‘Endlessly rewarding’
Jake Kerridge – Daily Telegraph – Best Crime and Thriller Books of the Year
‘Instructive and entertaining.’
Barry Turner, Daily Mail – Best Crime Books of the Year
‘In crime fiction you need a victim and a culprit. You also need Howdunit, one of the most insightful guides to writing murder and mystery I’ve ever read, from ninety mistresses and masters of the genre. It’s essential for anyone who’s thinking of committing a crime on paper.
Christopher Fowler
‘A huge treat for any lover of crime writing…a glance at the list of authors should make it virtually self-recommending…But there is more to it than a starry line-up…a tour de force…Edwards has done a magnificent job of shaping and balancing the book with his own linking commentaries, some of them extensive…marvellous…a magisterial compendium of great crime writers offering thoughts on what they do best. Not to be missed.’
Nigel Simeone – Dorothy L. Sayers Bulletin
‘The mark of a good non-fiction collection is that it opens up a debate in which the reader is stimulated by and invited to join in. Howdunit definitely achieves this, and I also enjoyed how it brought new ideas to my attention…like every good chocolate box this book has something for everyone who is interested in crime fiction – modern or old. The topics range from how-to pieces on cluing and dialogue, to more abstract discussion on the genre, as well as entries on the reality and the challenges of being an author for a living and getting published. Martin does an excellent job of writing meaningful and thoughtful links between pieces which helps them to flow on from each other seamlessly. The style of this collection is very accessible, so readers do not need to fear it being overly technical and whilst it is a work designed to inform, entertaining the reader is also very much a top priority.’
Cross-Examining Crime
‘A very exciting book…[edited] by the doyen of crime writers, Martin Edwards, a mighty fine writer in his own right…the last word for anyone who is interested in crime writing…a fantastic book.’
Robert Daws, Partners in Crime
‘Really, really good…a great book…gave me a lot to think about. I found it really useful.’
Quick Book Reviews