We had thief catchers, and Bow Street Runners. Then, finally, in 1829, Bobbies, or Peelers, came along, when Sir Robert Peel established the Metropolitan Police Service with Commissioners, Superintendents, Inspectors, Sergeants and 895 Constables. If you are writing crime fiction, even for TV, it’s important to get the ranks right. How did Christopher Foyle manageContinue reading “Policing the Historical Facts and Fictions. III”
Tag Archives: crime fiction
Policing the Historical Facts and Fictions. II
Kings made laws and they wanted to see them enforced by more than wishful thinking. Someone had to do it. In England, the Normans preserved the Saxon role of Shire Reeve, or Sheriff, an appointed protector of the King’s interests in every county, with soldiers at his command. They could be hard-hearted extortionists, like RobinContinue reading “Policing the Historical Facts and Fictions. II”
Policing the Historical Facts and Fictions. I
It’s an odd thing that real crime, stalking in our own vicinity, terrifies us, but in fiction, and at a distance, we love it. There’s an obvious reason for that. It’s fiction. It’s not true. It allows us to enjoy all the thrill, the suspense, the exploration of our darker sides, without any danger ofContinue reading “Policing the Historical Facts and Fictions. I”
It’s a Crime
Crime Fiction comes in many forms – international thrillers, historical mysteries, psychological dramas, police procedurals, court dramas, cosy crime… the sub-genres are endless, but they all dwell on crime. What is the appeal? Real life crime comes in many sub-divisions too, but crime fiction ignores most of them. You don’t get thrillers centring on crimesContinue reading “It’s a Crime”
What’s in a Genre?
When I first moved from seriously obsessive scribbling to trying to get someone else to appreciate what I’d written, the first question confronting me was ‘what genre do I write in?’ People want to know. At least publishers want to know, and agents and librarians and book shop owners, not to mention readers. This canContinue reading “What’s in a Genre?”
Thorne Moore 