The Life of Crime, Martin Edwards
The Life of Crime, Martin Edwards
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The Life of Crime

Author: Martin Edwards

Narrator: Charles Armstrong

Unabridged: 17 hr 44 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/26/2022

Synopsis

Winner of four major prizes for the best critical/biographical book related to crime fiction: the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity and H.R.F. Keating Awards; and shortlisted for both the Agatha and Gold Dagger Awards. ‘Martin Edwards is the closest thing there has been to a philosopher of crime writing.’ In the first major history of crime fiction in fifty years, traces the evolution of the genre from the eighteenth century to the present, offering brand-new perspective on the world’s most popular form of fiction. Author Martin Edwards is a multi-award-winning crime novelist, the President of the Detection Club, archivist of the Crime Writers’ Association and series consultant to the British Library’s highly successful series of crime classics, and therefore uniquely qualified to write this book. He has been a widely respected genre commentator for more than thirty years, winning the CWA Diamond Dagger for making a significant contribution to crime writing in 2020, when he also compiled and published and the novel . His critically acclaimed (Collins Crime Club, 2015) was a landmark study of Detective Fiction between the wars. The Life of Crime magnum opus

About Martin Edwards

Martin Edwards has received the CWA Diamond Dagger, the highest honor in British crime writing, given for the sustained excellence of his contribution to the genre. His novels include Mortmain Hall and Gallows Court, which was nominated for two awards including the CWA Historical Dagger. British librarians awarded him the CWA Dagger in the Library in 2018 in recognition of his body of work. His eighth Lake District Mystery is The Crooked Shore and earlier books in the series include The Coffin Trail, shortlisted for the Theakston's prize for best British crime novel.

Martin is a well-known crime fiction critic, and series consultant to the British Library's Crime Classics. His groundbreaking study of the genre between the wars, The Golden Age of Murder, won the Edgar, Agatha, H. R. F. Keating, and Macavity awards. The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books won the Macavity and was nominated for four other awards, while Howdunit, a masterclass in crime writing by members of the Detection Club, won the H. R. F. Keating prize and was nominated for five other awards.

He has edited over forty anthologies and published diverse nonfiction books, including a study of homicide investigation, Urge to Kill. An expert on crime fiction history, he is archivist of both the Crime Writers' Association and the Detection Club. He was elected eighth president of the Detection Club in 2015, spent two years as chair of the CWA, and posts regularly to his blog, Do You Write Under Your Own Name?

Reviews

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Quotes

‘Magisterial but wickedly entertaining … reliably readable and frequently amusing. It also inspires awe: Edwards combines wide reading with a good memory, meticulous control over his unruly material, critical acumen and sheer bloody persistence.’ ANDREW TAYLOR,

‘As entertaining and illuminating a history of crime and thriller fiction as I’ve ever read.’ IAN RANKIN

‘Impressively scholarly and joyfully anecdotal… it’s hard to imagine this book being superseded for many years to come.’

‘Vastly entertaining … [Edwards] plots the development of the genre and the bizarre lives of writers … You’ll find all your favourites here, from Edgar Allan Poe to PD James … But be warned – you’ll end up with a reading list as long as a giant’s arm.’ DENIS MANN,

‘A magisterial history of mysteries and their creators.’

‘There is plenty here for mystery readers, whether well-versed in the genre’s history or not —and mystery writers will welcome this book as a resource.’

‘A magisterial work… THE LIFE OF CRIME does more than just inform, entertain and provoke, it also sends new readers back to old books.’

REVIEWS FOR MARTIN EDWARDS:

‘Few, if any, books about crime fiction have provided so much information and insight so enthusiastically and, for the reader, so enjoyably’ THE TIMES

‘Illuminating and entertaining – provides a new way of looking at old favourites.’ LEN DEIGHTON, author of

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