"The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" - Alexander McCall Smith - Questions

What is a detective novel?
It is a novel in which the reader is challenged to solve a puzzle before the detective explains it at the end.
What are the characteristics of a detective novel?
One of the characteristics of a detective novel is that nearly every element of the narrative will relate to the investigation and resolution of the crime.
A detective novel has a plot, a beginning, a middle and an end. A crucial element in detective fiction is that the reader identifies both with the detective and the criminal.
In detective fiction, right does triumph and wrong is punished. …