A Companion to Crime Fiction presents the definitive guide to this popular genre from its origins in the eighteenth century to the present day - A collection of newly commissioned essays from a team of leading scholars across the globe make this Companion the definitive guide to crime fiction - Follows the development of the genre from its origins in the eighteenth century through to its phenomenal present day popularity - Features full-length critical essays on the most significant authors and film-makers, from Arthur Conan Doyle and Dashiell Hammett to Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese exploring the ways in which they have shaped and influenced the field - Includes extensive references to the most up-to-date scholarship, and a comprehensive bibliography