Detection existed in fiction long before Poe and Doyle. Its real origins lurk in the popular press of the early Nineteenth century, where the detective and the case were steadily developed. The well-known masters of early crime fiction, including Collins and Dickens, drew on this material, found in texts that have rarely been reprinted or even discussed. In this revealing book, Heather Worthington combines scholarly and archival study with theoretically informed analysis to unearth the foundations of detective fiction. This is essential reading for those researching in, studying, or just fascinated by crime fiction.