Mayhem Parva
nounUK /ˌmeɪhɛm ˈpɑːvə/ · US /ˌmeɪˌ(h)ɛm ˈpɑɹvə/
Etymology From mayhem (noun) + Latin parva (the feminine singular form of parvus (“little”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, little; smallness”)), referring to village names in England such as Ashby Parva and Glen Parva. The term was coined by the British writer of detective fiction Colin Watson (1920–1983), referring to the works of the English author Agatha Christie (1890–1976).
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Literature, Media, Publishing The genre of detective fiction in which violent crimes occur in sleepy English villages.