The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books

A very dry "read" but an excellent reference for those interested in how the British crime novel evolved. I didn't know how much I was missing this book until I got my hands on it from the library and within a day of reading through it, I knew I needed my own copy. This really is a reference book, and a wonderful one. It's intricate and makes sense. The reader doesn't have to know anything going in, and will know a lot of incredibly interesting information coming out. Building from the beginning, we see how British crime novels have been influenced and influenced others. While there are only 100 books "officially" listed, the mentions are never-ending, and I now have an even longer TBR list. I can only hope to live long enough to read some of them. I wish there was a companion for American crime novels, but no matter. This is exactly what it is supposed to be.

If you enjoy classic mystery stories, this is a great place to start. I have read all kinds of mysteries for over 60 years. What I liked was that I learned about some authors I had missed along the way. Highly recommended.

Enjoying the book very much -- and I like the cover, too!

Lots of info in book. Already have most of books it reviews but the extra info re. authors is interesting.

very interesting and useful

I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you.The crime stories written during the Golden Age of crime have proven their ability to remain entertaining and even addictive among modern readers of crime fiction. These books are different in many ways from the modern novels but if you look closely you will recognize an aspect in the modern book which mirrors a theme or technique which was once considered brand new. Martin Edwards has once again given me a method for studying the classic crime novel and the authors who paved the way for all the changes which have taken place within the genre. This book confines itself to the first half of the last century, between 1901 and 1950, and is a companion to the series of the British Library's series of crime classics. If you've enjoyed reading any of those reprints, this work will go far toward filling out your knowledge of the authors, titles, and themes which moved the classic crime fiction stories forward as they continued to change and evolve.There is simply too much information in this book to give anything like a list of authors or even a list of book titles. I can tell you that there are twenty-four chapters, each dealing with a different aspect of the novels from miraculous murders (also called impossible murders) to the lure of the countryside, the English manor house, the amateur detective, the educated sleuth, the backlash against politicians and on and on. In each chapter Edwards explains the theme, gives a brief synopsis of the examples of the novels he has chosen to illustrate the theme and a brief biography of the author. Each chapter discusses four or five novels. The book as a whole moves in a more or less chronological order, at least in the easiest way for the format to do that.The book also contains an Introduction, Select Bibliography, Index of Titles, and an Index of Authors which all provide a tremendous amount of detail on the subject. This is a book to savor, a book to keep as a reference guide, a book to help you find authors you aren't familiar with but want to try to track down. Even the most well known authors may have a novel mentioned in this collection which you have missed. I was equally surprised at how many of the authors and stories I was familiar with as well as how many authors I knew nothing about. Even though I initially read this book in digital format I already know I will have to get the print edition so it can go on my shelf of Classic Age crime fiction reference books. How could I resist?

‘The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books’ by Martin Edwards (himself an award-winning crime writer) serves as a companion to the British Library’s series of Crime Classics but spreads its net wider to include some books which originated outside Britain, such as Ellery Queen’s ‘Calamity Town’ and George Simenon’s ‘Pietr the Latvian’.Edwards defines a ‘classic’ crime book as “a novel or story collection published between 1901 and 1950 which … remain of particular interest … to present-day lovers of detective fiction” because of their “plot, character, setting, humour, social or historic significance” or some combination of these factors. It is not a list of ‘best’ or ‘favourite’ titles but seeks to showcase, within a broadly chronological and thematic approach, the diversity of the genre. Thus although many well-known books by authors of literary merit such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, G. K. Chesterton and Dorothy Leigh Sayers are included, room is also made for more pedestrian authors and more obscure volumes.Edwards claims that as “far as possible, I have avoided including ‘spoilers’ revealing solutions to mysteries”. Sometimes he could have tried harder, for example, in relation to G. K. Chesterton’s ‘The Invisible Man’, although to be fair the title of that short story itself comes pretty close to acting as a spoiler in itself. Somewhat oddly, Edwards refers to the recent Mark Williams incarnation of Father Brown but not that of Kenneth More or Alec Guinness, the latter being all the more surprising given that the film ‘Father Brown – Detective’ is loosely based on the short story ‘The Blue Cross’, which he specifically mentions in his piece on ‘The Innocence of Father Brown’.Nevertheless, the overriding impression is that Edwards really knows his stuff and relishes in sharing his knowledge. His book is probably best dipped into, although reading the introduction to each chapter provides an enjoyable potted history of crime fiction over the period covered. Thus, like all good books, this one is likely to stimulate further reading.

