. A. Shklyarevsky. Crime fiction, where the forces of good and evil are differentiated and fight against each other, should not welcome “Rodolphe-like” characters, but they still infiltrate it – as experiments of certain writers with the emerging genre. The composition and characterology of the above-mentioned works helps to understand why by the 1880s. the few romantic “slum princes” (and along with them other private detectives) are confidently being replaced by the realistic judicial investigator.

Culture after Catastrophe: A Conversation with David Peace on the Tokyo Trilogy

Abstract In this conversation with Max Ward, David Peace discusses his motivations for writing the Tokyo Trilogy, the historical research that went into it, and the political questions related to postwar Japan that he wanted to pursue. They then discuss the responsibility of historical crime fiction, as well as the literary, cultural and philosophical sources that influence Peace's unique style of what he calls “occult history.” The conversation took place on December 15, 2023, and the transcript was subsequently edited and annotated for content and readability.

Era mucho el miedo by Gloria Inés Peláez and En el brazo del río by Marbel Sandoval Ordóñez: The Novels of the Second State in Colombia

Abstract Colombia’s war conflict inspired crime fiction, mainly by male authors. This genre has reflected the nation’s harsh reality since the mid-twentieth century, revealing brutal aspects of Colombian society. However, women’s experiences as victims of violence and their literary contributions have been overlooked despite their early engagement in writing about these matters. This article analyses the novels En el brazo del río by Marbel Sandoval Ordóñez and Era mucho el miedo by Gloria Inés Peláez, published in 2006 and 2016, respectively. Both novels are representations of what could be considered the Colombian “Second State”—as named by Rita Segato: an illegal ruling state and economic scheme that thrives on the cruelest violence, primarily against women.

Rabhia

The growing interest in Mozambican crime fiction since the early 2000's reflects a move to portray underexplored characters, stories and spaces of postcolonial life through the lens of the police procedural. This period has not only seen numerous debates in Mozambique surrounding the purported 'death' of Mozambican literature, but it has coincided with a significant literary shift towards the crime novel. Works such as Mia Couto's Under the Frangipani and Lília Momplé's Neighbours have drawn Anglophone readers and scholars into these conversations.1 Since then, Mozambican writers have continued to expand the boundaries of the crime novel in order to question the status of 'engaged' literature and to offer readers nuanced explorations of the genre alongside that of the country's social inheritances of colonialism, liberation struggle, civil war and ongoing armed conflict.

El mundo es de las mujeres: trans life and maladjustment in Antonio Mercero’s El final del hombre

ABSTRACT In recent years, there has been a notable increase in representations of transgender individuals in Spanish popular culture, particularly in written and visual media. This study analyzes Antonio Mercero’s crime fiction novel El final del hombre (2017) in which transgender life functions as a metaphor for modern and progressive Spain, highlighting its successes and limitations regarding gender justice and representation. While the novel introduces a transgender detective as a prominent figure in mainstream fiction, it also perpetuates certain stereotypes that it aims to challenge. Drawing on the theory of trans maladjustment by Cameron Awkward-Rich, here I explore how El final del hombre deviates from traditional narrative structures and delves into the experiences that define maladjustment. As the novel navigates various regulatory mechanisms and patriarchal institutions, such as the family, the healthcare system and the police, it also underscores the ongoing challenges in moving beyond limited portrayals and expanding the possibilities of transgender identities and experiences.

