Guilty Parties tells the whole story, accompanied by dozens of special features packed with information to surprise even the most avid fan. Classic puzzles like the locked-room mystery are analyzed and the Ten Commandments for the detective novel 1930s-style defined. Want to know what bean-shooters, roscoes, Chicago overcoat, nippers and buttons are? Look them up in the hard-boiled dictionary. Discover the stories of pulp fiction and film noir, or read about today's feisty female private eyes. Complete with a world round-up of current crime novels, full lists of Edgars, Daggers and other prizes, a detailed chronology and ideas for further reading, here is the perfect guide to crime and mystery writing, with 195 illustrations, 31 in color.