GREAT CRIME – 1: The murders in the bookcase: a review by Leo van Zanen

This year, Mayflower Bookshop presents a literary lecture series on GREAT CRIME, starting with a literature review by Leo van Zanen as an introduction to this series on Sunday February 22, 2026.

Van Zanen will give an overview of the major developments in classic crime literature. Krimi, polar, mystery, detective, whodunnit. Different words for similar stories in books or films: a crime has been committed, usually a murder. Who did it? What exactly happened? Who discovers the true facts, and how?

During the nineteenth century, a literary genre emerged in which solving obscure cases kept thousands of readers glued to the paper, a century later to the screen. Sherlock Holmes, Maigret, Martin Beck, De Cock – their names became commonplace.

So sharpen your wits and don’t miss this first lecture in our Great Crime series!

Admission: Free

Mayflower Bookshop, Breestraat 70, Leiden