Murder Done to Death: Parody and Pastiche in Detective Fiction - Tapa dura

...cheerfully adds up to an extraordinary feat of research and documentation. * Times Literary Supplement * ...contains much to enjoy and inform. It is a book I am happy to recommend... * Crime and Detective Stories * It is erudite. It is profound. It is personal. A lifetime of insights is shared with us. * Jerusalem Post Literary Supplement * Murder Done to Death is written with affection as well as erudition. From its welter of images and memories I especially enjoyed sections on what the author calls 'Silly-assery'...if you are intrigued by parodies and pastiches-do try to get hold of Murder Done to Death. * Story Paper Collector's Digest * John Kennedy Melling has read and seen everything that is mystery-related and retained it all...tremendous amount of information...fun to read... * Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine, (Uk) * ...it is a happy book to recommended * Crime Time * ...required reading for lovers of the parody and pastiche in detective fiction. * Crime Time * ...there is pleasure to be gained from delving into this enthusiastic gallimaufry. * The Year's Work 96 *

An art form comes of age when it is imitated, then parodied and finally repeated in pastiche. Crime and detective fiction is now so well established in different formats that it lends itself easily to these literary forms. After a brief history of the genre is an analysis of a large number of parody books and short stories, with details of correspondence and interviews the writer has had with masters of the craft, like Georges Simenon and Margaret Millar. The next section covers those books written by teams of six or more crime writers. The pastiche section deals with a number of books and short stories in-depth, crime stories for younger readers, and the exploits of literary detectives and criminals. "Do It Yourself Sleuthing" covers dossiers, games and books of solvable short crime stories. This leads naturally to all forms of parody and pastiche in films, theater, television and radio, including stage and film musicals.