Detectives, lectura, enigma : ficción en la ficción policial

Abstract

Whether as the trigger of an investigation or the clue to an interpretation, the printed document makes possible the development of a detective plot, replacing the crime, which is present in most crime stories. Taking contemporary studies about detective reading and fiction as a point of departure, this article ties three elements that are necessary to activate the metafictional effect in crime narrative: the detective, as the interpreter of clues; the reading, as an act of re-signification; and the mystery, which generates the suspense. To illustrate each one of these elements, the author resorts to classical and modern examples, paying special attention to Latin American contemporary literary production.