Martin Edwards

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  • Bibliography:
    89 Books (3 Series)
  • First Book:
    January 1991
  • Latest Book:
    July 2025
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Full Series List in Order

Harry Devlin

1 - All the Lonely People (1991)
2 - Suspicious Minds (1992)
3 - I Remember You (1993)
4 - Yesterday's Papers (1994)
5 - Eve of Destruction (1996)
6 - The Devil in Disguise (Sep-1998)
7 - First Cut is the Deepest (Sep-2012)
8 - Waterloo Sunset (Apr-2008)

A Lake District Mystery

1 - The Coffin Trail (Oct-2004)
2 - The Cipher Garden (Nov-2005)
3 - The Arsenic Labyrinth (Jan-2007)
4 - Serpent Pool (Feb-2010)
5 - The Hanging Wood (Apr-2011)
6 - Frozen Shroud (Apr-2013)
7 - The Dungeon House (Sep-2015)
8 - The Girl They All Forgot (Jun-2022)

Rachel Savernake

1 - Gallows Court (Sep-2018)
2 - Mortmain Hall (Apr-2020)
3 - Blackstone Fell // The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge (Aug-2023)
4 - The House on Graveyard Lane (Sep-2024)

Book List in Order: 89 titles

  • All the Lonely People

    • / Law Enforcement
    • Buy Buy
    Harry Devlin - 1

    All The Lonely People is the curtain-raiser to a successful nine-book series featuring Liverpool solicitor Harry Devlin. Devlin finds himself number one suspect in a murder case that is far too close to home. The victim is his estranged wife, Liz, wh...

  • Suspicious Minds

    • / Law Enforcement
    • Buy Buy
    Harry Devlin - 2

    Harry Devlin is in trouble. The wife of his best client, Jack Stirrup, has vanished and the police suspect foul play. Stirrup claims she's still alive, but Harry wonders if he has something to hide. When Stirrup's daughter and her boyfriend go missin...

  • I Remember You

    • / Law Enforcement
    • Buy Buy
    Harry Devlin - 3

    When Liverpool solicitor Harry Devlin watches fire destroy the studio of his client, tattooist Finbar Rogan, he suspects it is no accident. And when a bomb is planted under Finbar's car, Harry is left in no doubt. Someone hates Finbar enough to want ...

  • Yesterday's Papers

    • / Law Enforcement
    • Buy Buy
    Harry Devlin - 4

    On Leap Year Day in 1964, an attractive teenager called Carole Jeffries was strangled in a Liverpool park. The killing caused a sensation: Carole came from a prominent political family and her pop musician boyfriend was a leading exponent of the Mers...

  • Eve of Destruction

    • / Law Enforcement
    • Buy Buy
    Harry Devlin - 5

    When Liverpool solicitor and detective Harry Devlin takes on a client who has been taping his wife's telephone conversations with her lover, he gets more than he bargained for. The first mystery is the identity of Becky's boyfriend, whose voice Harry...

  • Northern Blood 1

    This is the very first collection of fact and fiction to be compiled exclusively by crime writers living and working in the North of England. The diversity of the contents shows the exciting range of talent in the region. Whether your taste is for su...

  • Northern Blood

  • Whydunit?

    Following on from the first CWA anthology, Perfectly Criminal, whose story Herbert in Motion by Ian Rankin won the 1996 CWA Short Story Dagger, this thrilling collection focuses on the elusive 'why?' behind the crime. This theme has inspired many con...

  • The Devil in Disguise

    Harry Devlin - 6

    Harry Devlin is hired by the Kavanaugh Trust to contest the will of their late patron. Charles Kavanaugh has left everything to his new housekeeper, Vera Blackhurst. Then the current Chairman of the Trust is found dead, fallen from a third-floor hote...



  • Past Crimes

    Following the first two CWA anthologies from Severn House, Perfectly Criminal, whose story Herbert in Motion by lan Rankin won the 1996 CWA Short Story Dagger, and Whydunit?: Perfectly Criminal II, whose story On the Psychiatrist's Couch by Reginald ...

  • Continental Crimes

    “[A] superb . . . anthology of . . . short stories by British writers set in continental Europe. . . . Those unfamiliar. . . . will find this the perfect introduction.” -- Publishers We...

  • Scenes of Crime

    Entertaining, inventive and full of quality, the Crime Writers' Association short story anthologies demonstrates the impressive diversity of the crime genre and the skill of the writers who choose to make crime writing their art. Contributors include...

  • Thrumm

    Kevin Jones knows that he is destined for greater things than football, drinking and the backseat of his red Cortina - but he doesn't expect what destiny has in mind for him. Particularly when destiny comes in the shape of a talking Guernsey cow. Thr...

