"Genuinely fascinating reading."--The New York Times Book Review
"Diverting and patently authoritative."--The New Yorker
"Grand and fascinating ... a history, a compendium and a critical study all in one, and all first rate."--Rex Stout
"A landmark ... a brilliant study written with charm and authority."--Ellery Queen
"This book is of permanent value. It should be on the shelf of every reader of detective stories."--Erle Stanley Gardner
Author Howard Haycraft, an expert in detective fiction, traces the genre's development from the 1840s through the 1940s. Along the way, he charts the innovations of Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins, and Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as the modern influence of George Simenon, Josephine Tey, and others. Additional topics include a survey of the critical literature, a detective story quiz, and a Who's Who in Detection.