Crime Fiction

Edgar Allan Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston 1809, but within three years both of his parents had died. Poe was taken in by merchant John Allan and wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, while his brother and sister went to other families. In 1826 Poe left Richmond to attend the University of Virginia, After his early attempts at poetry, Poe had turned his attention to prose. The Baltimore Saturday Visitor awarded Poe a prize in October 1833 for his short story "MS. Found in a Bottle". Which allowed Poe to publish more stories. Poe's most famous work is "The Raven". Poe's work falls into the "Dark Romanticism" genre.

Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh, Scotland to parents Charles Doyle and Mary Doyle. Doyle had 8 siblings and his father was an alcoholic. When Doyle reached nine, wealthy members of the Doyle family offered to pay for his studies. A couple of years into his studies, Doyle decided to try his pen at writing a short story. It was called "The Mystery of Sasassa Valley" was very evocative of the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Bret Harte. It was accepted in an Edinburgh magazine. Doyle's most famous works are the Sherlock Holmes sires. Doyle's work falls into the "Detective fiction" sub genre.

Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie was born on September 15, 1890, in Torquay, England to Frederick Alvah Miller and Clarissa Margaret Boehmer and had two siblings. She was educated at home by her mother, who encouraged her to write. When Christie was 16, she moved to Paris for a time to study vocals and piano. In 1920 Christie published her first book, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles." Her most famous work "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd," was a hit which was later marked as a genre classic and one of the author's all-time favorites. Her work falls into the "Murder mystery" sub genre.

Ian Fleming was born on May 28, 1908 in London, England to Valentine Fleming and Evelyn St. Croix Fleming and had four siblings. Fleming was 9 years old when his father died in combat. Fleming attended Eton College and later studied at Sandhurst, the elite military academy. During WWII, Fleming learned the ins and outs of espionage. He received a commission in the Royal Navy and worked for British Naval Intelligence. Fleming's first novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1953. Fleming's most famous works are the James Bond sires. Fleming's James Bond falls into the "Spy Fiction" genre.

P.D. James was born in Oxford, England, on August 3, 1920 to Sidney James and Dorothy May James. James was the oldest of the children. James attended schools in Ludlow and Cambridge, but her formal education ended when she was 16 years old and James went to work in a tax office. James wrote her first novel, a detective story titled "Cover Her Face", and It was published in 1962. James' most famous work is "An Unsuitable Job for a Woman" published in 1972. James' work falls into the "Crime Fiction" genre.

Stephen King was born on September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine to parents Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King, who split up when he was very young. King has one sibling. King stayed close to home for college, attending the University of Maine at Orono. There he wrote for the school's newspaper and served in its student government. In 1973, King sold his first novel, "Carrie." The book became a huge success after it was published the following year. King's most famous work is probably "The Stand" published in 1978. King's work falls into the "Horror Fiction" genre.

Kathy Reichs was Born in 1948 in Chicago, Illinois. She had three sisters. Reichs attended Catholic schools with her three sisters. Reichs had a very traditional Roman Catholic upbringing. When Reich was 19 years old, she married Paul Reichs, an attorney and captain in the Marine Corps. Reichs studied anthropology at American University, then earned her Ph.D. in skeletal biology and archaeology from Northwestern University. In 1997, Reichs published this first novel, "Deja Dead." Reichs most famous work is "Deja Dead" and her work is in the "Crime" genre.

Kerry Isabelle Greenwood was born on the 17th June 1954 in Footscray, Victoria. Greenwood attended Geelong Road State School (now Footscray Primary School), Maribyrnong College and the University of Melbourne, where she graduated with Bachelor of Arts (English) and Bachelor of Laws degrees in 1979. Greenwood was admitted to the legal profession on the 1st April 1982.She writes mysteries, science-fiction, historical fiction, and children's stories, as well as plays. She is unmarried but lives with a "registered wizard" Greenwood's first work was "Cocaine Blues" published in 1989. Greenwood's most famous works are the Phryne Fisher books. Greenwood's work fits into the "Crime", "historical", and "science-fiction" genres.

Stieg Larsson was born August 15, 1954 in Skelleftehamn, a small town in the Vasterbotten region of northeast Sweden. For the first nine years of his life, Larsson was raised by his maternal grandparents. When Stieg was nine years old he moved in with his father, Erland Larsson, and his younger brother Joakim. during the 1990s he drafted a trilogy of crime novels now known as the Millennium Trilogy. The books were published to considerable success in Sweden before being picked up by the small British publishing house Quercus and released under new English titles. Larsson's most famous work is "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Published in 2005. Larsson's work falls into the "Crime Fiction" and "Thriller" genres.

John Grisham was born on February 8, 1955, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Grisham was the second-oldest of five siblings. Grisham and his family moved around for a while, due to job opportunities for his father, who worked in construction, eventually settling in Southaven, Mississippi. Grisham's first work "A Time to Kill", initially got a 5,000-copy printing from Wynwood Press. One of Grishams most famous works was is "The Firm". Grishams works falls into the "Legal Thriller" "Crime Fiction" genre.