Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Sam Spade, Perry Mason, and Inspector Rebus. Do any of these names ring a bell? This is just a sampling of the fictional detectives that we will bring to life every week in this course. From the brilliant and eccentric to the deceptively unlikely to the tough-guy private eyes, their methods may vary but they always get their man, or woman. We travel from the genre’s inception in 1844 to the present day, sampling each era while noting the changes in how the stories are being told and perhaps how the crimes have changed as well. Prepare to be tantalized, perplexed and amazed.

Format: Each participant is encouraged, but not required, to make a short presentation. The presenter will give a brief bio of the author and lead a class discussion about the story prompted by pre-prepared questions.

Resources/Expenses: Detective Stories (Everyman’s Library Pocket Classic Series). This short story anthology is available from Amazon new at $19.30 and used from Thrift Books for $9.47.