Suspicious Minds Liverpool solicitor Harry Devlin has too much curiosity for his own good. The wife of his
best client, businessman Jack Stirrup, has vanished without trace and the police suspect
foul play. Stirrup claims she is still alive, but Harry wonders whether his client has
something to hide.
After Stirrup's daughter and her boyfriend also go missing, Harry finds himself hunting a
brutal murderer. Meanwhile, romance is also a mystery to him. Valerie Kaiwar, an
attractive young barrister, is alternately passionate and distant. Harry is sure she is
keeping a secret from him - but what? To add to his woes, he gets a lead on the identity
of The Beast, a sex attacker who is terrorising the neighbourhood - but his suspicions
provoke a disastrous clash between his personal and professional loyalties.
Martin Edwards' likeable, frayed around the edges lawyer-detective is a welcome new
recruit to the realms of crime writing. Suspicious Minds is the second Harry
Devlin title, a follow-up to All The Lonely People, which was nominated for
the Crime Writers Association's 1991 John Creasey Memorial Award. "Good characterisation and the taut plot make it compulsive for armchair
detectives." ORACLE TELETEXT - CHANNEL 4 TELEVISION "A down to earth, gritty novel of life in Liverpool. Well worth reading." BOOKS "Harry Devlin is an immediately interesting protagonist ... I can imagine the
Devlin chronicles becoming a long-running and successful series." MILLION "His characters are believable and Suspicious Minds does make you want to
turn the page." SOUTHPORT VISITER "We are with Harry all the way ... he is a likeable chap and this is a pleasant
read, well worth an evening by the fireside." Geoff Bradley -
CADS "Suspicious Minds, like its predecessor All The Lonely People, is a
sturdy enough artefact ... The Merseyside locations are good, with the Liver Birds flying
high." THE OXFORD TIMES "Harry Devlin ... is an original figure with many possibilities ... the book as a
whole .. . is highly readable, has graphic Merseyside settings and is wholly
distinctive." BULLETIN "A welcome follow up to All The Lonely People. It is a likeable yarn ...
The plot is carefully designed and the relationships between the book's characters are on
the whole successful"THE NEW LAW JOURNAL "A colourful narrative, realistic and convincing ... this book maintains the high
standards set by Martin Edwards."THE CRIMINOLOGIST "... full of intrigue, red herrings and dubious characters. Written in the style
and mood of a modern day `film noir' thriller. ... the book changes direction with
practically every page. Excellent value ... this is a lively thriller which you should
devour eagerly in one or two enthralled sittings. Well recommended." ATHERSTONE HERALD EXTRA "Mr, Edwards writes a good sharp crime novel with believable characters and plenty
of humour and Harry Devlin is well on the way to becoming Liverpool's new hero." JERSEY EVENING POST "The solution is definitely different with an interesting twist in the tail.
Characterisation is good with well drawn, believable characters. The pace is fast and the
plot interesting, keeping the reader's attention throughout." ANGELA
MORGAN - CADS "Both of these books have excellent characterisation and well thought-out plots
with good twist endings." DEADLY PLEASURES "Edwards' style is such that he succeeds in making each of the novels appear more
distinctive than does for instance (John) Grisham ... Readers of Litigation can be sure to
have heard of Grisham and John Mortimer and probably Scott Turow. It is perhaps to the less acclaimed
Edwards though that they could turn for the most rewarding and relaxing few hours'
read." LITIGATION
British Pbk Original - Collins Crime (1992)
Northern Blood The Stories:
Foreword by Nancy Livingston
1992
Introduction by Martin
Edwards 1992
A Sure-Fire Speculation by Robert
Barnard 1992
A Terrible Prospect of Bridges by
Chaz Brenchley 1992
A Winter's Tale by Ann Cleeves 1992
The Good Old Days by Eileen Dewhurst 1992
The Boxer by Martin Edwards
1992
Home Ground by Andrew Gardner
1992
Market Forces by Reginald Hill 1992
Death In Hard Covers by
Margaret Lewis 1992
Blood Brothers by Peter
Lewis 1992
The Delivery Man by Alan
McDonald 1992
A Quiet Evening at Fountains by
Stephen Murray 1992
The Village Blacksmith Murder by
Alan Sewart 1992
The Manhunt of Dalby Forest by
Peter N. Walker 1992
Where There's A Will by Barbara
Whitehead 1992
A Reasonable Doubt by Douglas Wynn 1991 "Combines fact and fiction in an entertaining selection ... there is something
here for everyone." NEWS AND ECHO "Which collection, then, should the discerning Santa choose to stuff into the
Christmas stocking? North of the Trent he should undoubtedly encourage local enterprise by
boycotting the effete South and loading the sleigh with copies of Northern Blood."DAILY TELEGRAPH "Exemplary crime writing ... A model anthology, braced by its sense of place, but
resonantly unparochial." LITERARY REVIEW "Northern Blood demonstrates the thriving condition of Northern crime
writing." THE TIMES
Paperback - Bantam (1992)
All the Lonely People Harry Devlin, a Liverpool solicitor, is torn by conflicting emotions. He has a passion for
justice, but knows that for most of his criminal clients conviction is an occupational
hazard. And he is still infatuated with his wife, Liz - event though she has left him for
another man.
When Liz shows up at his flat, obviously frightened, Harry is only too pleased to offer
shelter. But any hopes he has for reconciliation are dashed when Liz fails to meet him as
planned the next day. And when her body is found in a lonely alleyway, Harry's disciplined
life is dramatically turned upside down. He becomes the number one suspect.
Determined to prove his innocence, Harry's search for the truth takes him into the city's
sinister underbelly of shady streets sand sleazy clubs. To see justice done, he must
confront an obsessive killer - and have his illusions about Liz shattered forever. "Promise-filled first about idealistic young solicitor turned reluctant sleuth
when his estranged, over-sexed wife is murdered. Detritus-littered trail leads through
film-noir version of Liverpool's seedier streets. Encore." MATTHEW
COADY - THE GUARDIAN "Pungent Mersey whiff, strong feel for depressed people and places. A nice
starter." MARCEL BERLINS - THE TIMES "More than adequate plotting and tremendous atmospherics ... all in all a grand
debut, well worth supporting. Buy it." FRANCES FYFIELD - THE
NEW LAW JOURNAL "Edwards ... can plot like Guy Fawkes, do atmospheric set-pieces and has a nice
line in wisecracks ... His handling of the bloody denouement bodes well for the future ..
. as do some of the finely drawn minor characters." SOLICITORS
JOURNAL "The Liverpool locations are lovingly sewn into the text.' THE
LIVERPOOL ECHO "Harry ... has all the makings of the successful fictional detective." THE LAW SOCIETY'S GAZETTE "This is an immensely readable thriller and is highly recommended for
entertainment and enjoyment" THE LEGAL EXECUTIVE JOURNAL "A murder mystery of quality" THE CRIMINOLOGIST "Recommended". CROSBY HERALD " A well-disguised whodunit." LIVERPOOL DAILY POST "Edwards certainly works a good plot, and readers will find themselves drawn into
the gripping climax. " IN BRIEF "A gritty little thriller." STIRLING OBSERVER "A well-paced mystery. " WHAT'S ON "An absorbing whodunit, very well written ... keeps the suspense going throughout
.. . a brilliant read in every way possible. I simply could not put it down." THE ENTERTAINER "Most successfully got into the mind of its hero ... but it is the story itself
that keeps you reading, wanting to know whodunit which is, after all, what murder
mysteries are about." THE WEST LANCASHIRE TIMES
Suspicious Minds
Suspicious Minds