Well, 'the very first true crime novel' might be 'The Newgate Calendar'. This work was important because it started a trend. It detailed the stories of criminals from Newgate Prison. It had a big impact on how people thought about crime and criminals at that time. And it also inspired later writers to explore real - life criminal cases in their writing.
The first crime novel was penned by Edgar Allan Poe. His 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' is a landmark in literature. Poe's creation of the character C. Auguste Dupin, a brilliant detective, set a precedent for future detective characters. His use of a complex mystery, full of twists and turns, was something new at the time and influenced the development of the crime novel genre.
The very first crime novel is significant as it laid the foundation for an entire genre. It introduced the basic elements like a mystery to be solved, a criminal act, and a detective - or someone trying to figure out what happened. This set the template for countless crime novels to come.
The 'The Newgate Calendar', which could be the first true crime novel, was a collection of works. So, there's no one specific author. It was made up of different stories and accounts of criminals, which were gathered and put together over a period of time.
Well, 'The Notting Hill Mystery' is often regarded as an early crime novel. It was written by Charles Felix. This novel had elements that set the foundation for future crime novels, such as a complex mystery and a detective - like figure trying to solve it.
In the first crime novel, the language was more straightforward and less flowery compared to today's crime writing. It aimed to get the story across simply. There might not have been as many sub - plots or red herrings. The focus was mainly on the main crime event. Also, the social context of the time was often reflected in a rather basic way, for instance, if it was set in a Victorian era, it might just touch on the class differences in a very surface - level manner.
I think 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' was the first crime fiction novel. It has a really interesting plot. There's this detective who uses his sharp intellect to figure out how these murders happened in a locked room. It set the stage for future crime novels with its focus on mystery, deduction, and a central character with great powers of reasoning.
The identity of the author of the first crime novel is a subject of debate among literary scholars. Different sources might point to different names, and it's hard to pin down one definitive author.