British Crime Writing: An Encyclopedia [Hardcover]

." . . the work is a trove of fascinating information that can be dipped into for months and years to come." -

The Times

This is a substantial, wide-ranging A-Z reference of British crime writing - including crime fiction, true and historical crime. From Sherlock Holmes to Inspector Morse, via Father Brown, Miss Marple and the Sweeney, British crime writing has thrilled the world. Here, for the first time, is a comprehensive, in-depth A-Z encyclopedia to cover the astonishing riches of the whole tradition. Classic authors of the Golden Age of British Crime, such as Margery Allingham and Agatha Christie, rub shoulders with hot new writers like Martina Cole and Christopher Brookmyre, and established stars mingle with the most promising tyros. The great detectives who solve the elegant riddles of country house murders feature alongside the rawest recruits on the mean streets of Edinburgh, gangland London - and Aberystwyth.In addition, there are articles on all sub-genres of British crime writing - thrillers, espionage, historical crime, clerical crime, crime in academe, noir (and tart noir), literary crime and true crime. Key British film and TV film scripts are also included, and entries on specific subjects are complemented by essays on key themes such as 'Crime Fiction and Sexuality' and 'Social Comment in Crime Fiction'. As an extra treat, many of the articles are written by the crime writers themselves, such as Val McDermid, Lauren Henderson and Laura Wilson. This title exerts strong popular appeal to a general readership; it uniquely combines both historical and fictional crime; and is the most substantial reference resource on the subject.

Barry Forshaw is the editor of Crime Time magazine; he is the crime fiction reviewer for The Independent, The Express, Publishing News, and The Times and author of The Rough Guide to Crime Fiction.