Capital Crimes - edited by Martin Edwards

Summary

Seventeen stories that reprise a wonderful period of crime writing. Enjoy the sheer inventiveness of plot, the erudite introductions by Martin Edwards and the delightful variety of storytelling styles.

“London has been home to many of fiction’s finest detectives, and the setting for mystery novels and short stories of the highest quality, throughout the genre’s history. 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.

‘Capital Crimes’ is an eclectic collection of London-based crime stories, blending the familiar with the unexpected in a way that I hope reflects the personality of the city. We have classics by Berkeley and Burke as well as almost unknown, and excellent, stories by three fine women writers, E.M.Delafield, Ethel Lina White and Anthony Gilbert (yes, Gilbert’s real name was Lucy Malleson). The stories appear roughly, although not precisely, in chronological order, to give a flavour of how writers have tackled crime in London over the span of more than half a century. Their contributions range from thrillers and horrific vignettes to cerebral whodunits. What they have in common is a nonpareil setting for crime fiction, and enduring value as entertainment.”

Martin Edwards: Ed ‘Capital Crimes’