Blood on their hands : representations of class, gender and ethical questions attendant on the act of murder in Australian crime fiction, 1830-1980

"... Through the lenses of an original creative work, an historical detective novel titled 'Blood on their hands', and an accompanying theoretically informed critical reflection, this thesis refracts the changing representations of class, gender and some of the ethical questions occasioned by the act of murder within the pages of Australian crime fiction between 1830 and 1980. This thesis also explores key aspects of the craft of the detective novel including some of the issues associated with balancing an imagined plot line and characters with an historically accurate account of a well-known series of events and important historical figures. The results of this research demonstrate that historical crime fiction, in addition to providing entertainment, has the capacity to engage with serious social and moral issues and critically revisit historical events of continuing significance"--Abstract.