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Crime Writing

Crime writing is the practice of actually creating prose based around real or imagined criminal cases. The murder mystery is one of the most popular sub-genres. People like to read these stories to better understand the dark side of human behaviour. They can also offer an escapist thrill.

Crime Fiction

Crime fiction stories are ones that did not actually happen in the real world. However, they are often inspired by actual events. The most revered writer of crime fiction is Agatha Christie who continues to influence modern authors of the genre. The best crime stories tend to offer clues for the reader to decode. This helps them determine who the murderer is.

Many of the best crime fiction stories have been adapted into films and television programmes. During the late 2000s, Scandinavian crime books such as the Millennium series saw a surge in sales.

Crime Non Fiction

A secondary form of crime writing is true crime. This is when a writer depicts a real-life case. In recent years these kinds of stories have become very popular with the general public. The highest selling ones usually detail the deeds of serial killers or gangsters. These books are cited as research for true crime podcasts. But it is not only murders that people are intrested in. With the new trends on finance and cryptocurrencies, we can even read or hear stories about financial crimes and forex.

Non-fiction books do not offer the same escapism as fiction ones. Instead, they are used to shed light on the motivations of criminals. Truman Capote's 1966 work In Cold Blood helped to popularise the genre.