
The Golden Age of Murder
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $30.48
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Leighton Pugh
-
By:
-
Martin Edwards
About this listen
Winner of the 2016 EDGAR, AGATHA, MACAVITY and H.R.F.KEATING crime writing awards, 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 cosily conventional. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Golden Age of Murder tells for the first time the extraordinary story of British detective fiction between the two World Wars. A gripping real-life detective story, it investigates how Dorothy L. Sayers, Anthony Berkeley, Agatha Christie and their colleagues in the mysterious Detection Club transformed crime fiction. Their work cast new light on unsolved murders whilst hiding clues to their authors’ darkest secrets, and their complex and sometimes bizarre private lives.
Crime novelist and current Detection Club President Martin Edwards rewrites the history of crime fiction with unique authority, transforming our understanding of detective stories, and the brilliant but tormented men and women who wrote them.
©2015 Martin Edwards (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers LtdListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Josephine Tey Collection: 6 Alan Grant Novels; Brat Farrar; & Miss Pym Disposes
- The Man in the Queue; A Shilling for Candles; The Franchise Affair; To Love and Be Wise; The Daughter of Time; The Singing Sands; Miss Pym Disposes; Brat Farrar
- By: Josephine Tey
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 61 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Josephine Tey Collection includes unabridged recordings of Tey's 8 major novels in one audiobook, including all 6 of the novels in the Inspector Alan Grant series.
-
-
Thank you Audible - best spent credit ever
- By Lynn on 05-14-23
By: Josephine Tey
-
Howdunit
- A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Malk Williams, Joan Walker
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ninety crime writers from the world’s oldest and most famous crime writing network give tips and insights into successful crime and thriller fiction. Howdunit! offers a fresh perspective on the craft of crime writing from leading exponents of the genre, past and present. The book offers invaluable advice to people interested in writing crime fiction, but it also provides a fascinating picture of the way that the best crime writers have honed their skills over the years.
-
-
Loved it. Learned a lot
- By Josephblu on 03-09-21
By: Martin Edwards
-
Murder by the Book
- Mysteries for Bibliophiles
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Jeff Harding, John Telfer, David Thorpe, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is no better hiding place for clues - or red herrings - than inside the pages of a book. With Martin Edwards as librarian and guide, delve into an irresistible stack of tales perfect for every book lover and armchair sleuth, featuring much-loved Golden Age detectives such as Nigel Strangeways, Philip Trent and Detective Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. But listeners should be warned that the most riveting tales often conceal the deadliest of secrets.
-
-
Another Treasure Trove from Mr. Edwards
- By John on 01-04-25
By: Martin Edwards
-
Agatha Christie
- An Elusive Woman
- By: Lucy Worsley
- Narrated by: Lucy Worsley
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was "just" an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn't? Lucy Worsley's biography is not just of a massively, internationally successful writer. It's also the story of a person who, despite the obstacles of class and gender, became an astonishingly successful working woman. With access to rarely seen personal letters and papers, Lucy Worsley's biography is both authoritative and entertaining and makes us realize what an extraordinary pioneer Agatha Christie was—truly a woman who wrote the twentieth century.
-
-
A delight and a revelation
- By theenglishmajor on 12-02-22
By: Lucy Worsley
-
The Wintringham Mystery
- Cicely Disappears
- By: Anthony Berkeley, Tony Medawar
- Narrated by: Mike Grady
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Munro, a demobbed army officer, reconciles himself to taking a job as a footman to make ends meet. Employed at Wintringham Hall, the delightful but decaying Sussex country residence of the elderly Lady Susan Carey, his first task entails welcoming her eccentric guests to a weekend house-party, at which her bombastic nephew—who recognises Stephen from his former life—decides that an after-dinner séance would be more entertaining than bridge. Then Cicely disappears!
-
-
Charming Light-hearted mystery
- By Carolyn on 10-04-21
By: Anthony Berkeley, and others
-
Dr Gideon Fell: The Complete BBC Radio Drama Collection
- Eight Full-Cast Crime Dramas from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction
- By: John Dickson Carr
- Narrated by: Wendy Craig, Donald Sinden, John Hartley, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his cape, canes and shovel hat, portly amateur sleuth Dr Gideon Fell cuts an eccentric figure - but his odd appearance belies his sharp intellect and astonishing faculty for deduction. Created by crime novelist John Dickson Carr and supposedly based on fellow author G. K. Chesterton, Dr Fell appeared in 23 novels between 1933 and 1967. This radio collection comprises all eight of the BBC adaptations based on Carr's best-selling books.
