Martin Edwards at Tangled Web UK

Page Updated: 14/03/2011

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Martin Edwards - Page 1

The Hanging Wood

The Serpent Pool

Dancing for the Hangman

Waterloo Sunset

The Arsenic Labyrinth

Audio Titles

Martin's Blog

Latest Reviews at Tangled Web by Martin Edwards

Essays, Introductions & Short Stories

More Critics' Comments

A Profile of Eileen Dewhurst

C.S.Forester and Crime Fiction

Reginald Hill's Dalziel & Pascoe Series by Martin Edwards

The Reluctant Detective (Francis Pettigrew & Cyril Hare)

CWA Anthologies

Peter Lovesey Interview

A Profile of Stanley Hyland

Ross Anderson Publications The Case Of The Disappearing Crime Publisher

The Chandler Style

A Profile of J.C.Masterman

A Profile of Ann Cleeves

Michael Gilbert's Criminal Career An Overview by Martin Edwards

Email: martinedwards10@btconnect.com

WebPage: http://www.martinedwardsbooks.com

About the Author (Photo (c) John Mills Photography)

Bibliography

First British Edition Poisoned Pen Press (2011)

The Hanging Wood
Lake District Mystery 5

First British Edition Allison & Busby (2010)

The Serpent Pool
The Lake District's cold case specialist, DCI Hannah Scarlett, is determined to uncover the truth behind Bethany Friend's apparent suicide in the Serpent Pool. Why would Bethany, so afraid of water, drown herself? Hannah fears that her partner, bookseller Marc Amos, is keeping dark secrets. Does he hold the key to Bethany's past - and why was his best customer burnt to death in an Ullswater boathouse? Hannah still carries a torch for Daniel Kind, who is researching Thomas De Quincey and the history of murder. Once Daniel and Hannah suspect connections between Bethany's drowning and a current sequence of killings, death comes dangerously close to home.
'A traditional British mystery, set in the Lake District. A female Detective Inspector reinvestigates a cold case that seems to have a connection with her bookseller boyfriend. Interesting titbits about a former local resident, Thomas De Quincey, skilled evocation of landscape and a clever plot add up to an excellent read.' Jessica Mann, Literary Review
'In Edwards's fourth "Lake District" procedural, DI Hannah Scarlett works a cold case involving the mysterious drowning of a young woman. Was it suicide or murder? Meanwhile, the rest of the Cumbria CID is investigating the gruesome death of a book collector incinerated along with his books. Verdict: the juxtaposition of human relationships past and present, the interweaving of the writings and life of Thomas de Quincey with the contemporary plot, and the backdrop of England's Lake District, famous for its literary connections, make this an excellent choice for discerning readers who want an unusual and challenging puzzle mystery that will keep them guessing until the final pages. Wow!' Library Journal (starred review)
‘On the face of it, the Lake District couldn't be more different from the frantic, grasping shallowness of [London], but in Martin Edwards's capable hands, it proves just as effective a backdrop to murder. Local "cold case" specialist DCI Hannah Scarlett is tasked with uncovering the truth behind a young woman's apparent suicide by drowning. Naturally there's more to it than meets the eye, and it soon becomes clear that the death is connected to some recent murders. With evocative descriptions of everything from landscape to cocktail parties, expert plotting, an engaging protagonist and strongly delineated characters, The Serpent Pool is old-fashioned, well-made crime fiction at its best, and the dénouement will have you choking on your Kendal mint cake.’ Laura Wilson, The Guardian

British Pbk Original - Flambard Press (2008)

Dancing for the Hangman
It is 1910 and Dr Hawley Crippen has been convicted of the murder of his wife Cora. In his cell at Pentonville Prison, Crippen faces the prospect of the gallows. Laying bare his innermost feelings, he looks back at his austere childhood in Coldwater, Michigan, his tempestuous marriage and life on the run with his lover Ethel Le Neve. Yet as he revisits his life, Crippen entreats us to consider his ‘confession’: I am not a murderer.