  • Crime in the City: The Official Anthology of the Crime Writers' Assoc

    This first in a series of anthologies sponsored by the British Crime Writers Association features 22 short stories with urban themes. The editor notes that he was looking for stories that offered imaginative takes on the familiar idea of big-city cri...

  • The House of the Red Candle

    in Death By Dickens

    The plot Dickens... In the pages of his novels, Charles Dickens railed against injustice in all its forms--the miserliness of Ebenezer Scrooge, the indifference of the aristocracy, the cruelty of Fagin. He captured the bitter unfairness of the cla...

  • Green for Danger

    The official 2004 anthology of the Crime Writers' Association, Green for Danger, edited by Martin Edwards, gathers 20 mostly original stories by such British mystery masters as Ruth Rendell, Peter Lovesey and Robert Barnard. The unifying theme is `cr...

  • Take My Breath Away

    Lawyer-turned-writer Nic Gabriel is stunned when womanising Dylan Rees, his host at a champagne reception at the Houses of Parliament, is knifed by an ex-girlfriend and bleeds to death in front of him. It's not just the horrific murder, but the fact ...

  • The Coffin Trail

    A Lake District Mystery - 1

    "...a beautifully-evoked sense of the Lake District and an interesting and diverse group of characters. Martin Edwards got plenty of kudos for his Harry Devlin series, and he should get even more for this one. His DCI Hannah Scarlett is a fine creati...

  • Mysterious Pleasures

    Ever since its creation, the Crime Writers’ Association has championed the very best in murder and mystery. Now, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this esteemed organization, Mysterious Pleasures showcases the short stories of some of its most...



  • Crime on the Move

    Crime fiction and travel go together like Watson and Holmes, Poirot and Hastings, and Rebus and Edinburgh. Murder in and around trains, planes and automobiles has always been a rich source of inspiration for mystery writers and here the boundaries ar...

  • The Cipher Garden

    A Lake District Mystery - 2

    "Nearly every page yields new revelations in this delectable village caper." -- Publishers WeeklyWarren Howe is surprised by a hooded visitor while working in a garden in Old Sawrey, a lovely village in England's Lake District. Soon it is Warren who...

  • I.D.: Crimes of Identity: The Official CWA Anthology

    With the threat of identity theft ever on the rise, this anthology from the Crime Writers Association is both timely and fascinating, exploring this disturbing modern day crime phenomenon in more than 20 chilling tales. Featuring such leading crime w...

  • The Trinity Cat: And Other Mysteries

  • The Arsenic Labyrinth

    A Lake District Mystery - 3

    After 10 years, Guy--a drifter with a taste for deception--has returned to Coniston in England's Lake District. A local journalist, Tony di Venuto, is campaigning to revive interest in the disappearance of Emma Bestwick, and Guy knows what happened t...

  • Waterloo Sunset

    Harry Devlin - 8

    "Edwards skillfully weaves the strands together [in] this twisty whodunit." -- Publishers WeeklyThis atmospheric, fast-moving and intricate thriller features Harry Devlin, one of modern crime fiction's most memorable amateur detectives, in the deadl...

  • Dancing for the Hangman

    While this fictional recreation of one of the early 20th century’s most notorious crimes ranks among Edwards’s best work, it has the misfortune to follow two superior books on the subject: Erik Larson’s nonfiction Thunderstruck ...

  • Serpent Pool

    A Lake District Mystery - 4

    DCI Hannah Scarlett is determined to uncover the truth behind Emily Friend's mysterious drowning in the Serpent Pool. But Hannah's distracted by a new sergeant with a troublesome reputation, a new house, and new cause to doubt her partner--second han...

  • Original Sins

    From a fish that can't help but dispense his own kind of justice to an assassin handling a misogynistic client, these tales of crime from a distinguished selection of British writers demonstrate that, for some, there's no going against their own natu...

  • The Hanging Wood

    A Lake District Mystery - 5

    Twenty years ago, a teenage boy, Callum Hinds, went missing in England’s Lake District. His uncle was suspected of having done the boy harm and interviewed by the police. When he committed suicide close to his cottage in the Hanging Wood, everyone ...



  • Best Eaten Cold and Other Stories

    Best Eaten Cold and Other Stories showcases a group of highly regarded, award-winning crime writers who all share a special passion for crime, which is reflected in this superb new volume. Funny and sad, atmospheric and dark, ingenious and frightenin...

