Edited by Robert A. Wilson and Frank C. Keil. MIT Press, 1999. Organized into two parts. The work provides current, reliable information in one volume that otherwise would be scattered though at least half a dozen different specialized encyclopedias. RobinW. Winks, Ed.
Mystery writers stress different aspects of their stories.
Emphasis is on literary criticism, with 68 authors included. Edgar Allen Poe is the earliest. There are 14 essays on themes and sub-genres in volume 2. These cover Crime Noir, Ethnic Detective, Historical Mystery, Women of Mystery and other themes. Editor, David T. Zabecki.