Edgar Allan Poe’s story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," first
appeared in Graham’s Lady’s and Gentleman’s Magazine. The
tale is generally considered to be the first detective story.
The story describes the extraordinary “analytical power” used
by Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin to solve a series of murders in
Paris. Like the later Sherlock Holmes stories, the tale is narrated
by the detective’s roommate.
Following the publication of Poe’s story, detective stories began
to grow into novels and English novelist Wilkie Collins published
a detective novel, The Moonstone, in 1868.