This book pushes beyond the focus of murder mysteries in British detective fiction to illuminate elements of what is perhaps the next most pertinent subgenre: stories of burglary and theft. Chapters cover work including E. W. Hornung's Raffles stories, Sherlock Holmes's investigation of as well as his own commitment of theft, Agatha Christie's novels, and more. Outside of the thievery itself, Hopkins focuses on the actual stolen items, from jewellery to identity. Examining stolen identities as well as stolen objects helps to bring out the extent to which narratives of theft raise issues of class, gender, and race as well as implicitly posing questions about social justice: who has the right to possess what, and on what grounds?

The first book to focus on theft and stolen items in detective fiction Includes a wide range of British detective fiction authors, from the canonical to the lesser-known Covers the work of P.G. Wodehouse, an author not normally considered in mainstream discussions of detective fiction

Autorentext

Lisa Hopkins is Professor of English, Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Her previous books include Shakespearean Allusion in Crime Fiction: DCI Shakespeare (Palgrave Macmillan 2016).

Inhalt

1.- Introduction.-Burglarious Backwaters.- 2Girls in Pearls.- 3Gemstones and Paste.- 4Silver Cow Creamers and Other Obscure Objects of Desire.- 5Novel Treaties and Secret Recipies.-6Identity Theft.- 7Conclusion.