MURDER OFFLINE AND ONLINE: COMPARING E-PISTOLARY AND TRADITIONAL NARRATIVES IN THE APPEAL AND BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD

This study examines the evolving nature of epistolary narratives in the digital age by comparing traditional and e-pistolary storytelling techniques in two contemporary crime novels: Janice Hallett’s The Appeal and Attica Locke’s Bluebird, Bluebird. Employing a theoretical framework combining digital narratology (as developed by scholars like Marie-Laure Ryan and Janet Murray) and media-specific analysis (proposed by N. Katherine Hayles), the research paper explores how the shift from traditional to digital communication impacts narrative structure, character development and reader engagement in murder mystery narratives. It investigates the unique attributes of e-pistolary writing, including the use of emojis, internet slang and multimedia elements, analysing how these digital affordances influence narrative voice, pacing and the reader’s interpretative process. The study also considers the potential for augmented reality and interactive narratives in digital epistolary works, examining their implications for the genre’s future. The comparative analysis reveals that while The Appeal leverages e-pistolary techniques to create a multi-layered, interactive reading experience, Bluebird, Bluebird employs traditional narrative methods to evoke a sense of place and history. This juxtaposition highlights the strengths and limitations of both approaches in crafting compelling murder mysteries. The findings suggest that e-pistolary narratives offer new possibilities for reader immersion and non-linear storytelling, while traditional narratives maintain their power in delivering atmospheric, character-driven tales. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on the evolution of literary forms in the digital era and provides insights into the future of crime fiction storytelling.

Interactive and transmedia narratives in crime fiction for teaching literature

The plots of soft-boiled novels usually offer a game of riddles and puzzles that challenge the reader. That is why it has been easier for structures to be adapted to new dimensions. Through interactive literature and transmedia narrative, the aim is to explore how this genre has been transferred to other works in different formats. The study will address some concrete examples to finally show the design of an interactive and transmedia product with the purpose of teaching literature to high school students. The research does not aim to show a learning process but the design and development of a game to learn.

“Esa zona indeterminada donde se cruzan la ficción y la verdad": Ficciones, realidades y la lectura como agentes críticos en El camino de Ida de Ricardo Piglia

This article analyses Ricardo Piglia's last novel, El camino de Ida (2013), which is influenced by the emphatic concept of fiction and the epistemological potential of literature, postulated by its author. The article discusses how the author aims to develop through his crime fiction a capacity for critical reading allowing us to recognise and read the state and economic fictions that, according to Piglia, fill reality. It will be shown how Piglia deliberately plays with fictional and factual elements at various levels of the complex narrative to provoke a critical and even suspicious attitude and to incite a reflection on reading. Thus, the novel anticipates on a meta-level central aspects of the recent debate between "critique and postcritique".

GÈNERE I AUTORIA EN LES NOVEL·LES DE LA NEGRA, DE LA MAGRANA

The article proposes a numerical analysis of the correlation between the authorship and the main characters of the novels in the “La Negra” collection, published by La Magrana. Given the fact that this is the first collection specialized in crime fiction to include female authors in its catalog, the study aims to serve as a starting point for determining quantitatively and qualitatively the emergence of female authors in a traditionally male genre. The work is based on the main and secondary roles and the motivations for the crime from a gender perspective. It should be noted that there is a marked difference between the number of novels written by men and women in the corpus studied. However, there are some differences between the authors’ productions.

