Martin Edwards

Twenty years ago, Malcolm Whiteley discovers his attractive wife Lysette is having an affair. The Whiteleys are wealthy, and live with their 16-year-old daughter Amber in the magnificent Dungeon House, overlooking Cumbrias remote western coast. But Malcolm is under financial and emotional pressure, and he begins to disintegrate psychologically, suspecting the men in their circle of being Lysettes lover. When Lysette tells Malcolm their marriage is over, he snaps, and takes out the old Winchester rifle he has been hiding from Lysette... Back to the present day, and Hannah Scarletts cold case team are looking into the three-year-old mystery of the disappearance of Lily Elstone, whose father was Malcolm Whiteleys accountant. Their investigation coincides with the disappearance of another teenage girl, Shona Whiteley, daughter of Malcolms nephew Nigel. Nigel now lives in the Dungeon House, despite its tragic history. Twenty years earlier, Malcolm shot his wife and apparently killed his daughter before shooting himself. But as Hannahs team dig down into the past, doubts arise about what exactly happened at the Dungeon House twenty years ago...

The Golden Age of Murder tells for the first time the extraordinary story of British detective fiction between the two World Wars. A gripping real-life detective story, it investigates how Dorothy L. Sayers, Anthony Berkeley, Agatha Christie and their colleagues in the mysterious Detection Club transformed crime fiction. Their work cast new light on unsolved murders whilst hiding clues to their authors'' darkest secrets, and their complex and sometimes bizarre private lives.Crime novelist and current Detection Club President Martin Edwards rewrites the history of crime fiction with unique authority, transforming our understanding of detective stories, and the brilliant but tormented men and women who wrote them.

A real-life detective story, investigating how Agatha Christie and colleagues in a mysterious literary club transformed crime fiction, writing books casting new light on unsolved murders whilst hiding clues to their authors'' darkest secrets. Winner of both the Edgar Award and Agatha Award for best non fiction 2016! This is the first book about the Detection Club, the world''s most famous and most mysterious social network of crime writers. Drawing on years of in-depth research, it reveals the astonishing story of how members such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L.Sayers reinvented detective fiction. Detective stories from the so-called "Golden Age" between the wars are often dismissed as cosily conventional. Nothing could be further from the truth: some explore forensic pathology and shocking serial murders, others delve into police brutality and miscarriages of justice; occasionally the innocent are hanged, or murderers get away scot-free.

A satisfying mystery is played out with lashings of local colour and history -The Times Crime ClubPerhaps beneath the surface were all capable of cruelty. Even if we dont intend it.Perhaps.All right, you win. Let me explain why Ramona Smith had to die. DCI Hannah Scarlett is an acknowledged expert in solving cold cases, but she is struggling under the weight of bureaucracy when Ramona Smiths disappearance from Bowness more than twenty years ago crosses her desk. The prime suspect was charged but found not guilty. Now the case has come back into the public eye as the result of a shocking tragedy on the Crooked Shore, the fount of dark legends south of the Lake District. A ruthless killer, who has already got away with one murder, plans further appalling crimes. DCI Scarlett finds herself racing against the clock as she strives to solve the mysteries and save innocent lives.

Lawyer-turned-writer Nic Gabriel is stunned when womanising Dylan Rees, his host at a champagne reception at the Houses of Parliament, is knifed by an ex-girlfriend and bleeds to death in front of him. Its not just the horrific murder, but the fact that the ex, Ella, had apparently committed suicide over five years ago. Before the party Dylan had made cryptic mention of strange and sudden deaths and now, with his friends death, Nic is determined to discover his meaning. His research takes him to Creed, the countrys leading human rights law firm, where Nic meets Roxanne, a young lawyer starting out in her dream job with a secret to hide...

Death has come twice to Ravenbank, a remote community in Englands Lake District, each time on Halloween. In 1914, a young womans corpse was found, with a makeshift shroud frozen to her battered face. Her ghost - the Faceless Woman - is said to walk through Ravenbank on Halloween. Five years ago, another woman was murdered, and again her face was covered to hide her injuries. Daniel Kind becomes fascinated by the old cases, and wonders whether the obvious suspects really did commit the crimes.

IN MEMORY Harry Devlin Died Suddenly Liverpool Midsummers Eve No one expects to read their own obituary. Liverpool lawyer Harry Devlin never knew five short lines could be so menacing - someone wants him dead and hes only got seven days to find the killer. When the mutilated corpse of a young woman washes up on Waterloo Beach, Harry wonders if the premature notice of his demise and the discovery of a dead girl might be connected. Now hes only got six days...

Martin Edwards is a true master of British crime writing' Richard Osman'Highly recommended, with a touch of the gothic' Ann CleevesHow can you solve a murder before it's happened?'This is my challenge for you,' the woman in white said. 'I want you to solve my murder.'London, 1930s: Rachel Savernake is attending renowned artist Damaris Gethin's latest exhibition, featuring live models who pose as famous killers. But that's just the warm-up act...Unsure why she was invited, Rachel is soon cornered by the artist who asks her a haunting favour: she wants Rachel to solve her murder. Damaris then takes to the stage set with a guillotine, the lights go out - and Damaris executes herself.

