Crime Fiction "Fiction in any form is always intended to be realistic" (Raymond Chandler, The simple art of murder). Crime fiction is no different. Underpinned by its trademark conventions - a crime, a mystery around how the crime was committed, a detective, an intricate convoluted plot and a climatic 'all is revealed' denouement - the genre has evolved to reflect changing social contexts of composition and to reflect upon the issues and values concerning the …showed first 75 words of 1649 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1649 total…confirms that Chandler's words apply equally to crime fiction. Underpinned by its trademark conventions the genre has evolved to embrace a myriad of changing social contexts and issues through texts which have blossomed from the simple 'who dunnit' texts of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie to complex socio-psychological dramas of the modern day. Throughout this evolution the texts have provided a mirror on society that reflects the values and social constructs of their time.