Romanul judiciar. Către un nou subgen al romanului istoric românesc

The lifespan and popularity of a subgenre are determined by the inventiveness with which novelists develop and innovate the standard formulas. The judicial novel emerges as an extension of the popularity of the outlaw novel, adding a technical dimension to the misdeeds committed by wrongdoers. The outlaw and judicial novels are anthropomorphized subgenres that set in motion symbolic models, with a central figure dominating the entire course of events. The judicial novel reconfigures the perspective of naturalism, transforming the social milieu into a triggering factor for reprehensible acts. Shocking acts, such as crimes or suicides, and their mysterious circumstances, are analyzed from multiple angles, akin to using a set of parallel mirrors, while the brisk steps of investigations are fascinatingly reconstructed within the eloquent phrases of the novelists. One of the central ideas that the judicial novel seeks to develop is the sacrifice as a social practice, whether symbolic, articulated in the imposition of precarious living conditions leading to extreme gestures. Spatiality and temporality constitute the central pillars that compose the dramatic scenes of the Romanian judicial novel. Crimes are plotted and committed in the moonlight, in neighborhoods or on winding streets. The schematism of gloomy settings and the rudimentary nature of character profiles are countered by allusions to an undefined darkness, the contours of which elude discernment. The judicial subgenre utilizes conventions from the detective novel formula, involving the exaggeration of a cause-and-effect relationship as inevitable and the conquest of a reassuring imaginary, complementary to the moral imperatives discussed by Romanian novelists determined to rehabilitate the reputation of the genre through fictional digressions on morality. In its dimension of historical crime fiction, the Romanian judicial novel not only accentuates its documentary aspect, showing how the institutions responsible for investigations and judicial processes function but also the expansiveness of historicizing interpretations of the analyzed bloody events. Within the context of a dynamically structured novel distinguished by thematic configuration and ideological significance, the incorporation of illustrations transcends mere decorative intent. The judicial novel strategically incorporates illustrations as a highly effective extratextual approach. This not only disrupts the linear narrative trajectory and heightens suspense but also concurrently bestows substance upon the ethereal images adeptly invoked by the literary text.

Detecting falsehoods: History and mafia in the work of Leonardo Sciascia and Sebastiano Vassalli

This article explores points of contact in the work of Leonardo Sciascia (1921–1989) and Sebastiano Vassalli (1941–2015) through historical novels with Sciascia's La strega e il capitano (1986) and Vassalli's La chimera (1990) as well as in their accounts of the mafia in Sciascia's Il giorno della civetta (1972) and Vassalli's Il cigno (1993). Deleuze's conception of falsehood as an essential structural element of crime fiction serves as a mechanism to highlight both authors’ intolerance of false histories and the deliberate obfuscation of the collusion between mafia and the State in Sicily and beyond. While the two writers were often ideologically aligned, Vassalli's narration of the mafia in Il cigno, and his subsequent criticism of Sicilian authors who had failed to ‘impugnare il bisturi’ and expose the true nature of the mafia, created a literary polemic. A debate ensued in the public domain, centering Sciascia in a discussion of positionality and questioning whether Vassalli had the authority to venture opinions on Sicilian matters. This controversy served to revive concerns about the role of literature in creating a coherent national identity or stoking regionalism, while simultaneously problematizing the role of the author as detective able to shed light on intractable problems.

The subterranean in crime fiction: examining Edinburgh’s underground in Ian Rankin’s John Rebus novels

ABSTRACT Given the prominence of subterranean settings and imagery within crime fiction, this article critically examines the genre’s representation of the subterranean. Influenced by scholarly work on the subterranean, I focus on the writing of one prominent crime novelist, Ian Rankin, and his Edinburgh-set John Rebus detective novels. From a relational standpoint, two issues are focused on: subterranean place (namely the attachment of meaning to the subterranean, the power relations that run through the subterranean, and the underground’s connections to the aboveground) and subterranean time (notably the role of the subterranean in shaping the relationship between the past and the present). Traversing Edinburgh’s basements and graves, as well as hell and the underworld, I demonstrate that Rankin uses subterranean place and time to accentuate some of the hidden harms, inequalities and injustices of urban life.

On top of the world: mapping the Nordic crime fiction boom based on translation data

ABSTRACT Nordic Noir – crime fiction originating in the Nordic region – is one of the most significant international publishing success stories of the twenty-first century. Despite its importance, no one has mapped and analysed the circulation of Nordic Noir as world literature. The present study addresses this knowledge gap by quantitatively mapping the global translation flows of Nordic Noir during the period of its greatest international success, from 2000 to 2020. Drawing on the “Nordic Noir in Translation Database” containing 8,886 translations from all five main Nordic languages – Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish – this study is the first to chart the so-called “boom” in a comparative macro perspective, bringing to light the nuances of its international dissemination and impact. Key findings relate to the chronological structure of the boom, the scale of Swedish dominance and the role of a small group of top authors in driving overall translation rates.