Armchair detective
Encyclopedia
Armchair detective is a term used for a fictional investigator
who does not personally visit a crime scene
or interview witnesses; instead, he or she either reads the story of the crime in a newspaper, or has it recounted to him by another person. As the armchair detective never sees any of the investigation, the reader can attempt to solve the mystery on the same terms as the detective. The phrase possibly originates in a Sherlock Holmes
story from 1893, The Greek Interpreter, in which Holmes says of his brother Mycroft "If the art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from an arm-chair, my brother would be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived."
. In The Mystery of Marie Roget (1842), the Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin
, working wholly from newspaper accounts, arrives at the correct explanation for a young woman's mysterious disappearance."
Baroness Orczy
's Old Man in the Corner
sits in a restaurant and talks to an acquaintance about cases, almost always finishing by revealing that he has solved the crime.
featuring articles, commentary, checklists, bibliographical material, etc., started by the legendary crime fan and bibliographer Allen J. Hubin." It was published from 1967 to 1997.
series created by Ernest Dudley
and also of an early offering of the Paramount Television Network
(approximately 1949).
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
who does not personally visit a crime scene
Crime scene
A crime scene is a location where an illegal act took place, and comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by trained law enforcement personnel, crime scene investigators or in rare circumstances, forensic scientists....
or interview witnesses; instead, he or she either reads the story of the crime in a newspaper, or has it recounted to him by another person. As the armchair detective never sees any of the investigation, the reader can attempt to solve the mystery on the same terms as the detective. The phrase possibly originates in a Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
story from 1893, The Greek Interpreter, in which Holmes says of his brother Mycroft "If the art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from an arm-chair, my brother would be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived."
Examples of armchair detectives in fiction
"The first example of armchair detecting can be found in the work of Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
. In The Mystery of Marie Roget (1842), the Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin
Auguste Dupin
Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin is a fictional detective created by Edgar Allan Poe. Dupin made his first appearance in Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" , widely considered the first detective fiction story...
, working wholly from newspaper accounts, arrives at the correct explanation for a young woman's mysterious disappearance."
Baroness Orczy
Baroness Orczy
Baroness Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála "Emmuska" Orczy de Orczi was a British novelist, playwright and artist of Hungarian noble origin. She was most notable for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel...
's Old Man in the Corner
The Old Man in the Corner
Created by Baroness Orczy, author of the famous Scarlet Pimpernel series, The Old Man In the Corner was one of the earliest armchair detectives, popping up with so many others in the wake of the huge popularity of the Sherlock Holmes stories....
sits in a restaurant and talks to an acquaintance about cases, almost always finishing by revealing that he has solved the crime.
Magazine
The Armchair Detective magazine was "primarily a mystery fanzineFanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
featuring articles, commentary, checklists, bibliographical material, etc., started by the legendary crime fan and bibliographer Allen J. Hubin." It was published from 1967 to 1997.
Radio and Television
The Armchair Detective was the title of a British radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
series created by Ernest Dudley
Ernest Dudley
Ernest Dudley was an English actor, dramatist, novelist, journalist and screenwriter.- Biography :The actor and scriptwriter Ernest Dudley was the creator of the hit BBC radio crime series Dr Morelle and also the television series The Armchair Detective...
and also of an early offering of the Paramount Television Network
Paramount Television Network
The Paramount Television Network was a venture by American film corporation Paramount Pictures to organize a television network in the late 1940s...
(approximately 1949).