First British Edition Allison & Busby (2008)

Waterloo Sunset
No one expects to read their own obituary. Liverpool lawyer Harry Devlin never knew five short lines could be so menacing. When a mutilated female corpse is found on the beach, followed by the death of someone Harry knows, it seems as though a serial killer is at work. Distraction is to hand in the shape of coroner Ceri Hussain, but distractions in lovely packages can be dangerous. Who can he trust when even Liverpool becomes increasingly unfamiliar as it prepares for the Capital of Culture celebrations? Harry must race to uncover the murderer before he faces his own Waterloo sunset
"Impressive... Edwards skilfully weaves the strands together... all will enjoy this twisty whodunit" - Publishers Weekly

First British Edition Allison & Busby (2007)

The Arsenic Labyrinth
Shortlisted for the Crime Novel of the Year Award
`You’d never believe it to look at me now, but once upon a time I killed a man.’
Daniel Kind is finding the long winter months at Brackdale tough, especially as his relationship with Miranda is also going through a dark time. Far from the bright lights of London and beginning to feel isolated in their rural idyll, Miranda has a bad case of itchy feet. The fear that she may just get up and leave isn’t far from his thoughts.
And Miranda wouldn’t be the first: ten years ago a solitary woman called Emma Bestwick left her cottage and never came back. Police at the time were unable to establish whether she left of her own accord or was the victim of suicide, accident or murder. Her disappearance went unaccounted for, and the unresolved case has always irked DCI Hannah Scarlett, who heads the local Cold Case Review Team.
But in a small, rural community, someone is bound to know something. And that someone has recently started calling the local newspaper and dropping hints about Emma’s death. With the case reopened, Hannah and Daniel are drawn together again, and discover to their cost that one person will preserve the secrets of the past at any price.
Praise for the Author
'A beautifully crafted book. Events from the past are woven into a fascination contemporary rural mystery to make a satisfying whole. And for lovers of the classic whodunnit, there's a delicious twist in the tail' Ann Cleeves
‘First rate… Martin Edwards writes terrific crime novels’ Guardian
‘A clever psychological thriller’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Martin is increasingly recognized as one of Britain’s most exciting crime writers’ Liverpool Daily Post
‘Edwards’ mastery of the psychological thriller is as assured as ever’ Crime Time
‘A first-rate complex thriller’ Sunday Times
‘Very highly recommended’ Mystery Woman

About The Author
Martin Edwards Born at Knutsford, Cheshire (setting for Elizabeth Gaskell's "Cranford") and educated in Northwich and at Balliol College, Oxford University, taking a first class honours degree in law. Trained as a solicitor in Leeds and moved to Liverpool on qualifying in 1980. Published first legal article at the age of 25 and first book - about legal aspects of buying a business computer - at 27. Became a partner in the firm of Mace & Jones in 1984, Married with two children; now living in Lymm. Member of the Murder Squad collective of crime writers and chairman of the nominations sub-committee for the CWA Diamond Dagger.
WRITING CAREER
My writing falls into six categories:-

Crime Novels
My latest novels are the Lake District Mysteries,The Coffin Trail and The Cipher Garden. The third in the series, The Arsenic Labyrinth is due to appear in early 2007.
I have published seven novels set in Liverpool and featuring solicitor Harry Devlin. The first, All The Lonely People, was short-listed for the John Creasey Memorial Award for the best first crime novel of the year (the eventual winner was Walter Mosley). In 2002 I published a stand-alone psychological suspense novel, Take My Breath Away and my latest book, The Coffin Trail, is the first in a new series set in the Lake District whose principal characters are a historian and a police officer. In addition, I completed The Lazarus Widow, the final novel by the late Bill Knox featuring his popular Thane and Moss.
Crime Short Stories
My short mystery stories have appeared in a wide range of anthologies edited by Maxim Jakubowski, Mike Ashley, Rosemary Herbert, Jurgen Ehlers, Anne Perry and others, as well as in magazines in England, USA and Japan. The stories collected in Where Do You Find Your Ideas? and other stories (which features an introduction by Reginald Hill) divide into three groups: Harry Devlin stories, historical mysteries (including Sherlockian pastiches) and contemporary suspense stories. More recent stories have included Test Drive, which was shortlisted for the CWA Short Story Dagger in 2005. 24 Hours from Tulsa andThe House of the Red Candle' have appeared in 'Best British Mysteries
Crime Anthologies
I conceived and edited three anthologies of crime writing, fact and fiction, for the Northern Chapter of the Crime Writers Association: Northern Blood , Northern Blood 2 and Northern Blood 3 . I co-edited with Robert Church a similar volume for the East Anglian Chapter; Anglian Blood . In 1995 I was asked to take over as editor of the national CWA anthology and decided to establish a new series, with the stories in each volume linked by a common theme. So far there have been eight volumes in the series (the current publishers are the Do-Not Press), and it has yielded several CWA Dagger winners and nominees. In 2003 I edited a special volume, Mysterious Pleasures, to celebrate the CWA’s Golden Jubilee. The previous year I edited Murder Squad, an anthology of collective members’ fiction with an introduction by Val McDermid. .
Writing About Crime Fiction
I have written about and reviewed detective novels for numerous publications. Currently I write a a regular column for Sherlock. In addition, I have had essays published in 100 Great Detectives (ed. Maxim Jakubowski), Twentieth Century Crime & Mystery Writers (third ed. Lesley Henderson; fourth ed. as St. James Guide To Crime & Mystery Writers ed.Jay P. Pedersen) The Great Good Place? (ed. Peter Nover), Oxford Companion To Crime & Mystery Writing (ed. Rosemary Herbert) and Oxford Good Fiction Guide (ed. Jane Rogers).
True Crime
As well as occasional articles about true crime cases, I have written an illustrated book on how the police take a homicide case from crime scene to court. Its titles are: Catching Killers, Urge to Kill, and Motive to Murder, depending on whether you look at the UK, US or Australian editions!
Legal Writing
I have published seven legal books (two as co-author) as well as over 400 articles for newspapers and magazines as diverse as The Times, Good Housekeeping, Car Mechanics, International Management and Amateur Gardening. I have also contributed to a number of multiple-author textbooks, mainly on my specialist subject of employment law.

