Ted Blain ’74 presents the first session from Alumni College's "Whodunits: The Art of Detective Fiction." No popular literature has a more dedicated following than the mystery novel. Foremost among the reasons for its popularity is that mystery fiction provides the entertainment of a well-constructed puzzle, one that challenges the reader to discover whodunit. Within that genre, detective fiction offers the dark and gnarled pleasure of a crime at its center, one that requires a detective-the reader's friend and persona-to solve the puzzle. The best examples also tell a good story with provocative dialog, interesting characters, and a clear eye to setting and arresting detail. Most of all, they are simply fun intellectually.
