The Detective novel is one in which the story and plot are woven around an initial crime or murder the secret of which is solved by an investigator or detective. He does it by logical assembling and evidence as known as clues.

The Major themes of the Detective novels are:

• The plot will always begin with a murder or a mysterious case.
• The case will be superior and unfamiliar to the police
• So that, they seek the knowledge of detectives to solve the mystery behind the case.
• The detective will be curious and different from the rest of the characters portrayed in the novel
• The wrongly accused suspect at whom circumstantial evidence points
• The villain will be the mysterious element of the novel
• The startling and unexpected denouement

It was Edgar Allen Poe who launched this literary form with his story “The Murder in the Rue Morgue” in 1841. In the later 19th century, in England, Wilkie Collins preferred the art of the Detective novel with the publication of his “Moonstone” the first full-length detective novel in English. The first full-length detective novel in America was Anna Katherine Green’s “The Leavenworth Case” published in 1878.

In 1887 Sherlock Holmes series by Conan Doyle began to appear and continued up to 1927. His creation of Sherlock Holmes was, however, is the greatest achievement.
The exploits of this sharp sleuth and his companion in adventure and chronicler, Dr. Watson, soon catapulted Doyle to international status. A prolific writer, he has written 4 novels and 56 short stories. Sherlock Holmes series ruled detective novels from all over the world. And which is still cherished by the readers, movie lovers. Many authors adapted the Sherlock Holmes series and created some different versions taken this as a root base.

Detective novels in different ages:

After 1920 a series of novels known for their haunting suspense and artistic structure by Agatha Christie appeared. Hercule Poirot is the detective in her Novels. Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the queen of crime. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and 6 novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.

Initial causes of it’s wide spread:

The spread of paperbacks and the establishment of book clubs helped the growth and development of the detective novel after the fifties.

Why Detective Novels are so popular:

It satisfies the “puzzle-solving” element of traditional puzzles.
It allows us to invoke our imagination
Be gripped by the suspense of a who done it.
Making the puzzle even more fascinating and the desire to reach the “goal” stronger.

What we learn from them:

Mysteries Often Make Children Central Characters and they can relate to the characters better than they can with other stories. By choosing to read mystery books that are youth-focused, you are helping them become more engaged and interested in the story. Detective novels also help adults to look forward to the mysteries of life inside the books. The stories will be mind-blowing and adults and elder people also will fall into them.

Detective fiction will continue to attract the readers as long as man’s fascination for mystery and suspense does not disappear.