Related Research Articles
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, was a British author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime"—a moniker which is now trademarked by her estate—or the "Queen of Mystery". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
Gaudy Night (1935) is a mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, the tenth featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and the third including Harriet Vane.
Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, often a murder. Most crime drama focuses on criminal investigation and does not feature the courtroom. Suspense and mystery are key elements that are nearly ubiquitous to the genre.
The historical mystery or historical whodunit is a subgenre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves the solving of a mystery or crime. Though works combining these genres have existed since at least the early 20th century, many credit Ellis Peters's Cadfael Chronicles (1977–1994) for popularizing what would become known as the historical mystery. The increasing popularity and prevalence of this type of fiction in subsequent decades has spawned a distinct subgenre recognized by the publishing industry and libraries. Publishers Weekly noted in 2010 of the genre, "The past decade has seen an explosion in both quantity and quality. Never before have so many historical mysteries been published, by so many gifted writers, and covering such a wide range of times and places." Editor Keith Kahla concurs, "From a small group of writers with a very specialized audience, the historical mystery has become a critically acclaimed, award-winning genre with a toehold on the New York Times bestseller list."
John Dickson Carr was an American author of detective stories, who also published using the pseudonyms Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson, and Roger Fairbairn.
The English novel is an important part of English literature. This article mainly concerns novels, written in English, by novelists who were born or have spent a significant part of their lives in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. However, given the nature of the subject, this guideline has been applied with common sense, and reference is made to novels in other languages or novelists who are not primarily British, where appropriate.
Margery Louise Allingham was an English novelist from the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", and considered one of its four "Queens of Crime", alongside Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh.
Brighton Rock is a novel by Graham Greene, published in 1938 and later adapted for film and theatre. The novel is a murder thriller set in 1930s Brighton. The first of Greene's works to explore Catholic themes and moral issues, its treatment of class privilege and the problem of evil is paradoxical and ambivalent.
Aunt Sally is a traditional English game usually played in pub gardens and fairgrounds, in which players throw sticks or battens at a ball, known as a 'dolly', balanced on top of a stick; traditionally, a model of an old woman's head was sometimes used. Leagues of pub teams still play the game, throughout the spring and summer months, mainly in Oxfordshire and some bordering counties. In France, the game is called jeu de massacre.
The Golden Age of Detective Fiction was an era of classic murder mystery novels of similar patterns and styles, predominantly in the 1920s and 1930s. The Golden Age proper is in practice usually taken to refer to a type of fiction which was predominant in the 1920s and 1930s but had been written since at least 1911 and is still being written.
Gwendoline Butler, née Williams, was a British writer known for her mystery fiction and romance novels. She began her writing career in 1956 and also wrote under the pseudonym Jennie Melville. Credited with inventing the "woman's police procedural," Butler gained recognition for her works, especially the Inspector John Coffin series penned under her own name, and the Charmian Daniels series published under the Jennie Melville pseudonym.
Sandra Lynn Brown, née Cox is an American bestselling author of romantic novels and thriller suspense novels. Brown has also published works under the pen names of Rachel Ryan, Laura Jordan, and Erin St. Claire.
Margaret Murphy is a British crime writer.
Kenneth Martin Edwards is a British crime novelist, whose work has won multiple awards including lifetime achievement awards for his fiction, non-fiction, short fiction, and scholarship in the UK and the United States. In addition to translations into various European languages, his books have been translated into Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese. As a crime fiction critic and historian, and also in his career as a solicitor, he has written non-fiction books and many articles. He is the current President of the Detection Club and in 2020 was awarded the Crime Writers' Association's Diamond Dagger, the highest honour in British crime writing, in recognition of the "sustained excellence" of his work in the genre.
Tana French is an American-Irish writer and theatrical actress. She is a longtime resident of Dublin, Ireland. Her debut novel In the Woods (2007), a psychological mystery, won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards for best first novel. The Independent has referred to her as "the First Lady of Irish Crime".
Sophia Bennett is a British crime novelist and children's writer. She was first published at the age of 42, and her novels have been published in more than 20 languages.
John Blumenthal is an American novelist and screenwriter, known for co-writing the screenplays for the films Short Time and Blue Streak.
Robin Stevens is an American-born English author of children's fiction, best known for her Murder Most Unladylike series. She has spoken of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction as an influence on her work.
Hillary Monahan is an American author, best known for her New York Times-bestselling debut novel MARY: The Summoning. Her work includes young adult, horror, urban fantasy, and romance novels. She has published more than a dozen books. Her other pen names include Thea de Salle and Eva Darrows.
The Murders in Praed Street is a 1928 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It features the fourth appearance of the armchair detective Lancelot Priestley, who figured in a long-running series of novels during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
References
- 1 2 3 Peacocke, Helen (18 November 2010). "Joyce Cato murder mystery series". The Oxford Times. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Lee, Jan (12 June 2015). "Review: An Unholy Mess by Joyce Cato". The Oxford Times. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- 1 2 "Author Interview with Jacquie Walton (Joyce Cato / Maxine Barry / Faith Martin)". Robert Hale Books. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- 1 2 3 Norfolk, Pam (11 July 2018). "Book review: A Fatal Obsession by Faith Martin". Lancashire Post. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- 1 2 "Joffe Books Authors". JOFFE BOOKS. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "A Narrow Escape by Faith Martin". Oxford Mail. 6 November 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ↑ "Novelist stars in roof-top drama". Oxford Mail. 29 May 2001. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- 1 2 Blenkinsopp, Heather (15 November 1993). "Book Reviews: Fiction - 'Stolen Fire,' by Maxine Barry". Library Journal. 118 (19): 99. ISSN 0363-0277.
- ↑ "Forecasts: Fiction - 'Dark Desire,' by Maxine Barry". Publishers Weekly. 245 (39): 74. 28 September 1998. ISSN 0000-0019.
- ↑ Sias, Catherine (15 September 1998). "Spotlight on romance: 'Dark Desire,' by Maxine Barry". Booklist. 95 (2): 207. ISSN 0006-7385.
- ↑ "Faith Martin". www.fantasticfiction.co.uk.
