Literature and Theater, Crime in

Crime permeates much literature and theater, although any analysis is inevitably imprecise because the term applies to any work involving detection, criminal activity, or unsolved misdeeds. Crime has been a consistent theme in a variety of literary genres, including literature, detective and crime fiction, thrillers, and children's series.

Although covering similar themes, some books and plays concentrate more on the puzzle aspects of crime, while others delve into the psychological aspects of the criminal's psyche and circumstances underlying the crime. While both approaches are popular, they often attract ...