Abstract
The article examines the history of the formation of the detective genre, its main characteristics, and its development in Kazakh literature. The purpose of the study is to identify the key features of the detective genre and analyze its representation in Kazakh literature based on the works of Kemel Tokayev. The research employs comparative and analytical methods and reviews scientific concepts related to the emergence of the detective genre in world literature. It is noted that the origins of the detective genre are closely associated with the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and its main structural elements include a crime, an investigation, and the exposure of the criminal. Particular attention is given to plot construction, the image of the investigator, the psychology of crime, and the logic of analytical reasoning in Tokayev’s works. The study emphasizes that the writer’s plots are often based on real events and facts, which contributed significantly to the development of Kazakh detective prose. The research concludes by evaluating Tokayev’s role in shaping the genre and highlighting the importance of his literary legacy, as well as identifying common features of detective fiction in both world and Kazakh literature.