The Golden Age of Murder, by Martin Edwards
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The Golden Age of Murder, by Martin Edwards
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A real-life detective story, investigating how Agatha Christie and colleagues in a mysterious literary club transformed crime fiction, writing books casting new light on unsolved murders whilst hiding clues to their authors’ darkest secrets. Winner of both the Edgar Award and Agatha Award for best non fiction 2016!
This is the first book about the Detection Club, the world’s most famous and most mysterious social network of crime writers. Drawing on years of in-depth research, it reveals the astonishing story of how members such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers reinvented detective fiction.
Detective stories from the so-called “Golden Age” between the wars are often dismissed as cosily conventional. Nothing could be further from the truth: some explore forensic pathology and shocking serial murders, others delve into police brutality and miscarriages of justice; occasionally the innocent are hanged, or murderers get away scot-free. Their authors faced up to the Slump and the rise of Hitler during years of economic misery and political upheaval, and wrote books agonising over guilt and innocence, good and evil, and explored whether killing a fellow human being was ever justified. Though the stories included no graphic sex scenes, sexual passions of all kinds seethed just beneath the surface.
Attracting feminists, gay and lesbian writers, Socialists and Marxist sympathisers, the Detection Club authors were young, ambitious and at the cutting edge of popular culture – some had sex lives as bizarre as their mystery plots. Fascinated by real life crimes, they cracked unsolved cases and threw down challenges to Scotland Yard, using their fiction to take revenge on people who hurt them, to conduct covert relationships, and even as an outlet for homicidal fantasy. Their books anticipated not only CSI, Jack Reacher and Gone Girl, but also Lord of the Flies. The Club occupies a unique place in Britain’s cultural history, and its influence on storytelling in fiction, film and television throughout the world continues to this day.
The Golden Age of Murder rewrites the story of crime fiction with unique authority, transforming our understanding of detective stories and the brilliant but tormented men and women who wrote them.
The Golden Age of Murder, by Martin Edwards- Amazon Sales Rank: #350086 in Books
- Brand: Edwards, Martin
- Published on: 2015-05-07
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 1.80" h x 6.20" w x 9.30" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 528 pages
Review
'Martin is increasingly recognised as one of Britain's most exciting crime writers.' Liverpool Daily Post
‘Edwards knows his business. He understands how to parcel out the clues and red herrings so as to feed the reader enough information to keep a variety of possibilities open, while making sure to prepare for a satisfying solution.’ Seattle Post
About the Author
Martin Edwards is an award-winning crime novelist whose Lake District Mysteries have been optioned by ITV. Elected to the Detection Club in 2008, he became the first Archivist of the Club, and is also Archivist of the Crime Writers’ Association. In addition to 17 crime novels, he has published eight non-fiction books and is a noted commentator on the genre. Renowned as the leading expert on the history of Golden Age detective fiction, he won the Crimefest Mastermind Quiz three times, and possesses one of Britain’s finest collections of Golden Age novels, including unique inscribed books and manuscripts, notably the previously unknown handwritten study made by Dorothy L. Sayers of the case of Constance Kent and Inspector Whicher.
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Most helpful customer reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful. The Golden Age of Murder By S Riaz This is a history of the Detection Club; an elite social network of crime writers, during the Golden Age period of 1930 – 1949. The book begins in 1937, with Ngaio Marsh attending a ritual dinner to elect the new President of the Detection Club, complete with ‘Eric the Skull’ and a host of crime writers who included founding members Dorothy L Sayers, Anthony Berkeley and Agatha Christie. Between the years this book covers, thirty nine members were elected. In order to be admitted to this elite company, writers had to produce work of ‘admitted merit’ – which was basically a code to keep out popular authors that members considered ‘crude’ such as Tiger Standish or ‘Sapper.’As well as being a fascinating history of the Detection club during this Golden era for crime writing, the author gives biographies of those involved, their relationships with each other, and also detours to discuss true crimes of the time which inspired the members. Many of the members found the Club a refuge, where they could be themselves and discuss their craft with those who would understand their problems. Anthony Berkeley first approached other writers about organising a dining club to discuss matters concerning their craft and it led to many collaborative writing projects.Importantly, criticisms levelled at Golden Age fiction are also tackled. Often derided as ‘cosy’ the author points out that most people were unwilling to face too much violence after the First World War and wished to be entertained. In a time of financial hardship, in the depression, novels set in exotic locations also gave a sense of escapism to readers. While living in a bed sit and coping with innumerable problems – including the personal tragedy of having to have her illegitimate son adopted and never publicly acknowledging him – Dorothy L Sayers responded by making her central character, Lord Peter Wimsey, have all the privilege and security that she was denied.If you do enjoy Golden Age detective fiction then you will certainly adore this book as much as I did. The author muses on plots, novels, true crime of the era, how the authors used their books to refer to each other and there are endless interesting snippets and new books to discover. This book has, in fact, cost me an awful lot – because whilst reading it, I have constantly had to stop and look up authors and download books that I have missed or want to re-read. So many of my personal favourites are in here; from the three central characters of the book – Berkeley, Sayers and Christie – to Nicholas Blake, E.C.Bentley, John Dickson Carr, Gladys Mitchell, Margery Allingham, Edmund Crispin, Michael Innes and many, many more. My only sadness here was that one of my very favourite crime authors of the period, Christianna Brand, was obviously not liked by Martin Edwards, whose sniping whenever he mentioned her became a little wearing. Regardless of her love of gossip and possible unreliability, she was the author of many excellent crime novels, including “Green for Danger,” and I felt she was being a little singled out for criticism. That aside, this was a tremendous read and I absolutely loved it and recommend it highly to any lovers of crime novels from the era between the wars.