  • Sweet Secrets

    When Indonesia's Minister of Agriculture discovers, in the run up to the Presidential elections, that the country's usual sugar stockpile is in short supply, the government's principal concern shifts to the replenishment of this staple commodity in a...

  • Guilty Consciences

    Original stories from members of the Crime Writers’ Association, with a foreword by Peter James - A woman mislays her new husband . . . The lure of notoriety proves too tempting for a small-time antiques thief . . . A butler keeps a close eye on a...

  • Best Eaten Cold and Other Stories: A Murder Squad Anthology

    Best Eaten Cold and Other Stories showcases a group of highly regarded, award-winning crime writers who all share a special passion for crime, which is reflected in this superb volume. Funny and sad, atmospheric and dark, ingenious and frightening, e...

  • First Cut is the Deepest

    Harry Devlin - 7

    Harry Devlin is playing a dangerous game when he gets involved with the wife of Liverpool's most ruthless villain. But he has another reason to look over his shoulder after two lawyers are brutally killed and Harry discovers he is being stalked by a ...

  • Frozen Shroud

    A Lake District Mystery - 6

    Death has come twice to Ravenbank, a remote community in England's Lake District, each time on Hallowe'en. Just before the First World War, a young woman's corpse was found, with a makeshift shroud frozen to her battered face. Her ghost - the Faceles...

  • Deadly Pleasures

    To celebrate the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Jubilee, a collection of original stories from distinguished members of the CWA especially commissioned for this volume This title provides an eclectic collection of short stories from members ...

  • Guilty Parties

    Severn House is proud to be publishing a collection of new stories from the glittering talent of the members of the Crime Writers’ Association: FRANCES BRODY N.J. COOPER BERNIE CROSTHWAITE CAROL ANNE DAVIS MARTIN EDWARDS KATE ELLIS JANE FINNIS CHRI...

  • The New Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes

    The New Mysteries-Book of Sherlock Holmes brings together for the first time all the Sherlock Holmes stories written by award-winning crime author Martin Edwards. David Stuart Davies, one of the world’s leading Sherlockians, contributes an introduc...

  • Acknowledgments

    Martin Edward's 'Acknowledgments' is the winning story of the Crime Writers' Association Margery Allingham Short Story Competition, 2014. Julia Jones, one of the founders and judges of the competition, called it a 'worthy first wi...



  • The Golden Age of Murder

    This real-life detective story investigates how Agatha Christie and colleagues in a mysterious literary club transformed crime fiction. Detective stories of the Twenties and Thirties have long been stereotyped as cozily conventional. Nothing could...

  • Capital Crimes

    With its fascinating mix of people -- rich and poor, British and foreign, worthy and suspicious -- London is a city where anything can happen. The possibilities for criminals and for the crime writer are endless. London has been home to many of ficti...

  • Resorting to Murder

    Holidays offer us the luxury of getting away from it all. So, in a different way, do detective stories. This collection of vintage mysteries combines both those pleasures. From a golf course at the English seaside to a pension in Paris, and from a Sw...

  • The Dungeon House

    A Lake District Mystery - 7

    The magnificent Dungeon House and gardens overlook Cumbria's remote western coast with its mix of beaches, dunes, and fells, Roman ruins, and nuclear plant. Twenty years ago the wealthy Whiteleys called it home. But not a happy one. Malcolm Whiteley ...

  • The Necklace of Pearls and Other Christmas Mysteries

    Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder

    "Like an assortment of presents under a Christmas tree, there's something for everyone in this Yule-themed reprint anthology in the British Library Crime Classics series from Edwards....

  • Silent Nights

    Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder"Like an assortment of presents under a Christmas tree, there's something for everyone in this Yule-themed reprint anthology in the British Library Crime Classics series from Edwards." -- Publ...

  • Murder at the Manor

    The English country house is an iconic setting for some of the greatest British crime fiction. This new collection gathers together stories written over a span of about 65 years, during which British society, and life in country houses, was transform...

  • Serpents in Eden

    The lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside.... Think of the deeds of hellish cruelty, the hidden wickedness which may go on, year in, year out, in such places, a...

  • Crime & Mystery Short Stories

    New Authors and collections. Following the great success of 2015's Gothic Fantasy, deluxe edition short story compilations, Ghosts, Horror and Science Fiction, this latest in the series is packed with detectives, mystery and murder. Whodunnits and my...

  • Crimson Snow

    CRIMSON SNOW brings together a dozen vintage crime stories set in winter. Welcome to a world of Father Christmases behaving oddly, a famous fictional detective in a Yuletide drama, mysterious tracks in the snow, and some very unpleasant carol singers...



