“Crime fiction can show you something about a society and a character that’s incredibly deep, whereas so-called literary fiction is about linguistic pyrotechnics. That’s why I’ve always been a fan of this type of writing.”
Publishers, too, believe there is a lot more mileage in the genre. “Like a Greek myth, there’s an awful lot writers can do with good crime stories,” says Ms Wisdom.
“We like harmony and shape, and that’s what a good crime novel gives you – a lovely story arc with a beginning, middle and end – and a morally acceptable outcome, which a lot of post-modern literature will not give you. It can also give you humour, absolute horror, romance, a puzzle. Crime fiction is only going to get bigger.”
For good crime fiction, see Mainstay Press.
A Practical Policy 