A fun read for lovers of British mysteries. The book came out of a BBC special, which would have been interesting to see. The subtitle of the book sums itsup - "The curious story of how crime was turned into art" Worsely weaves in the various influences of the last 200 years- fewer hangings, improved literacy, development of a police force, increased urbanization (so less village survellance) as she describes the evolution of the mystery novel from the gothic novels of the Georgian period, thru to the 'Golden Age' of Christie and Sayers. She wraps up at the end of the Second World War and the emergence of thrillers.