East African Detective Fiction

A Basic Anatomy

Abstract

This paper provides a basic survey of the current state of the Swahili detective prose. The paper highlights some thematic and formal features that distinguish the East African detective prose. To foreground the basic features of the Swahili detective prose, the generic theory has been utilized. Data was collected through library research by reading primary texts on Swahili detective while secondary data was taken from critical works such as theses and academic papers. This data was analyzed qualitatively by extracting salient features in each text. The paper too highlights some of the factors responsible for the growth and popularity of the detective genre in the East African region. The researchers found out that some of the factors for the rapid growth and popularity of this genre are their use simple plots, attractive language, and the character of the detective figure among others.