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful. A Must-Read-Right-Now for Mystery Fans and Anglophiles! Put it at the top of your wish list . . . By a reader The perfect bedtime-browsing book as well as an ideal gift for anyone you know who loves a good classic mystery, The Golden Age of Murder is a fabulous social history of the founders of the famous Detection Club, written by its Archivist, contemporary mystery writer Martin Edwards. Far more than a recounting of who published what when, this book traces the private lives of many notable writers, informs us of what life was like in Great Britain in the 1920s and 30s, and finds connections between real-life events and fictional detective stories. It is fascinating, informative, and a lot of fun.Edwards is not shy about describing mysteries and scandals in these writers' lives, but neither is he sensationalistic about it. We learn in measured terms the story of Dorothy L. Sayers's "bitter sin," for instance, and its reverberations throughout the rest of her working and private life. We learn of writers' affairs, sexual orientations, passions, and jealousies, but all with an eye to how this played out in their work and in their public personae as members of the Detection Club. Scandal is always told in the service of literary knowledge, with the result that the reader feels as if he or she is a trusted member of the club rather than a prurient outsider.Best of all, Edwards is very good about evoking the flavor of the times. The flamboyance of these Golden Age writers is mirrored by the times in which they lived. We learn about the fad for games, the advent of creative and really exciting advertising, the austerity movement, and the darkening political climate, all of which informed how these writers lived and wrote. The level of detail is very satisfying: we get to know how much people paid in rent and earned at their jobs, what they wore and how others responded to it. This creates an immediacy which gives the book even greater authenticity.Inevitably, there is some repetition of information, but this is really not a book to wander around in (though the temptation is almost overwhelming!) as much as to sit and read, cover to cover, over time. Luckily, there are good indices, though the chapter end-notes are disappointingly brief. Edwards is careful not to include too many spoilers about the mysteries themselves, but this is frustrating for the reader who wonders, for instance, "Which Anthony Berkeley novel was so shocking that Hitchcock had to sanitize the ending for the movie version?" Of course, half the point is to get us to read these Golden Age novelists, many of whom are virtually forgotten today. The other half, I suspect, is to wink at fellow Golden Age enthusiasts who know the works backwards and forwards, but perhaps did not realize the background of some of their favorite mystery novels, nor the story of the people who wrote them.I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in classic mysteries or in the Long Weekend of Britain between the wars. Entertainingly written, packed with information and illustrations (including photographs, diary entries, signatures, original book covers, and other fascinating stuff), it is a treat to be treasured.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful. Accessible, entertaining page-turner, written by a man who clearly loves these books! By Patrick It is often said that the “Golden Age of Detective Fiction” took place in between the two World Wars. For my money, such a characterization is far too simplified and gives rise to a narrative made popular by Julian Symons’ "Bloody Murder", which treats Golden Age fiction like some freak of nature which popped up between the two world wars because [insert pet sociological theory here]. I cringe whenever this view of the genre’s history is brought up, all too often by authors eagerly assuring you that their stuff transcends all that silly puzzle nonsense and Asks Really Deep Questions.The truth is, the Golden Age was a time of great variety and experimentation within the genre, and The Detection Club was formed in the late 20s in England. The exclusive club gave authors a chance to socialize, and since membership was attained only by secret ballot, it was also a way to ensure the quality of the genre remained high. Martin Edwards’ "The Golden Age of Murder" looks at the men and women who were members of The Detection Club during the Golden Age. It’s an enormous project, one which might overwhelm a lesser man.The good news is, it’s a great read. This book is a love letter to the classic books and authors. Martin Edwards has clearly read his stuff and knows a lot about it. He examines the members of the Detection Club and looks at their work and how it reflected their desire to innovate. He talks about well-known writers like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, but he also extensively discusses the work of such members as Henry Wade and Anthony Berkeley, who are known to a smaller circle of devotees.The book is written with enthusiasm, warmth, and humour. Along the way, Martin Edwards debunks several false narratives about the Golden Age. For instance, he denounces the oft-parroted claim that this was a time dominated by “Crime Queens,” and takes the time to seriously look at neglected writers such as John Rhode, Freeman Wills Crofts, and John Dickson Carr.There are limitations to a project like this. Despite the book’s enormous size, Edwards cannot cover everything. His scope requires the omission of some things and the considerable simplification of others. However, any complaints I have in this area would be largely in the nit-picking territory; Edwards manages to sidestep the pitfalls other genre surveys fall into.I was particularly delighted at all the true-crime scholarship throughout the book. Martin Edwards has done an absolutely brilliant job digging through the true crimes which inspired these writers and some of their plots. There are some familiar cases, such as the Dr. Crippen affair and the Charles Bravo poisoning, but then there are some cases which are much more obscure, such as the death of Cecil Hambrough (which may or may not have been murder), or the murder of Emily Kaye.I did not get a review copy in advance. Thus, my Kindle edition was downloaded to my device at midnight on May 7th. As I write this review, it is currently 6:30 PM on May 9th. My point is, I have already finished this 448-page book, and I found it irresistible reading, very hard to put down. Martin Edwards has succeeded in making "The Golden Age of Murder" a veritable page-turner. So much of his passion for the genre has been transferred to the page that it made for a real pleasure to read.Overall, "The Golden Age of Murder" is a very good overview of the members of the Detection Club during the Golden Age. Though there are some limitations to this project because of its sheer enormity, Martin Edwards is more than up to the challenge. This is a 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.
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