-
-
Baloney
- By Ctd on 03-11-22
-
The Josephine Tey Collection: 6 Alan Grant Novels; Brat Farrar; & Miss Pym Disposes
- The Man in the Queue; A Shilling for Candles; The Franchise Affair; To Love and Be Wise; The Daughter of Time; The Singing Sands; Miss Pym Disposes; Brat Farrar
- By: Josephine Tey
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 61 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Josephine Tey Collection includes unabridged recordings of Tey's 8 major novels in one audiobook, including all 6 of the novels in the Inspector Alan Grant series.
-
-
Thank you Audible - best spent credit ever
- By Lynn on 05-14-23
By: Josephine Tey
-
Howdunit
- A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Malk Williams, Joan Walker
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ninety crime writers from the world’s oldest and most famous crime writing network give tips and insights into successful crime and thriller fiction. Howdunit! offers a fresh perspective on the craft of crime writing from leading exponents of the genre, past and present. The book offers invaluable advice to people interested in writing crime fiction, but it also provides a fascinating picture of the way that the best crime writers have honed their skills over the years.
-
-
Loved it. Learned a lot
- By Josephblu on 03-09-21
By: Martin Edwards
-
Murder by the Book
- Mysteries for Bibliophiles
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Jeff Harding, John Telfer, David Thorpe, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is no better hiding place for clues - or red herrings - than inside the pages of a book. With Martin Edwards as librarian and guide, delve into an irresistible stack of tales perfect for every book lover and armchair sleuth, featuring much-loved Golden Age detectives such as Nigel Strangeways, Philip Trent and Detective Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. But listeners should be warned that the most riveting tales often conceal the deadliest of secrets.
-
-
Another Treasure Trove from Mr. Edwards
- By John on 01-04-25
By: Martin Edwards
-
Agatha Christie
- An Elusive Woman
- By: Lucy Worsley
- Narrated by: Lucy Worsley
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was "just" an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn't? Lucy Worsley's biography is not just of a massively, internationally successful writer. It's also the story of a person who, despite the obstacles of class and gender, became an astonishingly successful working woman. With access to rarely seen personal letters and papers, Lucy Worsley's biography is both authoritative and entertaining and makes us realize what an extraordinary pioneer Agatha Christie was—truly a woman who wrote the twentieth century.
-
-
A delight and a revelation
- By theenglishmajor on 12-02-22
By: Lucy Worsley
-
The Wintringham Mystery
- Cicely Disappears
- By: Anthony Berkeley, Tony Medawar
- Narrated by: Mike Grady
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Munro, a demobbed army officer, reconciles himself to taking a job as a footman to make ends meet. Employed at Wintringham Hall, the delightful but decaying Sussex country residence of the elderly Lady Susan Carey, his first task entails welcoming her eccentric guests to a weekend house-party, at which her bombastic nephew—who recognises Stephen from his former life—decides that an after-dinner séance would be more entertaining than bridge. Then Cicely disappears!
-
-
Charming Light-hearted mystery
- By Carolyn on 10-04-21
By: Anthony Berkeley, and others
-
Dr Gideon Fell: The Complete BBC Radio Drama Collection
- Eight Full-Cast Crime Dramas from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction
- By: John Dickson Carr
- Narrated by: Wendy Craig, Donald Sinden, John Hartley, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his cape, canes and shovel hat, portly amateur sleuth Dr Gideon Fell cuts an eccentric figure - but his odd appearance belies his sharp intellect and astonishing faculty for deduction. Created by crime novelist John Dickson Carr and supposedly based on fellow author G. K. Chesterton, Dr Fell appeared in 23 novels between 1933 and 1967. This radio collection comprises all eight of the BBC adaptations based on Carr's best-selling books.
