Crime and detective fiction have never been more popular. When it comes to detective fiction and critical writings, as Larry Landrum remarked in 1999, "a great deal of effort has been put into the study of mystery and detective fiction and related genres, providing many new perspectives on how and when these forms emerged and how they are related to culture". As with all serial phenomena, the evolution of the genre of detective fiction can be described by two simultaneous processes: repetition and variation.Thus, the purpose of this volume of essays is to bring together, in a bilingual format (English and German), both academic papers that were presented at the conference "Detective Fiction in American Popular Culture" held at Chemnitz University of Technology in October 2011 and three pieces of short fiction (one extract from a novel) that were awarded the "1. Chemnitzer Krimipreis". Moreover, several articles were commissioned specially for this volume in order to sharpen its focus on exploring the intersections between detective fiction (understood in a broader sense) and popular visual culture. Last but certainly not least, the publication of this volume marks not only the 60th birthday of Evelyne Keitel, Professor of American Studies, but also the 175th anniversary of Chemnitz University of Technology. The editors have, accordingly, decided to include articles by colleagues, friends, and young academics who share Evelyne Keitel's research and scholarly interests, in particular, her strong focus on detective fiction in American popular culture. This volume thus demonstrates how the intersections between detective fiction and popular visual culture have become a topic of interdisciplinary study in its own right.