The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word WHODUNNIT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
W
H
O
D
U
N
N
I
T
More clues leading to the result WHODUNNIT
- Thriller turned out down in hut
- Mystery doctor approaches horse with dope
- How to turn Brown with mug’s story
- Weak device for transporting policeman finally engaged in one detective story
- I hunt down suspect in murder mystery
- Exciting hunt in wood clearing old literary mystery
- Killer question?
- Mystery perplexed Hindu town
- Crime story that has errors in grammar and spelling
- Mystery rogue I hunt down
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Crime story" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case crime story = whodunnit.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does WHODUNNIT mean?
WHODUNNIT noun- A novel or drama concerning a crime (usually a murder) in which a detective follows clues to determine the perpetrator.