A review of "The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books" by Martin Edwards

This invaluable volume will be treasured by all aficionados of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Even though the author, himself a detective novelist, disowns any encyclopaedic pretensions of this book, the fact remains that it is so in its scope. Though the title says 100 books, about 750 titles are mentioned in the body of the work, superbly indexed to increase ease of reference. There is a separate author index also.

Separate chapters subdivide the titles into sub-genres, each with a comprehensive introductory essay & longer discussion of a few typical examples, without providing "spoilers", as far as possible. The essays are extremely concise, packing maximum information into least possible words.

The only possible improvement might have been to print on a whiter paper with darker letters to facilitate easier reading. Also the purpose of colour & black & white photographs of the first editions & selected pages, inserted in the middle of the book, is of dubious interest to the general reader, & could have been avoided to bring down the cost.

All in all, a treat for interested readers.