Mystery Time Line

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Meet the greatest crime-solvers of all time and the men and women who created them.

ystery and crime stories are among the most popular forms of fiction today, and the popularity of the genre is no mystery to millions of readers worldwide.

The fascination with mystery and crime can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where playwrights like Sophocles and Euripides enthralled the local citizenry with their plays combining mystery and drama. In first-century B.C. Rome, Cicero argued passionately in court in defense of accused criminals, captivating Romans with his speeches.

While courtroom dramas still enthrall readers, mysteries have taken many other forms, including cozies, locked-room puzzles, and detective pulp novels. Read our evolution of the mystery in Time Line, and you'll see that the Ancient Greeks and Romans weren't so different from modern-day mystery fans.

Cicero lives on today as the spirit of MysteryNet.com, with stories of mystery, crime, and suspense weekly.

Continue: Mystery Time Line