  • The Corpse Candle

    in Malice Domestic 12: Murder Most Historical

  • Miracles and Mysteries: Impossible Crimes

    Locked-room mysteries and other impossible crime stories have been relished by puzzle-lovers ever since the invention of detective fiction. Fiendishly intricate cases were particularly well suited to the cerebral type of detective story that became s...

  • Miraculous Mysteries

    Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder"[R]eaders who appreciate careful plot development, slightly unusual detectives, and logical denouements will relish this volume." -- Library JournalImpossible crime stories have been relished...

  • The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books

    This book tells the story of crime fiction published during the first half of the twentieth century. The diversity of this much-loved genre is breathtaking, and so much greater than many critics have suggested. To illustrate this, the leading expert ...

  • The Long Arm of the Law

    In classic British crime fiction, dazzling detective work is often the province of a brilliant amateur -- whereas the humble police detective cuts a hapless figure. The twelve stories collected here strike a blow for the professionals, with teasing m...

  • CWA Anthology of Short Stories

    Travel the globe with this breath-taking collection of short stories from the Crime Writer's Association ... perfectly chilling one-sitting reads... 'The diverse storytelling styles and takes on familiar genre tropes add up to an entertaining buffet ...

  • Foreign Bodies

    EDITED AND INTRODUCED BY MARTIN EDWARDS Today, translated crime fiction is in vogue -- but this was not always the case. A century before Scandi noir, writers across Europe and beyond were publishing detective stories of high quality. Often these ...

  • Ten Year Stretch

    The twenty brand new crime stories in this book have been specially commissioned to celebrate the tenth anniversary of CrimeFest, described by the Guardian as "one of the 50 best festivals in the world." Contributors come from around the world and in...

  • Blood on the Tracks

    A signalman is found dead by a railway tunnel. A man identifies his wife as a victim of murder on the underground. Two passengers mysteriously disappear between stations, leaving behind a dead body. Trains have been a favorite setting of many crime w...

  • Crimson Snow: Winter Mysteries

    Edwards skillfully weaves the strands together [in] this twisty whodunit." -Publishers Weekly "Edwards, ever the professional, plots densely but lucidly and includes a surprisingly logical killer." -Kirkus Reviews A notice announcing that Harry Devli...

  • Gallows Court

    Rachel Savernake - 1

    LONDON, 1930. Sooty, sulphurous, and malign: no woman should be out on a night like this. A spate of violent deaths -- the details too foul to print -- has horrified the capital and the smog-bound streets are deserted. But Rachel Savernake -- the en...

  • The Christmas Card Crime

    A Christmas party is punctuated by a gunshot under a policeman's watchful eye. A jewel heist is planned amidst the glitz and glamour of Oxford Street's Christmas shopping. And lost in a snowstorm, a man finds a motive for murder. This collection of m...

  • Deep Waters

    Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder From picturesque canals to the swirling currents of the ocean, a world of secrets lies buried beneath the surface of the water. Dubious vessels crawl along riverbeds, while the murky depths...

  • The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories

    A Christmas party is punctuated by a gunshot under a policeman's watchful eye. A jewel heist is planned amidst the glitz and glamour of Oxford Street's Christmas shopping. Lost in a snowstorm, a man finds a motive for murder. This collecti...

  • The Measure of Malice

    Forensic dentistry; precise examination of ballistics; an expertise in apiology to identify the exact bee which killed the victim? The detective's role may be simple; solve the case and catch the culprit, but when the crime is fiendishly well-...

  • Mortmain Hall

    Rachel Savernake - 2

    Who can we turn to, if justice betrays us? 1930. A chilling encounter on London's Necropolis Railway leads to murder. At the Old Bailey, a man accused of a "blazing car" killing escapes the gallows after a surprise witness give sensati...

  • Settling Scores

    Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder"The detective story is a game between two players, the author…and the reader." -- Ronald KnoxFrom the squash court to the golf links, the football pitch to the swimming pool and the race cou...

  • Vintage Crime

    "A book that should provide hours of entertainment and discovery for fans of mysteries and especially those with British roots and overtones." -- Criminal ElementVintage Crime is a CWA anthology with a difference, celebrating members’ work over t...

  • A Surprise for Christmas

    Two dead bodies and a Christmas stocking weaponised. A Postman murdered delivering cards on Christmas morning. A Christmas tree growing over a forgotten homicide. It's the most wonderful time of the year, except for the victims of these shocking and ...

  • Guilty Creatures

    "An unusually rewarding anthology whose most dangerous species remain Homo sapiens." -- Kirkus ReviewsFeline friends, canine companions and aviary associates are often the truest reflections of their owners and have played a crucial role in classic ...

