To begin with, as we are all aware, there are many forms of crime fiction that are being written today. We have moved away from the classical amateur detective (Sherlock Holmes), to more professional sleuths (Philip Marlowe). A crime story must be reflective of the time in which it was written, providing an accurate and realistic depiction of its milieu and of the individuals involved. Of more importance, it must offer some insight into the social, political and moral climate of its era. Crime stories often use many different forms of the previous forms of crime fiction. The development, adaptations and re-evaluations of crime novels from comedy to tragedy, from depictions of our society to the exploration of an individual; the crime genre is now a genre that incorporates many other genres.

Philip Marlowe from `The Big Sleep' written by Raymond Chandler, film directed by Howard Hawks has...