The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction Season 1 Episode 27 Precursors to True Crime

Professor Schmid moves away from fiction to look at the novelization of true crime stories. Although considered a modern phenomenon, he traces examples back to 16th century America, where they rose to prominence through sensationalist news stories, which opened the door to true crime novels and demonstrated how mystery and suspense fiction and real-life stories have always influenced each other.