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City mysteries are a 19th-century genre of popularnovel, in which characters explore the secret underworlds of cities and uncover corruption and exploitation.[1]
The "mysteries" originated with the wildly successfulserial novelThe Mysteries of Paris (1842) byEugène Sue, which had many imitators and lent the genre its name. The novels were usually first serialized in newspapers, and were (like their less-respectable contemporaries thepenny dreadfuls) controversial for their frank depiction of violence and sexual deviancy. They were broadly popular in both Europe and the United States, whereThe Quaker City (1844) held the title of fiction bestseller until unseated byUncle Tom's Cabin.
Prominent examples include:
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