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Bibliography
N.B. dates and publishers in dark red indicate British First Editions. Dates and publishers in black indicate recent reprints.

The Hanging Wood (Poisoned Pen Press, 2011)

The Serpent Pool (Allison & Busby, 2010)

Dancing for the Hangman (Flambard Press Pbk, 2008)

Waterloo Sunset (Allison & Busby, 2008)

The Arsenic Labyrinth (Allison & Busby, 2007) Allison & Busby Pbk Apr 07

The Cipher Garden (Allison & Busby, 2005)

The Coffin Trail (Allison & Busby, 2004) Allison & Busby Pbk Oct 05

Crime on the Move (Do Not Press Pbk, 2004)

Catching Killers: How Police take a homicide case from crime scene to court (John Blake, 2003)

Green For Danger (Do Not Press Pbk, 2003)

Mysterious Pleasures Short Stories (Little,Brown Pbk, 2003)

Take My Breath Away (Allison & Busby, 2002) Allison & Busby Pbk Jul 04

Crime in the City (Do Not Press Pbk, 2002)

Murder Squad (Flambard Press Pbk, 2002)

Urge to Kill: How Police Take Homicide from Case to Court (Writer's Digest Books Pbk, 2002)

Where Do You Find Your Ideas? And Other Crime Stories (Countyvise Ltd Pbk, 2001)

Scenes of Crime (Constable, 2000)

The First Cut is the Deepest (Hodder & Stoughton, 1999) NEL Pbk Jun 00 (Harry Delvin)

Past Crimes 3 (Severn House, 1998)

The Devil in Disguise (Hodder & Stoughton, 1998) (Harry Delvin)

Perfectly Criminal 2 Short Stories (Severn House, 1998) (Ed.)

Whydunit? Short Stories (Severn House, 1997)

Eve of Destruction (Piatkus, 1996) Piatkus Pbk 1997 (Harry Delvin)

Perfectly Criminal Short Stories (Severn House, 1996) (Ed.)

Anglian Blood Short Stories (Rampant Horse Press Pbk, 1995) (co-Editor)

Northern Blood 2 Short Stories (Flambard Press Pbk, 1995) (Ed.)

Yesterday's Papers (Piatkus, 1994) Magna (large print) May 96 Bantam Pbk 1995 (Harry Delvin)

I Remember You (Piatkus, 1993) Magna (large print) March 96 Bantam Pbk 1995 (Harry Delvin)

Suspicious Minds (Piatkus, 1992) (Magna Nov 1995) Bantam Pbk 1993 (Harry Delvin)

Northern Blood Short Stories (Collins Crime Pbk, 1992) (Ed.)

All the Lonely People (Piatkus, 1991) (Magna Sept 1995) nominated for the Crime Writers Association's 1991 John Creasey Memorial Award Bantam Pbk 1992 (Harry Delvin)