Includes bibliographical references (p. 477) and index.

Introduction -- Critical essay : Murder at large / John Ball -- Part I: The amateur detective. Critical essays and commentaries. From "The puzzle-game" / Patricia D. Maida and Nicholas B. Spornick -- The many guises of the contemporary amateur detective / Nancy Ellen Talburt and Juana R. Young -- Stories. The Murders in the Rue Morgue / Edgar Allan Poe -- Silver Blaze / Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- The Witness for the Prosecution / Agatha Christie -- The Haunted Policeman / Dorothy L. Sayers -- "My Queer Dean" / Ellery Queen -- The House in Goblin Wood / John Dickson Carr -- Deborah's Judgment / Margaret Maron -- Nine Lives to Live / Sharyn McCrumb -- Cold Turkey / Diane Mott Davidson -- Revised Endings / Jan Burke -- Part II: The private investigator. Critical essays and commentaries. The simple art of murder / Raymond Chandler -- From "Grafton's Place in the Development of the Detective Novel" / Natalie Hevener Kaufman and Carol McGinnis Kay -- Stories. The Gutting of Couffignal / Dashiell Hammett -- Trouble Is My Business / Raymond Chandler -- The Parker Shotgun / Sue Grafton -- Skin Deep / Sara Paretsky -- And Pray Nobody Sees You / Gar Anthony Haywood -- Going Home / S. J. Rozan -- Part III: The police. Critical essays and commentaries. From "The Police Novel" / LeRoy Lad Panek -- The 87th Precinct / Ed McBain -- Stories. The Hunt Ball / Freeman Wills Crofts -- Inspector Maigret Deduces / Georges Simenon -- Sadie When She Died / Ed McBain -- Chee's Witch / Tony Hillerman -- The Dean's Curse / Ian Rankin -- Under Suspicion / Clark Howard -- Missing in Action / Peter Robinson -- Appendix A: Notable annual awards for mystery and detective fiction -- Appendix B: Bibliography of critical essays and commentaries.