For more than a century, bestseller lists have been full of mysteries, thrillers, and detective stories. Alice Kinder takes us back through the history of detective tales from Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes to Edgar Allen Poe. And: What does it take to write a mystery novel? Polly Stewart, takes us into the creation of The Felons’ Ball, her new book about family, moonshining, and murder in the mountains of Virginia.

Later in the show: Fictional detectives rely on their wit and intuition to solve crimes–but also the cleverest forensic techniques. From the presence of rare bat droppings to unexpected fingerprints, footprints, or even lip prints–how realistic are fictional forensics? Barbara Spellman talks us through the real science behind forensic clues. Plus: Detective stories sometimes get a reputation as being pulpy or unserious. They’re “just-for-fun” reading. But Antonia Delgado-Poust says that the detective fiction written by Spanish women in the 1990s and 2000s was more than just a good story. These writers were grappling with Spain’s political legacy of injustice.

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