There are many of us that are lovers of crime fiction and I’m sure quite a few of us cut our teeth on Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie but did the genre of crime fiction suddenly jump from these writers to the modern proliferation of serial killers and psychological novels which will ensure none of us trust any type of girl, EVER.This comprehensive look through the first half of the twentieth century of crime fiction gives us insight into the authors who entertained our ancestors. Not only has Martin Edwards ably and coherently filled in the gaps, he has arranged the book under a number of headings making it the ideal book for using as a reference guide. We have the obvious chapters covering the birth of crime fiction, with A New Era Dawns followed by The Birth of the Golden Age followed by some that deal with humour in crime fiction; Making Fun of Murder, those that deal with Justice, The Justice Game and my favourite; Fiction from Fact. This means that although the book runs in rough chronological order the books that appear under one heading may have a cross-over date wise with previous chapters. Be warned there are 102 books listed as actual titles with a synopsis and where they fit into the headings but many more books are referred to in passing so it really is like going down the rabbit hole and filling up your reading lists for years to come!The books that are described more fully are those that Martin Edwards feels are the ones that on the whole have been forgotten gems. Many of the titles I’d never heard of as was the case with author’s names. Some of the authors included have large lists of titles but there is a special slot for those who only published one book too. Martin Edwards is the master of whetting the reader’s appetite without spoiling the story, if you are looking for a book that tells you what the solution to a puzzle is, you are in the wrong place.Fortunately, many, although not all, of the books can be bought from the British Library Crime Classic Series which is a bonus as these attractively packaged books will make one very smart collection on any crime fiction lover’s bookshelf and of course these books also include a foreword by Martin Edwards too. But as much as I am almost as big a fan of book lists as I am books, this isn’t just a book list. This is a book that informs us of the history of the genre, it is a book that talks about the authors who contributed and one that reveals the changes in taste as the country went through the turbulence of both World Wars and the needs of the population at that time to escape into a puzzle, one that had an answer to provide certainty when everything around seemed very uncertain indeed.This is an absolute gem of a book that I can easily see will be referred to time and again, not only when I read a piece of classic crime fiction but to remind myself of the roots of the genre.

I thought I was used to Martin Edwards from his introductions in the British Library Crime Classics & his short story collections in that series, but with this opus he really 'spills the beans', giving us the range & depth of his experience in the genre, from many interesting angles (some echoing the collections' titles).As well as being a good 'whowroteit', I am finding this very useful in widening my own appreciation (& reading collection). There is some way to go yet before the heritage canon is fully restored to public readership, but this book can only help to encourage thoughtful enjoyment. If (like me) you want to know you aren't missing out or wasting time, I thoroughly recommend it.

For me this was the perfect companion to Edward's 2015 " Golden Age of Murder.." .With this type of book it is always interesting to disagree with another authors selection ..the main problem being then is that a nought needs adding to the title. !I found the layout of the chapters to be fascinating . Above all was the selection itself ...so many new authors to try and track down ...not easy unless one is a bibliophile with a large bank balance . I hope that Kindle will get their act together in a few obvious areas ( Glen Trevor and Rupert Penny ..come on publishers be realistic and ECR Lorac ..well someone just needs to start the ball rolling ).Although I am a keen Kindle reader ,this is one of those areas where nothing less than a proper hard back book is needed for all the cross referencing !

Excellent book covering a wide range of mostly British classic crime fiction from the first half of the 20th Century. As a seasoned reader of crime fiction and books on the subject even I learned something new on almost every page. Highly recommended.

Wonderful overview of The Golden Age Of Detection which will lead you waste most of your life gleefully hunting down and reading the top 100 (not the best but some of the most important and intriguing of the agefrom Sherlock to Ripley , sort of. )