This volume explores the development of crime fiction as a genre in French literary culture from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, paying particular attention to the distinctive features of this French-language tradition. Grounded in the study of novels by Francophone writers, such as Georges Simenon and Léo Malet, French Crime Fiction examines both period and movement-specific work, engaging each in broader debates about the larger contributions of crime fiction to contemporary French and European culture, making this an accessible volume for both the scholar and the interested reader.