Rethinking crime fiction readers

Abstract

This research sought to discover how readers of crime fiction novels interact with these texts utilizing a co-creative lens. A qualitative online survey was conducted on three popular crime fiction websites and the responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. It was found that, in contrast to prior research, crime fiction novel readers do not simply view crime fiction as a puzzle to be solved. Instead, they place a high degree of importance on the substantive elements of the fiction such as the quality and details of the plot, setting, and the characters constructed by the author. These findings indicate that crime fiction novel authors should note that their readers desire a more general and pleasurable reading experience than was previously thought.

Keywords:

• qualitative research
• creative writing
• readers
• crime fiction
• novels

Disclosure statement

The second author reports an indirect financial interest in the results of the research as a published crime fiction author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dr Jacqueline Burgess

Dr Jacqueline Burgess is an Lecturer in International Business and the Program Coordinator for the Bachelor of Business in the School of Business and Creative Industries at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Her research investigates narrative brands with a focus on how consumers and audiences become emotionally connected to the stories these brands tell. She has published her work in multiple peer-reviewed journals including Game Studies, Games and Culture, the Journal of Consumer Marketing and the European Journal of Marketing.

Dr Paul Williams

Dr Paul Williams is the Deputy Head, Research and a Senior Lecturer, Creative Writing in the School of Business and Creative Industries at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. He has published on genre writing, creative writing pedagogy and practice research, and is an award-winning international author of crime fiction, memoir, literary fiction, short stories and young adult fantasy and mystery. His latest books are Novel Ideas: Writing Innovative Fiction (Macmillan, 2020) and the crime novels Twelve Days (2019) and Don’t Tell (2020).