Nine of the 10 bestselling fiction paperbacks in the UK currently feature a plot centered on the murder of a woman. According to data from The Sunday Times bestseller list, titles including The Secret of Secrets, The Divorce, and The Widow rely on femicide as a primary narrative device. While the trend dominates the current market, critics and authors remain divided on whether this reflects a damaging normalization of violence or a necessary psychological outlet for readers.
The Evolution of the “Dead Woman” Trope
The concentration of murder mysteries featuring female victims is not a modern invention. According to novelist Denise Mina, the trope of a “pretty young white virtuous woman” as a victim has been used to sell stories since the broadsheet sellers of 18th-century London. This narrative device gained significant commercial momentum in 2012 with the publication of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Following that success, publishers spent a decade seeking similar “girl” thrillers, cementing the murdered woman as a staple of the psychological thriller and police procedural genres.
Why Readers Consume Femicide Narratives
While some critics argue that the genre risks normalizing violence against women, many within the industry suggest the appeal is rooted in processing real-world anxieties. Crime writer Laura Wilson notes that domestic noir resonates because it mirrors genuine fears. Wilson points out that female murder victims are statistically more likely to be killed by intimate partners or family members than by strangers, a reality often reflected in current fiction.
American criminologist Scott Bonn, author of Why We Love Serial Killers, suggests that for many women, true crime and crime fiction serve as a form of preparation. Readers often look for “tips on how to protect themselves from attacks” and “how to detect sociopathic red flags” in potential partners. Crime author Lori Rader-Day echoes this sentiment, describing crime novels as the “social novels of our time.” According to Rader-Day, these books provide a safe space to explore global anxieties, offering a resolution—the mystery solved and order restored—that real life rarely provides.
The Debate Over Creative Responsibility
The prevalence of these themes has sparked pushback. The Staunch prize, established by writer Bridget Lawless, was created to reward thrillers that avoid depicting the exploitation or murder of women. However, the initiative faced significant criticism from within the literary community. Authors like Val McDermid rejected the implication that the genre is inherently exploitative, while Sarah Hilary labeled the prize “the least feminist thing imaginable.”
For writer Sophie Hannah, the solution is not to remove violence from fiction, but to subject it to greater scrutiny. Hannah argued that brutality in literature serves a purpose when it is used to provide “psychological and moral scrutiny,” ensuring that harm is punished within the narrative framework.
Pro Tip:
If you are interested in exploring the evolution of the genre, compare the works of classic authors like Raymond Chandler with contemporary female-led domestic noir to see how the motivation behind the victim’s role has shifted from a plot device for male heroes to a reflection of female experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the “murdered woman” trope so common in bestsellers?
According to authors like Denise Mina and Lori Rader-Day, the trope acts as a shorthand for an innocent victim. Because the majority of crime fiction consumers are women, the genre often reflects female anxieties about safety and the potential to become a victim themselves.
Is reading crime fiction harmful?
Not necessarily. Crime writer Mel McGrath maintains that reading crime fiction written by women is a “powerfully feminist act,” moving the genre away from older traditions where women were killed solely to allow male characters to act as heroes.
Are there alternatives to this genre?
Yes. Readers seeking alternatives can look for the Staunch prize nominees, which specifically highlight thrillers that do not feature the murder, stalking, or sexual exploitation of female characters.
What is your take on the current dominance of crime thrillers in the bestseller charts? Join the conversation in the comments below or subscribe to our newsletter for more deep dives into the literary industry.