-
-
Baloney
- By Ctd on 03-11-22
-
Wicked Spirits: Mysteries, Spine Chillers and Lost Tales of the Supernatural
- Bodies from the Library Series
- By: Tony Medawar - editor
- Narrated by: Philip Bretherton, Sherry Baines
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This follow-up volume to the bestselling Ghosts from the Library resurrects forgotten tales of the supernatural by some of the most accomplished mystery authors of all time. Close the windows. Draw the curtains. Just don’t let the lights go out…
-
The Whole Art of Detection
- Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes
- By: Lyndsay Faye
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Internationally best-selling author Lyndsay Faye became enamored with tales of Sherlock Holmes and his esteemed biographer, Dr. John Watson, as a child and later began spinning these quintessential characters into her own works of fiction - from her acclaimed debut novel, Dust and Shadow, which pitted the famous detective against Jack the Ripper, to a series of short stories for the Strand Magazine, whose predecessor published the very first Sherlock Holmes short story in 1891.
-
-
Marvelous!
- By Gentleman Gamer on 05-16-17
By: Lyndsay Faye
-
The White Priory Murders
- By: Carter Dickson
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
James Bennett, nephew of Sir Henry Merrivale (the cantankerous yet genius sleuth), has been invited to stay at White Priory for Christmas, among the retinue of the glamorous Hollywood actress Marcia Tait. Her producer, her lover, her playwright and her agent are all here along with the haughty master of the estate, Canifes and his daughter. So many suspects they become when Marcia Tait is found dead on Christmas morning in the lakeside pavilion, having been left there alone the night before and with a distinct lack of footprints in the snow to reveal any possible killer.
-
-
More, please.
- By Mildred Witte on 02-27-23
By: Carter Dickson
-
The Case of the Canterfell Codicil
- The Anty Boisjoly Mysteries, Book 1
- By: PJ Fitzsimmons
- Narrated by: Tim Bruce
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s a literary niche for all tastes including those who think that either Agatha Christie wasn’t funny enough or that PG Wodehouse didn’t feature anywhere near as many baffling murders as he could have. The Case of the Canterfell Codicil is a classic, cozy, locked-room mystery written in the style of an homage to PG Wodehouse.
-
-
Relaxing old fashioned mystery
- By Laurie S on 11-01-22
By: PJ Fitzsimmons
-
Death of an Author
- By: E. C. R. Lorac
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Vivian Lestrange - celebrated author of the popular mystery novel The Charterhouse Case and total recluse - has apparently dropped off the face of the Earth. Reported missing by his secretary Eleanor, whom Inspector Bond suspects to be the author herself looking for publicity, it appears that crime is afoot when Lestrange's housekeeper is also found to have disappeared. Bond and Warner of Scotland Yard set to work to investigate a murder with no body and a potentially fictional victim.
-
-
Modern classic mystery
- By AlmanacJEA on 06-11-23
By: E. C. R. Lorac
-
The Art of the English Murder
- From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock
- By: Lucy Worsley
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Art of the English Murder, Lucy Worsley explores this phenomenon in forensic detail, revisiting notorious crimes like the Ratcliff Highway Murders, which caused a nationwide panic in the early 19th century, and the case of Frederick and Maria Manning, the suburban couple who were hanged after killing Maria's lover and burying him under their kitchen floor. Our fascination with crimes like these became a form of national entertainment, inspiring novels and plays, prose and paintings, poetry and true-crime journalism.
-
-
Should Come With a Spoiler Alert
- By Jessica on 04-15-16
By: Lucy Worsley
-
Lord Peter Wimsey: BBC Radio Drama Collection Volume 1
- Three classic full-cast dramatisations
- By: Dorothy L. Sayers
- Narrated by: Ian Carmichael, Peter Jones
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whose Body? first introduced Lord Peter to the world and begins with a corpse in the bath of a London flat. Clouds of Witness finds Wimsey investigating murder close to home, and in Unnatural Death he investigates the suspicious demise of an elderly woman. First broadcast on BBC radio in the 1970s and presented here in their entirety, these full-cast adaptations are admired by fans of the genre worldwide.
-
-
Lord Peter brought to life
- By Amazon Customer on 11-14-17
-
The Killings at Badger’s Drift
- Midsomer Murders Mystery, Book 1
- By: Caroline Graham
- Narrated by: John Hopkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The village of Badger's Drift is the essence of tranquillity. But when resident and well-loved spinster Miss Simpson takes a stroll in the nearby woods, she stumbles across something she was never meant to see, and there's only one way to keep her quiet. Miss Simpson's death is not suspicious, say the villagers. But Miss Lucy Bellringer refuses to rest: her friend has been murdered. She is sure of it.
