Martin Edwards

Martin Edwards is a British crime fiction author, literary critic, and legal professional best known for his contemporary crime novels and work preserving the heritage of detective fiction. He has served as President of the Detection Club and Chair of the Crime Writers' Association. Edwards gained recognition for his Lake District Mysteries series featuring DCI Hannah Scarlett and historian Daniel Kind, as well as his Liverpool-set Harry Devlin novels. His standalone works include Gallows Court and Mortmain Hall, which blend elements of Golden Age detective fiction with darker psychological themes. His non-fiction work The Golden Age of Murder, examining the Detection Club and crime fiction between the World Wars, won multiple awards including the Edgar Award for Best Critical/Biographical Work. Edwards has also edited numerous crime fiction anthologies and written extensively about the history of the genre. Beyond his writing career, Edwards has maintained a parallel career as a solicitor and is a partner in a law firm. He regularly contributes to crime fiction magazines and journals, and his expertise in both classic and contemporary crime writing has made him a frequent commentator on the genre's development.

Readers consistently highlight Edwards' deep knowledge of classic detective fiction and how he weaves this expertise into his own mysteries. His Lake District settings draw praise for authentic local details and atmosphere. What readers liked: - Complex, well-researched plots that pay homage to Golden Age traditions - Strong sense of place in both rural and urban settings - Balance of historical research with modern storytelling - Clear, precise writing style - Character development across series What readers disliked: - Some find pacing slow in early chapters - Multiple timeline narratives can be confusing - Secondary characters sometimes underdeveloped - Historical details occasionally overshadow the central mystery Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: Lake District series averages 3.9/5 stars Amazon: The Golden Age of Murder - 4.5/5 stars LibraryThing: Harry Devlin series - 4.0/5 stars Reader quote: "Edwards excels at creating intricate puzzles while maintaining believable characters and relationships" - Goodreads review of Gallows Court "Sometimes gets bogged down in historical minutiae, but the mysteries themselves are clever and satisfying" - Amazon reviewer

Non-Fiction: The Golden Age of Murder - A detailed examination of the Detection Club and crime fiction between the World Wars, focusing on key authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.

Lake District Mystery Series: The Coffin Trail - A cold case investigation brings together DCI Hannah Scarlett and historian Daniel Kind in England's Lake District. The Cipher Garden - The mysterious death of a landscaper leads Hannah Scarlett to investigate secrets in a traditional Lake District garden. The Arsenic Labyrinth - A decades-old disappearance case reopens when a woman's body is discovered in an old arsenic mine. The Serpent Pool - Hannah Scarlett investigates links between a drowning and rare book collecting. The Hanging Wood - The apparent suicide of a young man connects to his sister's disappearance twenty years earlier. The Frozen Shroud - Three deaths, decades apart, occur on Halloween in the same Lake District house.

Harry Devlin Series: All the Lonely People - Liverpool lawyer Harry Devlin searches for his estranged wife's killer. Suspicious Minds - Devlin defends a man accused of murdering his wife during the city's Beatles convention. Yesterday's Papers - A thirty-year-old murder case involving a 1960s pop singer draws Devlin into danger.

Rachel Savernake Series: Gallows Court - In 1930s London, enigmatic Rachel Savernake investigates a series of murders linked to a shadowy organization. Mortmain Hall - Rachel Savernake confronts a killer who appears to be staging impossible crimes in 1930s Yorkshire.

Peter Robinson His Inspector Banks series features complex police investigations in Yorkshire with detailed procedural elements and regional atmosphere. Robinson's approach to characterization and setting draws similar parallels to Edwards' Lake District work.

Ann Cleeves Her Vera Stanhope and Shetland series demonstrate strong connections between crime and location in northern England and Scotland. Cleeves shares Edwards' focus on regional British settings and the intersection of past and present in murder investigations.

Peter Lovesey His Peter Diamond series combines traditional detective fiction elements with contemporary police work in Bath. Lovesey's connection to classic detection and modern mystery writing mirrors Edwards' dual interests in Golden Age and contemporary crime fiction.

Kate Ellis Her Wesley Peterson series merges archaeological mysteries with present-day police investigations in Devon. Ellis uses the same technique of connecting historical and contemporary crimes that appears in Edwards' work.

Elly Griffiths Her Ruth Galloway series features a forensic archaeologist working with police in Norfolk on cases linking past and present. Griffiths employs similar themes of history intersecting with modern crime that characterize Edwards' novels.