Editing Detective fiction (section)

==Detective Fiction in Boys Story Papers==
Detective fiction aimed at young male readers emerged as a distinct and highly popular subgenre in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, particularly in British and American boys' weekly magazines. While school stories remained the dominant form of boys' fiction, detective narratives claimed a strong second place in popularity from the 1890s onward. The American market pioneered serial detective characters, with publications like the "Old Sleuth Library" (1872) and stories featuring Nick Carter establishing the format. In Britain, the genre gained prominence through publishers like James Henderson and Sons and the Aldine Publishing Company, which initially reprinted American detective stories before developing their own characters. The [[Amalgamated Press]] with its numerous story papers played a prominent part in the spreading and popularizations of the genre.<ref name="Leckenby, Herbert 46–51">{{cite news|author=Leckenby, Herbert| title=Detectives in Boy's Literature|publisher=Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual|date= December 1952|pages=46–51}}</ref>

The most enduring figure in boys' detective fiction was [[Sexton Blake]], who first appeared in 1893 and featured in over 3,000 stories spanning nearly six decades. Blake's longevity was matched by a period of intense creativity in the genre, which saw the creation of numerous competing detective characters. Notable among these was [[Nelson Lee (detective)|Nelson Lee]], created by [[John William Staniforth]] (writing as Maxwell Scott), who shared Blake's penchant for globe-trotting adventures and narrow escapes.<ref name="Leckenby, Herbert 46–51"/>

The genre was characterized by several consistent features: most detectives had young assistants (like Blake's aide Tinker), operated from London addresses, and engaged in both domestic and international pursuits. These stories typically emphasized action and adventure over the cerebral puzzle-solving that characterized adult detective fiction. From the late Edwardian era onwards these detective tales often featured recurring master criminals and criminal organizations providing ongoing antagonists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1952-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-06.pdf|title=Detectives in Boy's Literature, Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual, December 1952|website=The Friardale Website}}</ref>