-
-
I wanted to love this series but I just don't
- By Lynch on 11-09-22
By: Caroline Graham
-
Hunting the Falcon
- Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the Marriage That Shook Europe
- By: John Guy, Julia Fox
- Narrated by: Stephanie Racine
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hunting the Falcon is the story of how Henry VIII’s obsessive desire for Anne Boleyn changed him and his country forever. John Guy and Julia Fox, two of the most acclaimed and distinguished historians of this period, have joined forces to present Anne and Henry in startlingly new ways.
-
-
Superb book and superb narration!
- By Buffy Martin Tarbox on 11-01-23
By: John Guy, and others
-
The Secret, Book & Scone Society
- Booktrack Edition
- By: Ellery Adams
- Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miracle Springs is a place of healing. Strangers flock there hoping the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. And, if none of that works, they often find their way to Miracle Books, where, over a fresh-baked scone from the Gingerbread House bakery, they exchange their stories with owner Nora Pennington in return for a carefully chosen book. That's Nora's special talent. But when a visiting businessman reaches out to Nora for guidance, he's found dead on the train tracks before he can keep their appointment.
-
-
Music?
- By Brinkley on 12-29-18
By: Ellery Adams
-
Ghosts from the Library
- Lost Tales of Terror and the Supernatural
- By: Tony Medawar
- Narrated by: Philip Bretherton, Sherry Baines
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is said that books are written to bring sunshine into our dull, grey lives—to show us places we want to escape to, lives we want to live, people we want to love. But there are also stories that can only be found in the deepest, darkest corners of the library. Stories about the unexplained, of lost souls, of things that go bump before the silence. Before the screaming. And some stories just disappear. Stories printed in old newspapers, broadcast live on the wireless, sometimes not even published at all—these are the stories you cannot find on even the dustiest of library shelves.
-
-
Good collection
- By lps562 on 10-28-22
By: Tony Medawar
-
Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories
- A Miss Marple Collection
- By: Agatha Christie
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miss Marple: The Complete Story Collection gathers together in one magnificent volume all of Agatha Christie’s short stories featuring her beloved intrepid investigator, Miss Marple. It’s an unparalleled compendium of murder, mayhem, mystery, and detection that represents some of the finest short form fiction in the crime fiction field, and is an essential omnibus for Christie fans.
-
-
Classic Miss Marple - uneven narration
- By Lyric G. Eads on 11-09-22
By: Agatha Christie
Critic reviews
‘Few, if any, books about crime fiction have provided so much information and insight so enthusiastically and, for the reader, so enjoyably’ THE TIMES
‘Illuminating and entertaining – provides a new way of looking at old favourites. I admire the way that Martin Edwards weaves the sometimes violent, sometimes unlawful, and always gripping true stories of these writers with the equally wild tales they tell in their books.’ LEN DEIGHTON, author of SS-GB
‘Forensically sharp and exhaustively informed… Crime fiction is driven by death. In this superbly compendious and entertaining book, Edwards ensures that dozens of authorial corpses are gloriously reborn.’ MARK LAWSON, GUARDIAN
‘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
‘You can learn far more about the social mores of the age in which a mystery is written than you can from more pretentious literature. I mean, if you want to know what it was like to live in England in the 1920s, the so-called Golden Age, you can get a much better steer from mysteries than you can from prize-winning novels.’ P. D. JAMES
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Murder by the Book
- Mysteries for Bibliophiles
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Jeff Harding, John Telfer, David Thorpe, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is no better hiding place for clues - or red herrings - than inside the pages of a book. With Martin Edwards as librarian and guide, delve into an irresistible stack of tales perfect for every book lover and armchair sleuth, featuring much-loved Golden Age detectives such as Nigel Strangeways, Philip Trent and Detective Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. But listeners should be warned that the most riveting tales often conceal the deadliest of secrets.
-
-
Another Treasure Trove from Mr. Edwards
- By John on 01-04-25
By: Martin Edwards
-
The Life of Crime
- Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Charles Armstrong
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the first major history of crime fiction in 50 years, The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators traces the evolution of the genre from the 18th century to the present, offering brand-new perspective on the world’s most popular form of fiction.
