This 2 volume set on mystery, detective, and espionage fiction cover in 84 articles some of the most influential and popular writers of the genre. Each original, signed article is the ideal bio-critical introduction to its subject. Furnishing both a look at the author's background and a genuine critical analysis of the major novels and stories, the articles range from 7 to 20 pages. These engaging essays provide substantial treatments of major mystery authors and of such subgenres as the police procedural, the spy novel, and the whodunit.