Toward the end of the 17th century, interest rose in stories of transgression. Gladfelder shows how this growing interest meshed with the evolution of popular fiction. Explores Defoe's narratives such as Moll Flanders, Fielding's double career as author and magistrate, Godwin, Wollstonecraft, and Inchbald. Argues that crime narratives offer a way for individuals to grapple with the changes brought on by modernity. One approach to understanding the backdrop to Austen's time, although she is not mentioned. Publ at $57. JHUP, 2001. Hb, Dj. NEW. $25.00