News

From Aberdeen to outer space

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On the Radar — This week we bring you ten books you’ll find hard to choose between, because they all look so intriguing. We kick things off with two great Scots, Aberdeen author Stuart MacBride and Edinburgh counterpart Chris Brookmyre. The former’s new standalone is…
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Features

Classics in September 2017 - a recap

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The month of September has come to a close, and with it our annual celebration of classic crime fiction of all flavours. We’ve looked at the Golden Age, Sherlock Holmes, cosy, noir, neo-noir, thrillers… you name it. We’ve covered range of crime novels, authors of…
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Features

CIS: James Runcie interviewed

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The Grantchester novels by James Runcie are moral fables with a nod to the tradition of classic crime, mixing together mystery, comedy and social history. Set in a Cambridgeshire village between 1953 and 1977, the Grantchester stories are more than that, though – they are about…
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Features

Welcome to Classics in September 2017

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It’s become a tradition with us. Every September we go back to school and check out some of the best classic crime fiction. We find it exhilarating and inspiring. This year we’ve got plenty planned, aided and abetted by our sponsors at Bloomsbury Reader, who…
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London Rain by Nicola Upton

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If you like your detective fiction with a pin-sharp historical setting, then Nicola Upson is the author for you. Her series of novels features real-life Golden Age writer Josephine Tey as a detective, and Upson’s attention to detail is jaw-dropping in its thoroughness. Suffolk-born Upson read…
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News

Campion's champion, Tey's away

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On the Radar — There are those who say we should bury the heroes of crime fiction with their authors, and others who contend that it’s simply no fun without new stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, or Lisbeth Salander for that matter. This week Margery Allingham…
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Features

CIS: Josephine Tey as author and protagonist

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Back in the 1930s and 40s, Josephine Tey was one of the UK’s most celebrated playwrights and novelists. How times change. Nowadays it’s dedicated aficionados of Golden Age detective fiction who read her, and often only a couple of novels. Yet at least one of…
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