An inverted detective story, also known as a reverse whodunit or a howcatchem, is a crime fiction structure in which the commission of the crime, usually including the identity of the culprit, is shown or described at the beginning, after which the narrative follows a detective's investigation, with further mysteries such as the criminal's motive sometimes resolved along the way. It contrasts with the traditional whodunit, where the perpetrator's identity is withheld until the end. The format originated with R. Austin Freeman's The Case of Oscar Brodski, published in Pearson's Magazine in 1912, and the television series Columbo is one of its most recognizable examples.
Facts
Place of OriginFirst developed by R. Austin Freeman, whose The Case of Oskar Brodski, published in Pearson's Magazine in 1912, is considered the first inverted detective story. 1 Notable ExampleThe television series Columbo is one of the best-known examples of the inverted detective story. 1 Defining TraitA crime fiction structure in which the commission of the crime is shown or described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then following the detective's attempt to solve the mystery. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Inverted Detective Story (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
is a crime fiction structure in which the commission of the crime is shown or described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator. The story then describes the detective's attempt to solve the mystery.
Examples section
The television series Columbo is one of the best-known examples of this genre
History section
The first such story was R. Austin Freeman's The Case of Oskar Brodski published in Pearson's Magazine in 1912.
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