"There simply must be a corpse in a detective novel, and the deader the corpse the better. No lesser crime than murder will suffice. Three hundred pages is far too much bother for a crime other than murder. After all, the reader's trouble and expenditure of energy must be rewarded."
—Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories, Rule 7
Nicholas Angel: Leslie Tiller was FUCKING MURDERED!
Andy #1: Just like Tim Messenger?
Angel: Yes!
Andy #2: And George Merchant?
Andy #2: Yes!
Andy #1: And Eve Draper?
Andy #2: Yes!
Andy #2: Martin Blower?
Angel: No, actually.
Both Andys, in unison: Really?
Angel: 'COURSE HE FUCKING WAS!
Andy #1: Just like Tim Messenger?
Angel: Yes!
Andy #2: And George Merchant?
Andy #2: Yes!
Andy #1: And Eve Draper?
Andy #2: Yes!
Andy #2: Martin Blower?
Angel: No, actually.
Both Andys, in unison: Really?
Angel: 'COURSE HE FUCKING WAS!
Twilight Sparkle: [...] It's my friend... I know she's not guilty, but she's going to be punished for a crime she didn't commit...
Phoenix Wright: What kind of crime is she being accused of?
Twilight Sparkle: Murder...
Phoenix Wright: (Hmph... Surprise surprise...)
Phoenix Wright: What kind of crime is she being accused of?
Twilight Sparkle: Murder...
Phoenix Wright: (Hmph... Surprise surprise...)
It seems to be the case that the crime story, at any rate on its higher levels, has greatly increased in bloodthirstiness during the past twenty years. Some of the early detective stories do not even contain a murder... Since 1918, however, a detective story not containing a murder has been a great rarity, and the most disgusting details of dismemberment and exhumation are commonly exploited.
— "Raffles and Miss Blandish" by George Orwell
Athena: Um, what IS today's case about, if I might ask? Another locked-room mystery? A suspect with a flimsy alibi? Ooh, or a dying message?
Apollo: Sorry, strike three, you're out. It's a civil case.
Athena: ...A civil case?
Apollo: You act like I'm speaking Swahili here.
Athena: It's just, the Wright Anything Agency specializes in criminal law, or so I thought.
Apollo: Sorry, strike three, you're out. It's a civil case.
Athena: ...A civil case?
Apollo: You act like I'm speaking Swahili here.
Athena: It's just, the Wright Anything Agency specializes in criminal law, or so I thought.
Yankee detectives
Are always on the TV,
Because killers in America
Work seven days a week.
— The Clash, "I'm So Bored with the USA"
Konata: You know those detectives in manga and TV shows? Isn't it weird how they keep coming across murders all the time? Guys like Conan and Kindaichi...
Kagami: If they didn't, they wouldn't have any mysteries to solve, would they?
Konata: Really? 'Cause they could go after normal cases, too.
Kagami: "Normal" how?
Konata: They could have a case where they run all over Japan looking for a missing person...[...] A case where a husband wants his wife tailed because he thinks she's cheating...
Kagami: Looking for a lost pet could be a case...
Konata: Yeah, right?
Kagami: Yeah, but do you think it'd be any fun to watch that?
Konata: Well, no, I guess it wouldn't be any fun at all.
Kagami: If they didn't, they wouldn't have any mysteries to solve, would they?
Konata: Really? 'Cause they could go after normal cases, too.
Kagami: "Normal" how?
Konata: They could have a case where they run all over Japan looking for a missing person...[...] A case where a husband wants his wife tailed because he thinks she's cheating...
Kagami: Looking for a lost pet could be a case...
Konata: Yeah, right?
Kagami: Yeah, but do you think it'd be any fun to watch that?
Konata: Well, no, I guess it wouldn't be any fun at all.
