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As anyone who鈥檚 ever gone on the case with Sherlock Holmes or with Lisbeth Salander of 鈥淭he Girl with the Dragon Tattoo鈥� books knows, it鈥檚 no mystery that crime and mystery novels have achieved new records in sales in recent years.聽

After all, they provide the thrill of pursuit and the comfort of a tidy resolution. But any gumshoe worth her salt knows that a closer look reveals that there is more to the story.聽

Our fascination with crime and mystery reflects our cultural anxieties and desires, say experts.

鈥淭he current popularity of crime and mystery makes sense during these stressful times,鈥� says Kathryn Duncan, an English professor at Saint Leo University in Florida.聽

鈥淪tories reflect our culture and help us cope. During a time of fake news and a seemingly endless quest for truth, it makes sense that a genre about truth seeking would be popular and reassuring.... We psychologically crave closure, and detective fiction gives us this,鈥� she says.

That may be why we鈥檝e seen a plethora of crime and detective programming recently 鈥� think 鈥淢indhunter鈥� on Netflix, which debuted in October and will air a second season; 鈥淭he Alienist,鈥� a limited series that aired on TNT earlier this year; and 鈥淪harp Objects,鈥� an upcoming HBO miniseries based on the novel of the same name by 鈥淕one Girl鈥� writer Gillian Flynn that will air in July.

And now there鈥檚 鈥淐.B. Strike,鈥� a television adaptation of J.K. Rowling鈥檚 鈥淐ormoran Strike鈥� novels that will debut on Cinemax June 1.聽

The stories chronicle the cases of private investigator Cormoran Strike, an Afghanistan War veteran with physical and psychological injuries, and his assistant, Robin Ellacott.聽

Considering its megawatt author, it鈥檚 no surprise the 鈥淪trike鈥� series was a bestseller.聽

What is surprising: For the first time since Nielsen BookScan began keeping record, crime novels outsold general fiction in the United Kingdom in 2017. Mysteries, thrillers, and crime was the most popular genre among readers in the United States in 2015, according to market research database Statista. Indeed, this genre makes up almost half the May 6 New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list.

Experts offer clues to our national 鈥� in fact, transatlantic 鈥� fascination with the genre.聽

In fact, the appeal is nothing new, says Laurah Norton, a senior lecturer in the English department at Georgia State University in Atlanta and the co-creator behind the true-crime podcast 鈥淭he Fall Line.鈥澛�

鈥淲e have always been interested in crime,鈥� says Professor Norton. 鈥淛ust look at the true detective pulp novels and magazines that began to gain popularity in the latter part of the 19th century, or Edgar Allan Poe鈥檚 Dupin and [Arthur Conan] Doyle鈥檚 Sherlock.鈥澛�

Whether it is 1918 Britain or 2018 America, the fascination is the same: a universal curiosity about the extremes of human behavior and the allure of crossing 鈥� literarily, at least 鈥� the yellow tape at a crime scene.聽

An obsession with evil appears to be heightened in these turbulent times, says Dean Flower, a retired English professor at Smith College in Northampton, Mass.

鈥淭he worse we think our society is getting, the more hunger we have ... for meaning,鈥� says Professor Flower. 鈥淸Mysteries satisfy] a craving for bringing order out of chaos, or nastiness, or social sickness.鈥�

In real life, says Flower, we hear about violence and chaos, but often without a clear understanding of its source or how to make sense of it.聽

Mysteries take that same mayhem and give readers 鈥渢he possibility of a solution, of figuring out the source of corruption or evil.鈥� It is a rare mystery novel that doesn鈥檛 wrap up with the criminal being revealed and an explanation of why he or she committed the crime. Astute readers may have gotten there before the book鈥檚 sleuth.

In the case of the 鈥淪trike鈥� novels, there may be another appeal: a female author.聽

鈥淲omen have always been consumers of crime media and today are the majority of the audience,鈥� says Norton. 鈥淥ur interest in the genre has at least something to do with our need to confront the fact that, by and large, we鈥檙e more likely to be the victims of the kind of crimes we read about.鈥�

In a sense, when a woman writes the story, that puts power back in the hands of women everywhere, adds Flower, especially in light of the #MeToo movement.聽

鈥淚 think for women, it can be quite energizing, even thrilling, that 鈥榳e have the right to write our own stories.鈥� 鈥