Notes on Crime novels

• A offences against God and one's neighbour 
• B offences against God and society 
• C offences against God 

Murder is the one crime in which society has always a direct interest. 

Death that appears to be suicide goes into classification C, once a suicide is proved to be murder, public inquiry becomes a duty. 

Detective stories require a closed enviornement so that we can form a number of suspects instead of a world full. 

It requires an innocent society, so a murder or other crime can form a tone of crisis for the social environment. The crime must be shockingly out of place. (may occur with a corpse) A society with a elaborate ritual may be chosen, the ritual is a sign of harnory and when a crime occurs this turns to conflict. The criminal must know the ritual, as well as the detective. 

The characters should all be eccentric and good, which in some cases of the villain may shown to be a false reality. 

College/ university settings often allow an ideal professor in the pursuit of knowledge as a detective figure. The basic premise of academic life is that truth is universal and to be shared with all. 

The victim must involve everyone in suspicion and evoke guilt, they must be a good character and not a criminal. 

The suspects should be mostly apparent, they must be guilty of something because if they are innocent they have no aesthetic or relation to the cime/criminal type. The principle causes of guilt are: intention to murder, other illicit crimes, despise the law, refual to co-operate and a lack of faith which can lead them to confuse clues (Murder on the Orient Express)

The criminal is the rebel who claims the right to be omnipotent, he must seem to be innocent if we are to decipher their identity and so a demonic pride must be concealied. The end of the criminal is execution, suicide or madness. The first is preferable as if they commit suicide or go mad they refuse to atone. Execution/murder (legally or illegally) is the act of atonement by which society has forgiven them. 

The role of the detective is to restore order. They must be a total stranger who cannot be involved in the crime. They do not need a motive for investigating but may have one (personal/Hamlet) 

The amateur detective geniue may have weaknesses and are solitary as well as celibate or happily married. More amateur detectives will be motivated by ambition or could just as well be murderers/criminals (Hamlet)