Definition

1. Noun:
   • A narrative about someone who investigates crimes and obtains evidence leading to their resolution: A detective story is a genre of fiction or a specific tale that centers on the process of solving a crime, typically a murder. The plot follows a detective, either professional or amateur, as they gather clues, interview suspects, and use reasoning to identify the perpetrator.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • Agatha Christie is famous for writing classic detective stories.
  • The novel's intricate plot makes it a compelling detective story.
  • He prefers watching films that are clever detective stories rather than simple action movies.

Advanced Usage

• As a genre term: The term is often used to describe the entire genre of mystery fiction focused on crime investigation.
  • The golden age of detective stories was in the early 20th century.
• In a metaphorical sense: Sometimes used to describe any situation involving a complex search for truth or answers.
  • Figuring out the source of the network error was a real detective story.

Variants and Related Words

• Detective novel (n): A full-length book belonging to the detective story genre.
  • He published his first detective novel last year.
• Detective fiction (n): The broader category of fictional works about detectives.
  • She is an avid reader of detective fiction.
• Whodunit (n, informal): A synonym for a detective story or mystery, emphasizing the question "who done it?".
  • The party game was based on a classic whodunit.

Synonyms

• Mystery story: A story involving an unknown event, often a crime, that needs to be solved.
• Crime fiction: Fiction that focuses on crimes, their detection, and their perpetrators.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• A real-life detective story: Used to describe a complex, puzzling real-world event that requires investigation.
  • The journalist's investigation into the corruption scandal read like a real-life detective story.

Noun

1. a narrative about someone who investigates crimes and obtains evidence leading to their resolution