Students will learn about the development of the genre of
detective fiction in various national literatures, with special 
emphasis on the relevance of this genre to contemporary society 
around the world. They will study several examples of the genre, 
as well as a number of critical and analytical studies. Students
will improve their communications skills through oral 
participation in class and through various writing assignments. 
Students' performances will be assessed through a variety of 
means, including presentations, in-class writing assignments, 
papers, tests, and a final examination.

The course generally consists of a series of readings in
detective fiction, with special emphasis on the relevance of 
this genre to contemporary society around the world. Examples 
selected will provide an overview of the historical development 
of the genre in various countries. The works treated will vary 
with the instructor. The following is a sample syllabus of 
readings for a single semester:

Heta Pyrhonen.  Mayhem and Murder
Edgar Allan Poe.  The Fall of the House of Usher and other 
writings.
Arthur Conan Doyle.  The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Elizabeth George.  A Great Deliverance
Agatha Christie.  Evil Under the Sun
Colin Dexter.  The Jewel That Was Ours
Ruth Rendell.  Wolf to the Slaughter
Dashiell Hammett.  The Maltese Falcon
Raymond Chandler.  The Long Goodbye
Ross MacDonald.  The Moving target
Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo.  The Laughing Policeman
Batya Gur.  Literary Murder
Vladimir Nabokov.  The Real Life of Sebastian Knight

Students are required to abide by the University of Georgia academic honesty policy.