If much of the action is set in a bookshop or a library, it is a bibliomystery, just as it is if a major character is a bookseller or a librarian.' - Otto PenzlerA bookish puzzle threatens an eagerly awaited inheritance; a submission to a publisher recounts a murder that seems increasingly to be a work of non-fiction; an irate novelist puts a grisly end to the source of his writer's block. There is no better hiding place for clues - or red herrings - than inside the pages of a book. But in this world of resentful ghost writers, indiscreet playwrights and unscrupulous book collectors, literary prowess is often a prologue to disaster.With Martin Edwards as librarian and guide, delve into an irresistible stack of tales perfect for every book-lover and armchair sleuth, featuring much-loved Golden Age detectives such as Nigel Strangeways, Philip Trent and Detective Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. But readers should be warned that the most riveting tales often conceal the deadliest of secrets...

This book tells the story of crime fiction published during the first half of the twentieth century. The diversity of this much-loved genre is breathtaking, and so much greater than many critics have suggested. To illustrate this, the leading expert on classic crime discusses one hundred books ranging from The Hound of the Baskervilles to Strangers on a Train which highlight the entertaining plots, the literary achievements, and the social significance of vintage crime fiction.

In the peaceful village of Old Sawrey, Warren Howe is brutally slaughtered with his own scythe by a mysterious hooded figure. Years later a tip-off sparks the interest of DCI Hannah Scarlett, head of the local Cold Case Review Team. With the help of historian Daniel Kind, Hannah digs and discovers that, in Old Sawrey, old sins cast long shadows.

DCI Hannah Scarlett is an acknowledged expert in solving cold cases, but is struggling under the weight of bureaucracy when Ramona Smiths disappearance from Bowness more than twenty years ago crosses her desk.The prime suspect was charged but found not guilty. Now the case has come back into the public eyeas the result of a shocking tragedy on the Crooked Shore, the fount of dark legends in the south of theLake District. Tensions mount in the summer heat as a ruthless killer, who has already got away with onemurder, plans further appalling crimes. Hannah finds herself racing against the clock as she strives to solve the mysteries and save innocent lives.

They halted close to the waters edge. This was their destination. This was the Serpent Pool. And here, six years ago, Bethany Friends body had been found. The Lake Districts cold case specialist, DCI Hannah Scarlett, is determined to uncover the truth behind an apparent suicide in the Serpent Pool some years ago.

DCI Hannah Scarlett is an acknowledged expert in solving cold cases, but she is struggling under the weight of bureaucracy when Ramona Smiths disappearance from Bowness more than twenty years ago crosses her desk. The prime suspect was charged but found not guilty. Now the case has come back into the public eye as the result of a shocking tragedy on the Crooked Shore, the fount of dark legends south of the Lake District. A ruthless killer, who has already got away with one murder, plans further appalling crimes. DCI Scarlett finds herself racing against the clock as she strives to solve the mysteries and save innocent lives.

Twenty years ago, Malcolm Whiteley discovers his attractive wife Lysette is having an affair. Malcolm is under financial and emotional pressure, and he begins to disintegrate psychologically. When Lysette tells Malcolm their marriage is over, he snaps, and takes out the old Winchester rifle he has been hiding from Lysette...

LONDON, 1930. Sooty, sulphurous, and malign: no woman should be out on a night like this. A spate of violent deaths the details too foul to print has horrified the capital and the smog-bound streets are deserted. But Rachel Savernake is no ordinary woman. To Scotland Yard's embarrassment, she solved the Chorus Girl Murder, and now she's on the trail of another killer.Jacob Flint, manning The Clarion's crime desk, is looking for the scoop that will make his name. He's certain there is more to the Miss Savernake's amateur sleuthing than meets the eye.

Death has come twice to Ravenbank, a remote community in Englands Lake District, each time on Halloween. Daniel Kind, a specialist in the history of murder, becomes fascinated by the old cases, and wonders whether the obvious suspects really did commit the crimes.

Martin EdwardsThis collection of short crime stories includes such selections as "One Morning They'll Hang Him" by Margery Allingham, "The Game of the Dog" by Reginald Hill, and "The Consolation Blon

Martin EdwardsEver since its creation, the Crime Writers Association has championed the very best in murder and mystery. Now, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this esteemed organization, Mysterious Pleasures showcases the short stories of some of its most illustrious members. All the contributors are winners of the CWAs prestigious Diamond or Gold Dagger Awards, or have served as chairman. These are tales that alternately tantalize, intrigue, shock, surprise, and thrilla myriad of styles united only by genre and by the sheer quality of the writing.

Twenty years after her brother Callum mysteriously vanished, Orla Payne is still haunted by his disappearance. In spite of DCI Hannah Scarletts doubt that there is anything to be done on such a long-dead case, when Orla is found dead, she discovers that investigating the past can throw up some very dangerous truths indeed.