Dive into the crime thriller genre

This post is a continuation to our previous exploration of crime thriller genre in India and across the world. While the previous article was meant to give you a broad sense and direction of this genre, this article will talk about specific statistics and draw a comparison from different perspectives.

Golden Age and prominence

The period between the two World Wars, often referred to as the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction," saw a surge in the popularity of crime thriller novels. Authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers rose to prominence during this time, creating iconic detective characters like Hercule Poirot and Lord Peter Wimsey. In India also, the character of Byomkesh Bakshi made his first appearance in 1934 in Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay's story Satyanweshi, and has been monumental in Indian detective and crime fiction.

Best-selling crime thrillers

And Then There Were None is the best-selling crime novel of all time globally, selling over 100 million copies. Among Indian crime thrillers, Vardi Wala Gunda holds this status with over 80 million copies sold. Agatha Christie is the best selling thriller/mystery author of all time, who has sold between 2 billion and 4 billion copies of her books. Within the genre, she has sold at least 4 times as many copies as the second best selling author, Georges Simenon.

Recognition and growth

Crime thriller authors have received recognition through prestigious literary awards such as the Edgar Awards, the Dagger Awards, and the Agatha Awards. Various literary festivals and book clubs have been set up in India and across the globe on crime and thriller fiction. According to industry reports, the crime thriller genre in India has seen a year-on-year increase in book sales of approximately 15-20%, with digital formats accounting for approximately 20-30% of total book sales in the genre.

Gender-diversity in crime thrillers

The thriller category has traditionally been dominated by male authors. However, as of 2022, among the top 10 fastest growing crime thriller authors globally, there were 5 women in the list. 75% of the new entries into the fastest growing thriller authors list were women. However, in India, this number is still under 50%. As per another survey conducted in 2020, 59% of female authors included a female detective character in their book, while the number was just 11% for male authors including a female detective.

Demographic diversity among readers

In total, more than 2/3 of readers within the mystery/crime genre globally are women. In terms of age group, 47% of readership is 55 and older, and only 20% of books within the genre are read by people under the age of 30.

Golden Age and prominence

A survey found the biggest reason for a book purchase within the mystery genre was its author (53%), as against 50% for general fiction. Books as part of a series (39%) were the second biggest reason for a book purchase within the mystery genre, 11% higher than general fiction.

This list can keep going, but it's time we take a pause here and ponder upon some key takeaways from this article, specially on areas of gender-diversity, state of Indian crime thrillers, demographic diversity and the reasons why people read crime thrillers. I will be bringing to you specific and detailed insights, along with interviews and quotes from other authors on the state of crime thrillers, but that's not it. Stay tuned.