  • The Crooked Shore

  • Murder by the Book

    With Martin Edwards as librarian and guide, delve into an irresistible stack of bibliomysteries, where “golden age"inspired puzzle masters [are] doing what they do best: bringing together readers, books, and felonies [in] perhaps the single best ...

  • A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries

    "Exceptional fourth anthology of golden age Christmas-themed mysteries" -- Publishers Weekly, Starred ReviewA Postman murdered while delivering cards on Christmas morning. A Christmas pine growing over a forgotten homicide. A Yuletide heist gone horr...

  • Many Deadly Returns

    Murder Squad, a group of award-winning crime and mystery writers, celebrate their twenty-first birthday with a bang in this criminally good collection of short stories. A dawn swim turns deadly in a brand-new short story starring DCI Vera Stanhope ...

  • Music of the Night

    The Annual Crime Writers' Association anthology is always a thrilling read, and eagerly anticipated by readers and authors of crime and mystery fiction worldwide.Music of the Night is a new anthology of original short stories contributed by Crime Wri...

  • The Traitor

    A novella that introduces book detective Benny Morgan from the acclaimed, multiple award"winning author of the Lake District Mystery series.   Book collecting seems a rather harmless hobby -- unless it's someone like Felix de Lisle doing the c...

  • The Edinburgh Mystery

    "Readers who know Scotland will glow with recognition; those who don’t will want to pack their bags and maybe a gun." -- Kirkus ReviewsFrom the Highlands to the borders, the bustling cities to the remote isles in cold seas, the unique landscapes a...

  • The Girl They All Forgot

    A Lake District Mystery - 8

    CWA Dagger and Edgar award-winning author Martin Edwards takes readers back to The Lake District after seven years with a cunningly layered mystery that Publishers Weekly calls a "skillful combination of procedural and whodunnit.""Life is certainly n...

  • This Deadly Isle

    Running the length and breadth of the British Isles, this illustrated map and guide plots 51 real-life locations from books and stories from the Golden Age Of Detective Fiction – the period roughly between the end of the first world war and the...

  • Final Acts

    “… and what a motive! Murder to save one’s artistic soul… who’d believe that?”Behind the stage lights and word-perfect soliloquies, sinister secrets are lurking in the wings. The mysteries in this collection reveal the dark side to theatr...

  • Sepulchre Street

  • Blackstone Fell // The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge

    Rachel Savernake - 3

    "A triple-decker banquet honoring the golden age of mysteries and bidding fair to continue it to the present." -- KirkusThe Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge is a complexly layered mystery perfect for fans of impossible mysteries inspired by Agatha Christie...

  • Who Killed Father Christmas?

  • Lessons in Crime

  • Crimes of Cymru

    “Ahoy, my lad!” he bellowed back.“I didn’t expect you so early. Come for a dip! The water’s fine. Everything is -- ”Then it happened.Mystery and murder run amok amidst ominous peaks and icy lakes. In hushed valleys, venom flows through vi...

  • Midsummer Mysteries Short Stories

    From the Crime Writers' Association, a beautiful new book of short stories, designed as a perfect gift for the reader of crime and mystery, and a lifetime of reading pleasure.Editor Martin Edwards has commissioned an entertaining range of stories fro...

  • Hemlock Bay

    'Martin Edwards is a true master of British crime writing' RICHARD OSMAN

    'Combines all the things I love most about crime fiction: atmospheric settings, twisty plots, intriguing characters and an unforgettable protagonist' ...

  • The House on Graveyard Lane

    Rachel Savernake - 4

    "If you haven’t yet discovered Martin Edwards’ books, you are in for a treat...I am a huge fan!" -- Louise PennyEqual parts thriller and whodunit, The House on Graveyard Lane, publishes in the UK as Sepulchre Street, leads Rachel Savernake and ...

  • Playing Dead

    Members of the Detection Club, the most prestigious group of crime writers in the world, celebrate the eightieth birthday of their former president " the original king of cozy crime, Simon Brett " with this stunning collection of all-new short st...

  • The Life of Crime

    Now revised and expanded for its first paperback publication, The Life of Crime was the winner of four major prizes for the best critical/biographical book related to crime fiction: the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity and H.R.F. Keating Awards; and was ...

Award-Winning Books by Martin Edwards

The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books
2018 Macavity Award -- Nonfiction


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Martin Edwards has published 89 books.

The next book by Martin Edwards, The Life of Crime, will be published in July 2025.

The first book by Martin Edwards, All the Lonely People, was published in January 1991.

Yes. Martin Edwards has 3 series.
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