A Procedural's Procedure: The Narrativity of Phyllis Dorothy James White

Abstract

Among sub-genres of crime fiction, police procedurals can be the least adventurous. Yet, it has emerged as one of the most popular forms of crime writing in the twenty first century. From novels to television series, films and web series, the sub-genre is widely explored in both the textual and digital space. The procedural's narrative structure follows the classic detective fiction formula but distinguishes itself through its humane characters, representation of social conditions, and struggles of human psyche and emotions. One such narrative is P.D. James's Adam Dalgliesh Series (1962–2008) set in the British space. James uses interrogations, the omniscient narrator and multiplicity of narrative strands within a single story. This paper aims to understand how the police procedural acts as a medium to represent the contemporary society beyond the confines of the genre-structure of crime and investigation