“Few, if any, books about crime fiction have provided so much information and insight so enthusiastically and, for the reader, so enjoyably…No other work mixes genre history, literary analysis and fascinatiing author biographies with such relish.”
Marcel Berlins, The Times
“Engrossing… leaves readers wanting more.”
Kirkus Reviews
“This is a sumptuous book which will appeal to any reader of the Golden Age period. Edwards has written a lovingly (although not sycophantic) appreciation of these writers and shines the limelight on those who stood in the shadows while Christie, Sayers et al. hogged all the publicity. This is respectfully written and extremely interesting. But again I warn you – before you finish this book you will have parted with some hard earned money and enlarged your already bulging library! Enjoy!”
Crimesquad
“Highly enjoyable..his thoughts on the books of these giants of crime fiction are never less than interesting…a work which celebrates its subject so generously and which will point all fans of the classic English detective story…in the direction of books and authors they might otherwise miss.”
Nick Rennison, Daily Mail
“Anyone who loves classic English mysteries from the 1920s through the ’40s will revel in the highly anecdotal “The Golden Age of Murder.”
Michael Dirda, Washington Post
“A book full of forgotten gems…The challenge to Edwards was to write a scholarly work that incorporates the twists and tensions central to his topic.He succeeds by adopting the tease-and-reveal structure of a mystery story…Also keeping the pages turning are extraordinary real-life set-pieces…Between the outstanding anecdotes, the underlying argument of the book – that the writers were less cosy and humdrum than supposed – is convincingly won…a book of impressive cultural omniscience…Operating as a sort of archaeologist, Edwards is able, unlike other diggers of the past, to give his finds a second life.Most readers of his book will finish with a wish-list of previously unfamiliar titles from those he describes so enticingly…Crime fiction is driven by death. In this superbly compendious and entertaining book, Edwards ensures that dozens of authorial corpses are gloriously reborn.”
Mark Lawson, The Guardian
“The ‘golden age’, between the great wars [is] the period covered, hugely readably, by Martin Edwards…He joyously, and with infectious enthusiasm, summarises plots by the score.”
The Spectator
“Mr. Edwards recounts their personal stories with sympathy and finds parallels in their published tales… it’s a mistake to think that game-like crime writing was naive. It was in part, as Mr. Edwards observes, a reaction to the Great War, with its unfathomable slaughter…Of all the back stories that Mr. Edwards considers in “The Golden Age of Murder,” it is the carnage of World War I, and the need to make sense of it, that is most compelling.”
Wall Street Journal
“A fabulously detailed book that serves several purposes…As a novelist himself, Edwards can be cynically humorous about the publishing industry. For the most part, however, he plays it straight, with a sustained and impassioned celebration of the Golden Age mystery novel that is as entertaining as it is comprehensively researched.”
Declian Burke, The Irish Times
“Masterly…This scrupulously researched study is written with great verve and enthusiasm, so is a very easy read. despite its scholarly detail about both the books and the authors…this book is a real treat.”
Literary Review
“One of the most important contributions to mystery fiction history in recent memory.”
Jon. L. Breen, Mystery Scene
“Edwards has turned sleuth and written a revisionist history that explores how detective story writers were not always what or who they seemed, and who didn’t necessarily play by the rules…like the books he loves, he usually knits everything together at the end. His enthusiasm has inspired me to reread some of these novels.”
Andrew Lycett, The Daily Telegraph
“This richly rewarding study of the genre.”
Roger Lewis, The Times
“The most important examination of the Golden Age as a whole in England…brilliant…I could go on and on about the contribution of The Golden Age of Murder to our understanding of the Golden Age..but I should conclude by saying that everyone interested in detective fiction should read the book – over and over.”
Doug Greene, CADS
“Delicious real-life tales”
New York Post
“Edwards writes with verve and panache…most valuable for drawing attention to titles that should be better known…Such tidbits, coupled with its many anecdotes about the Detection Club, should ensure the deserved success of The Golden Age of Murder. But just as important, Edwards’ book bolsters an ongoing renewal of interest in classic, fair play detective fiction.”
