A Companion to Crime Fiction presents the definitive guide to this popular genre from its origins in the eighteenth century to the present dayA collection of forty-seven newly commissioned essays from a team of leading scholars across the globe make this Companion the definitive guide to crime fictionFollows the development of the genre from its origins in the eighteenth century through to its phenomenal present day popularityFeatures  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 fieldIncludes extensive references to the most up-to-date scholarship, and a comprehensive bibliography