policier

Policier is a term used in French-speaking contexts to describe a category of crime fiction focused on police investigations. It covers novels, films, and television series in which a crime is solved through deduction, evidence, and official inquiry. In English, closest equivalents include crime fiction, detective fiction, and police procedural.

In formal French, the most common label is roman policier, literally "police novel." Policier can function as an adjective (un roman policier) or as shorthand in informal speech; the parallel term polar (a clipped form of roman policier) is widely used in francophone media to refer to the genre.

Key features of the policier include a central mystery, an investigation by police officers or investigators, the gathering of clues, and the gradual construction of a case. Subgenres encompass the police procedural, which foregrounds investigative technique and bureaucracy; the whodunit, where the identity of the culprit is the central puzzle; and noir, which emphasizes mood, moral ambiguity, and social critique.

Historically, the genre developed in the 19th and 20th centuries in Europe and beyond. Georges Simenon’s Maigret novels are among the most influential examples of roman policier, illustrating the emphasis on character and method as opposed to sensationalism. The form has since diversified into films and television series, including many adaptations that foreground procedural detail or gritty realism.

Policier remains widely translated and adapted, reflecting its broad appeal and its role in examining crime, justice, and social tension. See also crime fiction, detective fiction, police procedural, noir, and polar.