"The Mystery of Roger Mullaney," is an effective illustration of theatrical crime fiction. This play uses many of the conventions of the genre. The playwright, Carl Caulfield, has written a mysterious thriller for audiences to unravel, packed full of red herrings, puzzling clues and shadowy characters. Clever stage directions and music also provide extra information about how the play should be staged in relation to the characters and props. "The Mystery of Roger Mullaney" certainly conforms to the crime fiction convention of the detective or sleuth character. Timothy Benham and Imogen Mills form a partnership in the play as the detectives who investigate and solve the case. This is clarified by Imogen's word as she answers the phone saying "Banham and Mills, private investigators." It is further shown through Timothy's impersonation of Philip Marlowe, a typical detective in a crime fiction classic "The Big Sleep." An example of this is when Timothy says "Sometimes you have to break the law or bend the rules a little. It's a very fine line when you're a private eye. "Timothy occasionally wears a trilby hat, like Philip Marlowe, which was typically worn by the old- school detectives." This is also symbolic of the crime genre and representative of natural justice in the play.
Another crime fiction convention within The Mystery of Roger Mullaney is the inclusion of an unfortunate victim whose life is affected by the actions of a criminal. The victim of the play is certainly Mildred Mullaney, who is targeted by the cunning Skelton for her wealth. This is brought to our attention when Skelton says, "or should I say Penny Elman who will inherit a small fortune when her mega wealthy son inherits the Mullaney dynasty." The playwright created Mildred Mullaney as a typical victim character of crime fiction, which is described as being elderly and wealthy, in the following lines, "A nurse pushes Mildred Mullaney through in a wheelchair.
