Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published his first Sherlock Holmes story to popular acclaim in 1887. The success of his pipe-smoking sleuth was such that when he tried to end the series and kill Holmes off there was a huge public outcry and Doyle received death threats. Holmes’ detective style was a sign of the times. Readers were able to place trust in Holmes because his meticulous approach, looking at the smallest most inconsequential detail and observing things that would pass most by, meant that he always solved the crime. In Victorian society trust in the real police was dwindling fast; Jack the Ripper was still at large and as the Industrial Revolution took hold of Britain, increasing numbers moved to the cities. In these urban settings crime was rising, and the police seemed ineffectual in dealing with it. Holmes successful strategies for solving crimes were in fact, the fore runner of what we now know as forensic science; examining the tiniest details, in order to build a bigger picture. Part of the appeal of detective stories is that the reader stands in the shoes of the sleuth, hoping that they too are able to piece together the clues and solve the crime with, or before, the detective. So, with the success of Holmes began a national obsession with the detective genre that has continued to this day. We only have to look at the ongoing popularity of detective based TV shows such as Morse or Touch of Frost to see this.

These days we expect police to solve crimes using forensics, few probably give thought to the fact that it wasn’t always this way. However, there are many who, perhaps through love of detective fiction or programmes, know that they share the same innate skills as their fictional heroes. Many people have an interest in criminology and perhaps harbour a desire to become a bit of a sleuth. In it’s most basic sense, the desire to solve a crime comes from the desire to see good conquer evil.

Although the ‘real’ world of crime and criminology is far from glamorous, there are many who know that they have the right mixture of intellect, rationality and reasoning to succeed in this field of work. There are several routes into the study of criminology either via the police, or through study at degree level. For those who might have already embarked on a career path, but feel that they might be missing their true vocation in life, there are increasing opportunities to study for an online degree in criminology or criminal justice.

Whilst the criminal justice system itself has evolved beyond all recognition since Holmes’ day the qualities that are needed to be a success in solving crimes remain the same. So, if you are one of those people who knows that you can always work out ‘who dunnit’ and how they did it, then perhaps it might be worth considering embarking on a career in criminal justice?

About the Author

Sarah Maple writes about Online Education and Distance Learning Courses.

Author: Sarah Maple Total views: 13 Word Count: 497

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