Murder in a Few Words

Courtroom drama, legal thrillers, and the classic whodunit are a few sub-genres of the widely popular crime fiction genre. Despite the popularity among readers, the crime short story genre has yet to be fully explored by scholars. This book offers a deep-dive into crime short stories written by a wide range of authors. In ten chapters of the history of the crime short story genre, readers will learn how the genre has evolved to become what it is today. The book offers an accessible and original discussion of crime short stories focusing on compelling themes, ranging from miscarriage of justice to environmental crime and toxic masculinity.