"This is an extremely intelligent, interesting, and well written book." —Murder Is Academic
"... compelling analysis of the comedy thriller... " —Theatre Studies
"... almost as much fun to read as is seeing the actual plays discussed... " —Journal of Popular Culture
The phenomenal success of such plays as ÂDeathtrap and ÂSleuth heralded the advent of a new form of detective play—the comedy thriller. Carlson takes the wraps off the comedy thriller and reveals its postmodern effects. He looks at all the elements of the thriller—openings, settings, characters, plot lines, the role of the audience, and endings—and shows how they work to overturn the conventions of realism in detective drama.
