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Crime fiction history: everything you wanted to know

From Hercule Poirot to Sherlock Holmes, Martin Edwards answers key questions on the history of the crime fiction genre

• Isabel King

Published: August 31, 2025 at 8:00 AM

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From Hercule Poirot to Sherlock Holmes, crime fiction has long been a popular genre. But what was the first crime novel? How has crime writing affected real-life cases? And what was the 'Detection Club'? In this 'everything you wanted to know' episode, Isabel King is joined by crime fiction author and researcher Martin Edwards to discuss the history of the influential genre.

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Authors

Isabel KingJunior content producer

Isabel King is a junior content producer at HistoryExtra

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