Barnes and Noble Review
“Delightfully revisionist.”
Sydney Morning Herald
“Excellent.”
Janet Laurence, World Literature Today
“Terrifically likeable…Edwards skillfully ties together themes that are irresistible to any fan of the novels of the period — they’ll find themselves fans of the writers, too.”
Melissa Davis, The Seattle Times
“Delightful new book about the Detection Club…The book is too enjoyable, too enthusiastic, to live or die by the success of its thesis.Martin Edwards has poured down on readers a blizzard of detail about these Golden Age authors, their interconnections down through the years, and the intricacies of their detective stories. And why not? This is fun reading as fun reading is supposed to be—a cozy book to curl up with”
Joseph Bottum, Washington Free Beacon
. “A surprisingly witty scholarly work, the book blends the novels’ plots, the authors’ lives and their turbulent times as it explodes the myth that the ‘Golden Age of murder mystery’ was boring and clichéd.”
Irish Examiner
“An outstanding work of history and scholarship that explodes some of the reductive misunderstandings of that glorious period of British detective fiction.”
Jon L. Breen, CADS
“Written by an admired crime writer, this is a superb reconstruction of how, in the 1930s and 1940s, a group of people in the Detection Club invented the modern detective story.”
Ruth Dudley Edwards, The Week – Best Books
“Excellent…This is a book that should be on the bookshelf of anybody who has an interest in the broader church of mystery and detective fiction.”
Shots Crime and Thriller ezine
“What I particularly admire about this book is the way Edwards shows why the founders of the Detection Club might have needed the comradeship and understanding it supplied…There’s a liveliness to the writing and a talent for pen-portraiture which ensured that the Golden Age of Murder continued to entertain me even when the subjects were forgotten writers whose books I have never read…One of the awe-inspiring features of true Golden Age aficionados is the depth and detail of their knowledge. Nevertheless I believe that there is sufficient original research in this book to satisfy even the most expert …This is a book full of anecdote as well as erudition.”
Julia Jones, Bookbag
“Wonderfully well written…readable from beginning to end as one very complicated but fascinating story, and also..a book one can dip into for detailed information. The list of books is enormous and controversial facts are backed up by carefully written notes.”
The Salisbury Review
“A splendidly pleasing work of literary detection…the social strata behind what is now considered the Golden Age of British Crime proves fascinating and Edwards’ detective work is invaluable. It will make you want to read Christie, Chesterton, A.A. Milne and so many others all over again.”
Lovereading
“There are plenty of revelations in Martin Edwards’s ambitious history of crime fiction between the wars…his enthusiasm and endless curiosity keep you absorbed in the classic crime era. The Golden Age of a Murder is a lively and erudite study that every crime fan should own.”
Crime Fiction Lover
“Undoubtedly seminal in the study of detective fiction…as fascinating as it is important…the story of the Detection Club…unfolds like a collection of interlocking thrilling short stories…a book that is a joy to read…his book is of the highest importance to anyone who wants to know about a vital part of English life and literature in the thirties and forties but is also a work that needs many more readings than just one.”
Conservative History Journal
“This year I owe a particular debt of gratitude to Martin Edwards’s The Golden Age of Murder…a wonderfully replete chronicle…Edwards has read a vast number of the cream of the crop products of the club and summarises them enticingly without, all-importantly, divulging ‘whodunnit’.”
John Sutherland, Short Books Summer Reading
“A valued and essential read for anyone remotely interested in the genre.”
Books Monthly
“One of the most interesting books I’ve ever read.”
Fender Tucker, The Ramble House Rambler
“Invaluable to anyone with an interest in the origins of the modern detective fiction…Moreover, his study shows us that there is more to interwar crime fiction than Miss Marple solving the latest murder in the village before returning home to trim the rose bushes.”
The National (Scotland)
“Fascinating…for any student of the crime and mystery novel, this is a must-have.”
RTE Radio 1 (Ireland)
“A comprehensive and well-written narrative that combines biography with literary criticism… Along the way, he dispels numerous myths about Golden Age detective fiction: for example, that it was ‘an essentially British form of escapism… an effete counterpart to the tough and realistic crime fiction produced in the United States’…The trenchant analysis is coupled with revelations about the private lives of these very public authors, offering new information for casual fans and students of the genre alike.”
Publishers’ Weekly (starred review)
“This important work looks at the inner lives and writing careers of Britain’s great mystery writers between WWI and WWII. Edwards’s role as Detection Club archivist gave him access to many documents not seen and stories never told before…Included are photographs and facsimiles of documents (including two pages from R. Austin Freeman’s private diary, written in a code that to this day has not been cracked).”
Steve Steinbock, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
“Edwards’s vast knowledge of crime fiction is simply incomparable. He has read a huge number of books written from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century and has a precise memory of their content. He not only discusses major authors but touches on minor ones, while also giving detailed accounts of real-life crimes that influenced writers. The examples he presents by way of pointing up how various elements in classic crime novels have, as it were, been inherited by younger generations of writers, whether consciously or not, are of immense relevance…All such links enable us to see the red thread running through the history of crime fiction…The Golden Age of Murder is a commendable and welcome reference book that will widen the perspective of crime fiction fans.”
Sachiko Matsuhita, Hayakawa Mystery Magazine (Japan)
“This is a treasure trove and significant book that is bound to become a classic…Whether or not you read classic golden age mysteries, The Golden Age of Murder is a fascinating read. Martin Edwards has written a rewarding and insightful book. It is simply brilliant!!”
Ayo Onatade, Shots
“There are few writers better qualified than Edwards to tell the story, which stretches from the now distant past to the edgy present.It’s a picture of a little known aspect of the cultural history of Great Britain.”
Barry Forshaw, Brit Noir: The Pocket Essential Guide to Crime
“Edwards, a distinguished crime writer…employs wit and scholarship to defend the genre against the familiar charges..and never neglects his duty to entertain.”
The Sherlock Holmes Journal
“The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards…is of great interest to me because I am interested in the history of the genre and the people who are part of it. So, too, is Edwards, and this love he has for crime fiction permeates every page of this book…Christie and Sayers I knew about and they interested me because they are interesting and well-known. Berkeley came off as “the dark lord of the Detection Club” and, as Edwards presents him, is a compelling figure in the way that anti-heroes often can be..Edwards also spends a great deal of time dissecting the Detection Club’s overall fascination with real-life cases, which I in turn found fascinating…The Golden Age of Murder is a sparky slice of crime fiction history.
Sarah Weinman, The Crime Lady
“As Edwards writes, with a suitably enticing hook, ‘Why was Christie haunted by the drowning of the man who adapted her work for the stage? What convinced Sayers of the innocence of a man convicted of battering his wife to death with a poker?’ Having set up a fleet of questions, Edwards proceeds to answer them with murder-laced aplomb. He has a nicely naughty sense of humor about it, too, for the well-heeled Detection Club members often poked into business that was more than a little infra dig. As the author writes of one case, a lecherous perp “claimed he was merely offering Irene career advice, although what he knew of testing valves was not reported.” Yet, when the tale turns tragic—not just because of awful crimes, but also because of sad developments in the lives of Sayers and other members—Edwards writes appropriately and well.”
Kirkus Reviews
“Lively…richly researched…This book reads like a novel, pacy and packed with sketches of the [Detection] Club’s members…their secrets and scandals, their investigations into real life crimes, along with Edwards’ entertaining critiques of their most popular works. This is a fascinating book, whether you’re a dabbler in the genre, or a serial reader.”
Carole Barrowman, Sentinel Journal (Milwaukee)
“It is the most wonderful book. Full of detail, information and insight… A terrific piece of writing, and impossible to put down once started…beautifully written…compulsory reading.”
LIz Gilbey,CADS
“This fantastic non-fiction book is the perfect gift that tells all mystery/thriller lovers how to go about looking at the old favorites and remembering how good they were.”
Mary Lignor, Suspense Magazine
“This accessibly scholarly recounting of the public lives, private woes and storytelling craft of leading British crime writers between the first and second world wars might be your custom brew of tea if you have logged many escapist hours reading their tales of murder most foul…His spoiler-free novel and short story thumbnails are so enticing that they may push a new generation of readers to long-forgotten titles…Edwards has brought along his “I can make you want to know” mystery writer skills.”
Flroida Times-Union
“Deeply researched, eminently readable.”
Give Me That Old-Time Detection
“The Golden Age of Murder is an indispensable popular history, one which often reads like a detective story in its own right. It should not be missed.”
Classic Mysteries
“This weighty volume from the ever-reliable Martin Edwards will be catnip to admirers of Golden Age British crime fiction…this is the first book about the prestigious Detection Club…; it also doubles as an examination of the great golden age writers such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, who energised the form.”
Crime Time
“This is a must for anyone with a serious interest in the development of the detective story…excellent survey.”
Jennifer Palmer, Mystery People
“A really brilliant book.”
Ann Cleeves, W.H. Smith blog
“One of the best books I’ve read this year. I really couldn’t put it down.”
Peter Johnson, CADS
“History books can be sometimes dry, but this book is not. It reads as smooth as driving in your parents’ brand new Oldsmobile. Mr. Edwards deftly weaves the personal lives of the writers, the social and political climate of the day, the first World War, the second World War, the abdication, notorious criminal cases, the books and stories the authors wrote, how the influenced each other and their experimentations with the mystery puzzle…The Golden Age of Murder, a book of archaeology and genealogy, brings us closer to our literary ancestors of a nearly a century ago. Reading it is like sitting at grandma or grandpa’s knee listening to how it was when they were young. Who doesn’t wish they had paid more attention to their grandparents? And so we should. We should know what they loved, what they despised, what gave them joy, what caused them suffering, the actions they chose, the actions they regretted. We can learn what works and what didn’t. We can derive inspiration from how they developed their stories. And we can feel kinship with the greats who molded the genre we so love. Finally, this book has, I suspect, the most comprehensive mystery bibliography compiled. There are enough books on it to fuel a to-be-read list for a decade or two.
Mysteristas blog
“Masterful.”Chris Fowler, Red Herrings “One of the most absorbing books about crime fiction I’ve ever read…Seldom have I read a history that was as readable. Notes, so often a chore to get through, are admirably handled- and in type face that is easy to read..I’ve served on six Edgar committees in the Biography/Literary Criticism category, and if I were on the one judging 2015, this book would be a shoo-in as year’s best.
Marv Lachman, Deadly Pleasures
“The depiction of the authors and their community is Edwards’ strength…The reading of Martin Edwards attracts new acquaintances and reunions among Golden Age writers..I’m especially curious about Berkeley and…look forward to getting reacquainted with Father Brown.”
Carina Burman, Svenska Dagbladet (Stockholm)
“What Edwards is doing here in this artfully written scholarly fable about the real world is nothing less than the reclamation of an eclipsed literary genre from history’s stylistic re-alignments and its re-positioning as the fount of the modern world’s “CSI,” Ruth Rendell, PD James and the like. Outlandish. Absurd, Altogether irresistible.”
Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News
“A classic.”
Sophie Hannah’s newsletter
“Detailed but witty historical foray into the doings of the Detection Club.”
Donal McGahon, CADS
“An affectionate examination of the (mainly British) crime novels of the interwar years.”
The Times of Israel
“Simply brilliant. If you are a crime aficionado then you simply HAVE to own this book…It is impossible to write about all the joys and delights of this book. If you are a crime lover as I am, then it is a must buy and a must keep…A quite wonderful book and I cannot recommend it highly enough.” “
Random Jottings blog
“Martin Edwards, as the Club’s Archivist and President elect, is uniquely qualified to write their story, and has produced an entertaining history with loads of human interest…A lovely reference book for the classic-crime aficionado, and at 528 pages you won’t feel short-changed.”
Eurocrime
“This remarkable book is the result of years of painstaking research…it is a tour de force…a book that every person interested in that Golden Age will want to have on their shelves…Do buy this book and enjoy the brilliant light it sheds on this extraordinary period in British detective fiction.”
Seona Ford, Dorothy L. Sayers Bulletin
“An enthralling read. There are several strands to the book, skilfully woven together to produce a compelling narrative…Above all it is the voice of the narrator, witty, judicious, humane in his judgements, that makes this book such a pleasure to read. I loved every word…Bravo!”
A Reading Life blog
“A fabulous achievement…spectacuarly good… it reads beautifully and smoothly, it is very entertaining, and I raced through it in no time at all…And the book isn’t just entertaining and readable – it’s hilariously funny at times, with a very dry wit on show….Every fan of crime fiction should read this book: it is a triumph…I will keep it to hand as a work of reference, but also I’m sure will re-read it frequently for sheer enjoyment.
Clothes in Books blog
“Golden Age…novels are often stereotyped as “cozy,” dismissed as lacking in psychological depth or shocking twists…his fascinating study of London’s Detection Club…dismantles these theories in a manner worthy of the finest fictional detective…Edwards’s eye for detail and his passion for his subject make the book a pleasure to read. Mystery lovers will find their to-read lists growing with every chapter.
Shelf Awareness
“Fantastic and fascinating book that is an absolute must-have for anyone with interest in the Golden Age of mysteries, crime, and detection…a definite winner that all mystery lovers need to have on their reference shelf.”
My Reader’s Block blog
“Martin Edwards delivers, and delivers big in The Golden Age of Murder. Edwards has done an extraordinary job in telling a rich, detailed history of this fascinating brotherhood of crime writers.”
Keenly Kristin blog
“A must read for anyone who loves crime fiction…This is one book that I will keep and reread…it is so enjoyable. Martin Edwards’ mix of fascinating, and sometimes shocking history with humor draws you in and at the end it feels like it’s over too soon.”
Tea and a Book blog
“Marvellous…a fascinating cast of characters…The Golden Age of Murder will energize readers and trigger a renewed interest in Golden Age detective novels. And, The Golden Age of Murder should win every mystery award in sight! Don’t miss this extraordinary book!”
GeorgeKelley.org
“A great read…a love letter to the classic books and authors…written with enthusiasm, warmth, and humour…Martin Edwards has done an absolutely brilliant job digging through the true crimes which inspired these writers and some of their plots…rresistible reading, very hard to put down… work of passion, a work which I hope will do much to revise lazy narratives about the history of detective fiction. If you are a casual fan just dipping your toe into the waters of classic mysteries, or if you’re a hard-core fan eager to learn more about how these great writers interacted, this is an accessible page-turner of a book for you.
At the Scene of the Crime blog
“There is no way I can do justice to this book in a short post; it is simply a tour de force, comprehensive, crammed full of fascinating information about the period and the authors. Martin Edwards’ love of Golden Age fiction shines throughout the book, (skilfully writing about books without giving away any spoilers) and has spurred me on to read more books from this period.”
Books Please
“He presents a perceptive, convincing and entertaining case…an absorbing read and, as many of the reviews have stated, a real labour of love.”
Lillabullero blog
“My most enjoyable and substantive reading experience in that vein was The Golden Age of Murder…”
The Scholarly Kitchen
“Fascinating and scholarly.”
Type M for Murder blog
“Edwards has very cleverly structured the book so that the story of the Club and its members unravels like a mystery itself. Touching on elements of the political, social and cultural context of the early 20th century, the book is a winning combination of biographies of the authors and their relationships with each other, woven together with the true crime stories from the era which inspired their novels…‘The Golden Age of Murder’ is a must-read for anyone who enjoys crime fiction.”
A Little Blog of Books
“The Golden Age of Murder is THE book on Golden Age mysteries..a gorgeous book, a must-have for anyone who loves detective fiction!! And it’s un-put-down-able from page one..
Jungle Red Writers’ blog
“If you love the classic mystery authors this is a treasure trove of details that just can’t be missed!”
I Wish I Lived in a Library blog
“A tricky book to write about, but… it’s fantastic.”
Stuck in a Book blog
“Edwards brings his skill as a novelist to approach the history of the Golden Age as a mystery that needs to be solved…The constant talk of murder is alleviated, or perhaps should I say enhanced, by Edwards dry wit..in drawing attention to how we will never have a complete knowledge of the era, Edwards achievement seems all the more remarkable. ..Even the endnotes are crammed with so many fascinating tidbits that if you blink you’ll miss things….an important and absorbing history .”
The Venetian Vase blog
“A monumental work of British writer Martin Edwards, which traces through authors, novels, stories and lives, the great history of the Golden Age; and the result is really surprising, firstly for the brilliance of style, but also for the amount of material presented, the accuracy…and the mass of information.”
Whodunit? Houdini? blog
“Readers interested in the environment that led to the rise of the mystery novel will be delighted with this book.”
Booksie’s Blog
“Edwards weaves a mind-boggling number of plot summaries of novels (without, naturally, ever giving away the all-important crucial twists), the authors’ fascination with real-life crimes, and the way in which the Golden Age mysteries reflected the turbulent decades of the 1920s and 1930s and on into the Second World War, persuasively arguing that, ‘The cliché that detective novelists routinely ignored social and economic realities is a myth.’ Equally fascinating is his documenting of the frequently tortured private lives of the authors, with Edwards turning detective himself.”
Crime Always Pays blog
“Almost nobody in the world could have written this book. The research is a lifetime in the making. Edwards wears his expertise lightly, but whether he is identifying novels which interact with Scotland Yard, those which incorporate faith, those which include serial killers, or whichever categories are in question, he clearly knows pretty much everything there is to know. ..The rise, fall, and in-fighting of the Detection Club makes for fascinating reading, while the overview of Golden Age detective novels is something special. Bringing them together makes for such an invaluable resource that my overriding response to the book is gratitude that somebody as knowledgeable, capable, and personable as Edwards was the man to write it. You’ll end up with the longest tbr list imaginable, but I still strongly recommend this to anybody with an interest in the interwar period, detection novels, or the curious dynamics that arise between people who set themselves up as bastions of a genre. A real delight.”
Vulpes Libris
“Excellent…an enjoyable and engrossing read.”
Late Last Night Books
“Gorgeous…Lots of fun facts, arcane information, and sensible suggestions for the curious reader, including Edwards’s impeccable recommendations of authors and titles that should and must be read by all. Even the most jaded know-it-all (that would be me) will learn a great deal here–and have a lot of fun learning it. A great gift for even casual mystery readers; for diehards, it’s absolutely essential.”
Tom Savage’s blog
“Excellent.”
The Rap Sheet
“Magisterial…the defining book on the period now known as the Golden Age of detective fiction.”
Arunabha Sengupta, Cricket Country
“A valuable contribution to the history of crime fiction that will have you dusting off, re-reading, and reconsidering all those quaint little mystery and detective stories you may have read when first discovering the many joys of the genre”
Bookgasm blog
“Lots of pithy anecdotes…Edwards also does a great job of describing numerous detective novels of the period and giving just enough details to make you want to track down the books (but not enough to spoil the endings)”
Off the Shelf (Nashville Library blog)
“Fascinating…if you enjoy vintage crime/detective/murder mysteries – you’ll really enjoy reading The Golden Age of Murder.”
Pining for the West blog
“Edwards has lifted the lid off the Detection Club, revealing personalities, alliances and many sidelights on the work. What’s more, he thoroughly trashes the lazy view of the “cosy mystery”. It’s a wonderful read.”
The Art of Words blog
“A fascinating book…One problem; you may be spending a fortune after reading it, as it will drive you to seek out many of the books.”
Christopher Fowler’s blog
“Fantastic.”
Kate Ellis’ website
“There is an infinite amount of loving research in Martin Edwards’ book, told in a tongue-in-cheek style that is comforting and mildly amusing, just like that of the authors he discusses from the golden days of the Detection Club in the 1930s. This book is truly fascinating and recommended.”
John Hegenberger’s blog
“Excellent.”
Noah’s Archive blog
“The Golden Age of Murder focuses principally on three writers – Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers and Anthony Berkeley Cox. Much has been written about Christie and Sayers but I was especially interested to read more about Berkeley…It’s impossible for me to encompass this book in a brief review..The research that has gone into the book is phenomenal “
Shiny New Books
“I was fascinated… I was so caught up with everything in this book, with the interplay of true crime, social history, lives lived and crime fictions, and with the wealth of wonderful detail…That speaks volumes for the author’s depth of knowledge, for his love of his subject, and for the craftsmanship he deployed in the building of this extraordinary book…I’d call it essential for lovers of the subject; and well worth reading for anyone with any interest at all.”
Beyond Eden Rock blog
“Full of new and interesting tidbits about even the most well-known of the Golden Age writers. Not only do we get to know about the times that prompted these authors we also get to know about what drove them as well. Absolutely fascinating.”
Vic’s Media Room blog
“Fantastic.”
Harriet Devine’s blog
“a fantastic and thorough non- fiction book by the excellent Martin Edwards – The Golden Age of Murder. This book was so good that having read it on my Kindle I have bought it in Hardback so that I can ( sacre bleu!) annotate it.”
Vickie Goldie’s blog
“A love letter to the English detective story of the ‘20s and ‘30s…Edwards’ tone is less that of someone imparting factual information (although the book is loaded with that, and includes chapter references as well as a bibliography) and more that of someone who loves sharing a good story.”
Pop Matters
“If you want to know more about the Golden Age authors, or even if you just enjoy reading their books you will find this book of absorbing interest. Be warned, it could seriously damage your bank balance as you will come across many authors whose books you just must read!”
Jilly Sheep blog
“If you enjoy murder mysteries to any degree you will find The Golden Age of Murder eye opening. Reading this book feels like taking a college course in the Golden Age of Murder. I even enjoyed reading the chapter footnotes. Not only does Edwards dissect various titles and types of mysteries but he also takes on the authors’ personal lives, writing weaknesses, competitiveness, unrealized talent. I feel as if I will appreciate the writings of the authors mentioned in The Golden Age of Murder because I know so much about the authors as well as how other books and authors influenced them.”
Words by Webb blog
“The research that has gone into the book is phenomenal as can be seen by the rare illustrations & the detail in the footnotes…anyone who has read the novels of this period would find much to enjoy in Martin Edwards’ book.”
I Prefer Reading blog
“My most enjoyable and substantive reading experience in that vein was The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards…I’ve been leading mystery discussion groups at local libraries for more than 25 years and yet, I found this to be an informative (as well as refreshingly candid) account of a period and genre I had always thought I knew relatively well.”
The Scholarly Kitchen: The Best Books Read in 2015
“An extremely well-written, comprehensive view of the period, and well worth reading.”
Words and Music blog
“Well worth reading.”
Great War Fiction
“This ancestry [of the modern detective story] is most ably and enjoyably explored in The Golden Age of Murder…His research has borne good fruit.”
Thormas Burchfield: A Curious Man blog
“The writing is engaging and the subject matter compelling. Each chapter is a story unto itself thus the book need not be read in one sitting, although the chapters do build upon each other. If you have any interest in the history of the mystery genre and some of its most prominent writers, you would do well to read this book.”
Cosy up with Kathy blog
“Edwards’ research is extensive and impressive…a valuable contribution to the history of crime fiction that will have you dusting off, re-reading, and reconsidering all those quaint little mystery and detective stories you may have read when first discovering the many joys of the genre.”
Bookgasm blog
“”The Golden Age of Murder”, tells the reader about a group of mystery writers who were even more mysterious than their own crime novels…an amazing book.”
Deal Sharing Aunt blog