This book explores why crime fiction so often alludes to Shakespeare. It ranges widely over a variety of authors including classic golden age crime writers such as the four 'queens of crime' (Allingham, Christie, Marsh, Sayers), Nicholas Blake and Edmund Crispin, as well as more recent authors such as Reginald Hill, Kate Atkinson and Val McDermid.  It also looks at the fondness for Shakespearean allusion in a number of television crime series, most notably Midsomer Murders, Inspector Morse and Lewis, and considers the special sub-genre of detective stories in which a lost Shakespeare play is found. It shows how Shakespeare facilitates discussions about what constitutes justice, what authorises the detective to track down the villain, who owns the countryside, national and social identities, and the question of how we measure cultural value.

"The book is written in agile, jargon-free prose and will make a helpful addition to the library of any scholar interested in Shakespearean adaptation and appropriation." (SEL Studies in English Literature 1500-1900, Vol. 57 (2), 2017)

"I think this was an interesting read, covering a wide range of texts and looking at a variety of effects Shakespearean allusions can have in crime fiction. This is a work which I found very stimulating and thought provoking and Hopkins makes this an enjoyable read with her engaging and accessible writing style." (Kate Jackson, CADS, Issue 73, August, 2016)

"This book immediately caught my interest, as I have been aware of the allusions detective fiction writers ? . I think Hopkins' does a good job of examining the effect Shakespearean allusions have on a crime text ? . Overall I think this was certainly an interesting read ? . on the whole this is a thought provoking book and one which definitely adds to existing research on crime fiction." (crossexaminingcrime, crossexaminingcrime.wordpress.com, May, 2016)