-
-
Detectives Everywhere
- By Elliott Wolfe, M.D. on 09-28-22
By: Martin Edwards
-
Metropolitan Mysteries
- A Casebook of London's Detectives
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The streets of London have been home to many great detectives since the days of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, with some of the best authors in the genre taking to the short story form to pit their sleuths against crimes ranging from murders on the Tube to heists from the capital's finest jewellers. Featuring a roster of Scotland Yard's meticulous best, a cohort of daring doctors and a cadre of characterful private investigators, this new selection by Martin Edwards includes 18 vintage mystery stories which showcase the city's most compelling classic cases.
-
-
A fun collection
- By Blithe Alden on 01-13-25
By: Martin Edwards
-
Deep Waters
- Mysteries on the Waves
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The stories in this collection will dredge up delight in crime fiction fans, as watery graves claim unsuspecting victims on the sands of an estuary and disembodied whispers penetrate the sleeping quarters of a ship's captain. This British Library anthology collects the best mysteries set on choppy seas, along snaking rivers and even in the supposed safety of a swimming pool, including stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, C. S. Forester, Phyllis Bentley and R. Austin Freeman.
By: Martin Edwards
-
Howdunit
- A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Malk Williams, Joan Walker
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ninety crime writers from the world’s oldest and most famous crime writing network give tips and insights into successful crime and thriller fiction. Howdunit! offers a fresh perspective on the craft of crime writing from leading exponents of the genre, past and present. The book offers invaluable advice to people interested in writing crime fiction, but it also provides a fascinating picture of the way that the best crime writers have honed their skills over the years.
-
-
Loved it. Learned a lot
- By Josephblu on 03-09-21
By: Martin Edwards
-
Final Acts
- Theatrical Mysteries
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Kris Dyer, Mark Meadows, David Monteath, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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 theatre and performing arts: a world of backstage dealings, where unscrupulous actors risk everything to land a starring role, costumed figures lead to mistaken identities, and on-stage deaths begin to look a little too convincing. This expertly curated thespian anthology features 14 stories from giants of the classic crime genre.
-
-
A Mix Bag
- By Chelle on 11-19-23
By: Martin Edwards
-
Murder by the Book
- Mysteries for Bibliophiles
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Jeff Harding, John Telfer, David Thorpe, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is no better hiding place for clues - or red herrings - than inside the pages of a book. With Martin Edwards as librarian and guide, delve into an irresistible stack of tales perfect for every book lover and armchair sleuth, featuring much-loved Golden Age detectives such as Nigel Strangeways, Philip Trent and Detective Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. But listeners should be warned that the most riveting tales often conceal the deadliest of secrets.
-
-
Another Treasure Trove from Mr. Edwards
- By John on 01-04-25
By: Martin Edwards
-
The Life of Crime
- Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Charles Armstrong
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the first major history of crime fiction in 50 years, The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators traces the evolution of the genre from the 18th century to the present, offering brand-new perspective on the world’s most popular form of fiction.
-
-
Detectives Everywhere
- By Elliott Wolfe, M.D. on 09-28-22
By: Martin Edwards
-
Metropolitan Mysteries
- A Casebook of London's Detectives
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The streets of London have been home to many great detectives since the days of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, with some of the best authors in the genre taking to the short story form to pit their sleuths against crimes ranging from murders on the Tube to heists from the capital's finest jewellers. Featuring a roster of Scotland Yard's meticulous best, a cohort of daring doctors and a cadre of characterful private investigators, this new selection by Martin Edwards includes 18 vintage mystery stories which showcase the city's most compelling classic cases.
-
-
A fun collection
- By Blithe Alden on 01-13-25
By: Martin Edwards
-
Deep Waters
- Mysteries on the Waves
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The stories in this collection will dredge up delight in crime fiction fans, as watery graves claim unsuspecting victims on the sands of an estuary and disembodied whispers penetrate the sleeping quarters of a ship's captain. This British Library anthology collects the best mysteries set on choppy seas, along snaking rivers and even in the supposed safety of a swimming pool, including stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, C. S. Forester, Phyllis Bentley and R. Austin Freeman.
By: Martin Edwards
-
Howdunit
- A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Malk Williams, Joan Walker
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ninety crime writers from the world’s oldest and most famous crime writing network give tips and insights into successful crime and thriller fiction. Howdunit! offers a fresh perspective on the craft of crime writing from leading exponents of the genre, past and present. The book offers invaluable advice to people interested in writing crime fiction, but it also provides a fascinating picture of the way that the best crime writers have honed their skills over the years.
