Crime fiction is now outselling all other types of fiction, a study has found.
Figures show that in 2017, sales of crime and thriller novels rose by 19%, with 18.7 million books sold, while general and literary fiction titles sold only 18.1 million copies.
The surge in interest is largely driven by the amount of TV adaptations shown on platforms such as Netflix and the BBC, including novels like Louise Doughty’s Apple Tree Yard, first published in 2013 but re-issued to tie in with a BBC adaptation starring Emily Watson.
Another theory presented to explain the popularity of crime and thriller novels was offered by David Baldacci, the best-selling crime author. He stated: “People inherently don’t like folks who do bad to get away with it.
“In real life they do, all the time, because of a variety of factors. But in novels, evil is punished, and the good guys mostly win, after solving the puzzle. And all is right with the world. At least fictionally.”
So, it seems that when choosing our books we enjoy a good old crime novel – and the reason is because good always prevails over evil! Well, we do like a happy ending…
> Lucy Roberts
Crime Fiction Outsells Other Fiction Genres Due to Moral Values
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