Making the Detective Story American: Biggers, Van Dine and Hammett and the Turning Point of the Genre, 1925-1930

by J.K. Van Dover

This critical text examines the fiction of Earl Derr Biggers, S. S. Van Dine, and Dashiell Hammett during a crucial half-decade when they transformed the detective story. The characters they created, including Charlie Chan, Philo Vance, and the Continental Op, represented a new style of detective solving crimes in fresh ways. Their successes would push crime and detective fiction in startling and rejuvenating directions. Topics covered include the highbrow detective, the ethnic detective, the exploitation of contemporary sensations, and the exploitation of women.

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786448954
• ISBN13: 9780786448951
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: McFarland & Company
• Length: 231 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher