‘A gritty study in character, revealing passions and frustrations we can all believe in. Places and people we remember long afterwards with [such] a sharpness we wonder if they were real, or only read about.’
Anne Perry
‘Not a book to gobble down too quickly … a fine mixture of uninhibited lust and terrifying domestic violence. While the two main families, the Whyatts and the Revills are fully dealt with, one of the real pleasures to me was the cast of minor characters … a fine example of the no-holds-barred school which left me, at the end, with a feeling of deep thankfulness – that I had practised the law in Lincoln’s Inn and not in Liverpool.’
Michael Gilbert
‘A jaunty, atmospheric outing just begging to be made into a film some excellent Liverpool jokes.’
Publisher’s Weekly
‘Eve Of Destruction is Martin Edwards at his considerable best. Starting with bugged adulterous conversations, and sliding from there towards suggestions of murder and the deed itself, the serpent of old Mersey has us in his coils from the word go.’
Robert Barnard
‘The gardener’s adulterous young wife, his violent brother and the other ordinary people who are drawn into what becomes a multiple-murder investigation are all very real. Harry himself is a likeable man with a wry sense of humour and the story is told with wit. This is good entertainment with no unnecessary frills.’
Susanna Yager, Sunday Telegraph
‘Nail-bitingly good, this disturbing tale of lust and domestic violence will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the end.’
Woman’s Realm
‘Harry Devlin might be down at heel and frayed around the edges, but when it comes to having a nose for a mystery, he is the smartest solicitor in Liverpool … the chameleon city of Liverpool has provided a dramatic background for Edwards’ previous Harry Devlin novels, revealing itself in all its seediness and splendour … Eve Of Destruction is full of fascinating nuggets about Liverpool, particularly its murderous history … an atmospheric addition to the traditional English mystery.’
Val McDermid, Manchester Evening News
‘Martin Edwards at his best’
Belfast Telegraph
‘It’s easy to sympathise with the Harry Devlin character…All the characters are strongly defined and descriptions of the Merseyside locations and general atmosphere seem spot on. […] The writing is witty as well as gripping, and makes for a fast read from cover to cover. An excellent novel in the noir mould, which has me determined to search out Martin Edwards’ previous books in this series’.
Crime Time
‘The tone of writing is engaging, with wry comments on the life of the practising solicitor and life in general in the Liverpool of the 90s … the style is hard to resist. […] All in all a thoroughly satisfying and intriguing read. This was my first encounter with Harry Devlin and I shall certainly be catching up with his previous exploits as soon as possible. A superior whodunit, emphatically grounded in the Liverpool of the 90s. Martin Edward’s writing is not to be missed.’
Tangled Web UK
‘In an overcrowded market, Mr. Edwards’ quietly effective mysteries stand out and are a pleasure to encounter. Mr. Edwards knows all too well and conveys with the smack of authority the pressures, frustrations and everyday worries of the run-of-the-mill practitioner as Devlin, drawn in to a web of deceit, searches for a solution – and finds it. The book is restrained in effect and constructed with care and attention. Mr. Edwards’ eschews sensationalism and succeeds in portraying a convincing picture of law and life as it exists today in a big city.’
John Welcome, The New Law Journal
‘Eve Of Destruction, with its corkscrew of a plot which keeps the reader nicely confused until the last page, concerns the tangle of relationships found in a doomed marriage.’
Rachel Laurence, Liverpool Daily Post
‘Martin Edwards is widely regarded as one of this country’s talented young crime writers.’
Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph
‘Top-notch’
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
‘The plot moves along with plenty of atmosphere and style … an excellent mystery story.’
Black Tears
‘Take a tip … buy a book written by Martin Edwards. This refreshingly different author brings a whole new slant to murder mysteries … Mr. Edwards may not do things by the rule book but that just adds to the enjoyment … All the usual twists are there … but there is a cynicism and yet a dynamism about Mr. Edwards that is well worth investing in.’
The Hartlepool Mail
‘Tightly plotted with engaging characterisation, as one comes to expect from a Martin Edwards’ novel. […] The book’s main interest lies in the character of the excessively endearing Devlin, a general practitioner who keeps up with the news via the tabloids wrapped around his fish and chips… Solicitors… will identify with his cynical comments on legal aid life and rude sideswipes at practice management standards.’
The Law Society Gazette
‘Martin Edwards has a nice series going and this is another good middle-of-the-road read which maintains its interest to the end. If you are fed up with the gigantic blockbuster thrillers and want something more down-to-earth, this is the series to try.’
Geoff Bradley, CADS
‘A complex thriller that springs to life when a street-wise teenager looking for an easy score stumbles across a triple murder in a converted church. […] The plot is fast paced and intriguing, making it very hard to put down. From the opening page to the last, it has the ‘right stuff’ – the stuff that great mysteries are made of.’
Michael Taylor, The Visiter
‘As the story develops, much of it is cleverly told by means of tape recordings, so we get the dramatic effects of conversation rather than straight reporting. The plot unfolds with the appropriate number of red herrings. The characters are skilfully drawn and the atmosphere of Liverpool brilliantly evoked. And the surprise ending will make you want to meet Harry Devlin again.’
Douglas Wynn, A Shot In The Dark
‘A well grown maze with twists and blind alleys. Edwards plants enough clues to make the villain plausible.’
Angie Kelson Packer, Deadly Pleasures
‘Edwards, who edited last year’s Crime Writers Anthology Perfectly Criminal, has more tricks up his sleeve than the Whyatts do, and some of Agatha Christie’s trick of making you look exactly the wrong way.’
Kirkus Reviews
‘If readers are willing to take a leap of faith, they will absolutely enjoy Eve Of Destruction. The storyline is as intriguing as the identity of who is doing what to whom remains a mystery in spite of the evidence to be found in the tapes that Harry listens to throughout the book. Harry is a wonderful character … Martin Edwards has scribed a fabulous tale due to Harry’s battered, but still ticking personality tossed inside a Rubik’s Cube.’
Harriet Klausner, Dorothy L.
‘A jaunty, atmospheric outing just begging to be made into a film … some excellent Liverpool jokes.’
Publishers Weekly
‘Eve Of Destruction is a tidy little British mystery in which the plot takes second billing to Devlin – a complex, self-deprecating and slightly down at the heels anti hero.’
Jane Adams, Amazon.com Reviews
‘An engrossing mystery that fairly ripples with talent. A must read for anyone who enjoys witty characters in English settings. Martin Edwards has a new fan. Here’s hoping that his titles will be available in America for years to come.’
Elorise Halstad Reviewed To Death, Deadly Pleasures
‘I liked this book. Edwards is successful in depicting Harry Devlin as a thoroughly human figure … Edwards is skilled not only in drawing his own solid, memorable main character but also in his other characters, mainly, I think, because he can invest them with believable emotional lives. That passion and violence are closely linked is a truth we seldom care to look too closely at, but the hard-driving lusts here are more than just sexual lusts, and the sense of deep urgency is thus more powerfully evoked.’
Gordon Magnusson, Reviewed To Death – Deadly Pleasures
‘Edwards does a remarkable job of developing Devlin and his various relationships, and bringing newcomers to the series up to date … I guarantee you will like Harry.’
Sue Fedear, Reviewed To Death – Deadly Pleasures
‘A nice solid mystery that pulls no punches.’
Beth Fedyn, Reviewed To Death – Deadly Pleasures
‘A brilliant plotting device by the author in engaging and sustaining the reader’s interest and heightening suspense. The book moves along at a rapid and steady pace. The characters are interesting and sketched with a great deal of care. Given that this is the fifth Harry Devlin mystery, much has gone before in these characters’ lives, yet it is both easy and worthwhile to join them, as I have, for the first time in this book. I found the conclusion and resolution to be highly satisfying, consistent with the rest of the book. This is definitely an author to watch (and read).’
Larry Gandle, Reviewed To Death – Deadly Pleasures
‘I like the freshness of plot in Martin Edwards’ Eve Of Destruction – quite a neat gambit. It also has some well-wrought characters and a pleasing narrative style. I thought I knew whodunit (my solution would have been a good one, too, I believe) but Edwards fooled me … I look forward to more from Edwards.’
Allan Hubin, Reviewed To Death – Deadly Pleasures
‘I enjoyed Harry Devlin, thought that characterisations were nicely done and the protagonist was appealing. I would certainly read more in the series.’
Maggie Mason, Reviewed To Death – Deadly Pleasures
‘Excellent novels … I liked the book. The best thing about Edwards’ Harry Devlin mysteries is Harry Devlin. He is a likeable, thoroughly human figure … One of the attractive things about Harry Devlin is that he is an ethical man.’
Professor Charles Alan Wright, The Practical Lawyer
‘A book to experience. Its complex plot and intriguing characters will be certain to entertain all who pick it up.’
Christina Castelli, Harvard Book Review
‘Stephen Whyatt … is particularly fascinated by building mazes. Its an appropriate image for the cunning plot. With a bonus that every detail dovetails into place, as does every word, including the perfectly judged humorous touches. […] Wonderfully crafted, not a thing overlooked, from romantic sub-plots, to the cast of colourful characters … Bet you even the most expert at ‘spot-the-plot’ will never guess the identity of the murderer … For once, this is a writer who delivers what’s been promised in all the high praise and recommendation. Go and buy this book – buy all his books – writers as good as this are invaluable.’