-
-
Loved it. Learned a lot
- By Josephblu on 03-09-21
By: Martin Edwards
-
Final Acts
- Theatrical Mysteries
- By: Martin Edwards
- Narrated by: Kris Dyer, Mark Meadows, David Monteath, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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 theatre and performing arts: a world of backstage dealings, where unscrupulous actors risk everything to land a starring role, costumed figures lead to mistaken identities, and on-stage deaths begin to look a little too convincing. This expertly curated thespian anthology features 14 stories from giants of the classic crime genre.
-
-
A Mix Bag
- By Chelle on 11-19-23
By: Martin Edwards
What listeners say about The Golden Age of Murder
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sires
- 05-09-16
Should Have Bought the Kindle Book
This is a nonfiction book about the founding members of the Detective Club, a club set up by a group of British mystery writers. Some are familiar: Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, G. K. Chesterton, E. C. Bentley, Ronald Knox, Baroness Orczy and Freeman Willis Crofts, some not so well known, and some downright obscure.
I've never thought that Martin Edwards was a particularly scintillating author. I've listened to one of his mysteries and read another. In this case I was interested in the information he provided, but I didn't much care for the narrator and with no way to locate particular passages in the audio book, it isn't nearly as useful as I would like.
Something that really annoyed me was the fact that the author was trying not to "spoil" the mysteries which makes it hard to really appreciate what he was trying to say about the books. Of course I belong to the group that believe that no really good book can be spoiled because it is the journey that is interesting not the ultimate conclusion. The writers of the period appear to have regarded their mysteries as somewhere between a crossword puzzle and literature.
I did end up ordering a few books that I had never known existed though.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gypsi
- 11-13-22
Fascinating
This multiple award winning book studies the early history of the Detection Club, a social organization for mystery and crime authors, from it's inception in 1930 through the start of World War II. Martin discusses the life and interests of these Golden Age writers, such as their fascination with real life crime, their relationships with each other, and the various secrets in their own lives. He focuses more in depth on Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Anthony Berkeley than the most, but still includes a good deal of anecdotes and information on many other members.
The Golden Age of Murder is an ode to the mystery novels and authors of the Golden Age (the years between the two World Wars), and it's obvious that Edwards loves these devotedly. Using the resources available to him as current President of the Club, he gives reams of stories about these authors that are enlightening as well as entertaining. He discusses the real life murders that so interested this group, as well, and shows how those crimes influenced some of the Golden Age novels.
Edwards debunks popular myths about the genre and it's creators, as well as showing how current events shaped many of the plots, and further, how these books impacted future crime writers.
He discusses many of the most famous Golden Age stories, as well as mentioning lesser known authors and their works. He is careful not to spoil the solutions of any of the novels, while giving tantalizing glimpses of the plots. I now have a list of new-to-me authors and books to explore.
Edwards also uses his own deductive powers to answer questions about the secrets of Christie, Sayers, and Berkeley. These are, of course, his own opinion and are meant to be taken as such, but he gives sound reasoning for his solutions.
I've seen complaints saying that if the reader does not have a basic understanding of this very specific period of fiction or a fascination with it, this book will be unreadable -- but why would such a one pick it up in the first place? The Golden Age of Murder is, I believe, intended to be a gift from Edwards to his fellow fanatics and I found it to be just that.
As this is nonfiction, and requires very little voice acting, it's hard to really judge Mr. Pugh's talent, but he the performance he gave was exactly what was needed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pat
- 08-02-15
Doesn't work as an audiobook
I was really looking forward to this book. I'm a longtime fan of Christie and Sayers and other 'Golden Age' authors. Which makes it all the more disappointing that frankly, this book sucks. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt; maybe it's OK as a print book (it does have great reviews), but as an audiobook it's just terrible. I'm halfway through part 1 and I don't think I want to waste another 12 hours of my life trying to listen to this. It's like a bad master's thesis: it jumps around in time and subject between the writers and the Murder Club in no logical order that I can figure out. It's written and read in a very dry manner that does not engage the listener. Every chapter ends with a couple of dozen footnotes that are dutifully read by the narrator. Can you imagine what it's like to listen to a list of footnotes one or 2 sentences long that are not placed in context? I just can't continue with it; it's getting returned.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
22 people found this helpful