Until recently no one could read the stories that formed the basics of the detective story in America and made it one of the most popular kinds of fiction in the 19th century. With unprecedented access to digital collections of period newspapers and magazines, this text examines detective fiction during its formative years, focusing on crucial elements of the genre-setting, lawyers and the law, physicians and forensics, women as victims and heroes, crime and criminals, and police and detectives.

Although the classic tales of mystery have faded from popular culture, avid collectors and cataloguers have ensured their place in the annals of literature. This anthology offers readers an exemplary sample of the hundreds of detective stories published in 19th century newspapers and magazines. All but two are stories published before 1891, before Sherlock Holmes appeared in America. The stories are categorized according to common motifs, including the largely unexplored field of women in late 19th century detection. Revealing cultural intricacies that other kinds of fiction cannot, the literature presented here provides new insights into the history of the detective story.