EDITORIAL
FROM THE DESK
BARRY FORSHAW
Taking on the foolhardy challenge of editing Generally speaking, though, contributors have
(for Greenwood) British Crime Writing: An been requested to extol the virtues of writers that
Encyclopaedia, I realised I’d often be awakening they admire. Working with the brief that the reader
frequently with a metaphorical night panic. My will be seeking to extend their knowledge and
job was to cover every significant British crime pleasure in the genre, the assumption was made
writer ever to be published - both that positive recommendations
celebrated and neglected, so the would be preferred to hatchet jobs -
sheer enormity of the task meant however, anodyne praise has been
that only one course of action discouraged, and those elements
was open: gulp, get on with it and that have dated badly in certain
assume that someday it would all writers’ works are duly noted. And
exist in all its full half-million-words as the contributors include such
glory. Well, it exists - whether or not top British crime writers as Andrew
in glory isn’t for me to say. Taylor, Natasha Cooper, Russell
James, Carol Anne Davis, Phillip
The remit of this encyclopedia has
Gooden, Mark Timlin, Lauren
been as wide as possible: every
Milne-Henderson, Martin Edwards,
possible genre that is subsumed
Carla Banks, Nicholas Royle and
under the heading of crime fiction
Michael Jecks (along with a variety
is here, from the novel of detection
of key crime reviewers and editors).
to the blockbuster thriller to the
Whatever editorial missteps might
novel of espionage. The dark
ensue, how could I go wrong with writers like that?
worlds of Noir and True Crime are treated, but the
more ingratiating fields of Romance and Humour This will be the last print issue of Crime Time,
are also referenced. And while criminals are central but the website goes from strength to strength at
to the text, the police are given their appropriate www.crimetime.co.uk. The popularity of the site is
due. The reader will discover many familiar names, underlined by the fact that the first two quarters of
but hopefully the encyclopedia of will act as a guide 2008 saw 37,000 & 35,000 page loads respectively -
to much unfamiliar terrain. and just over 20,000 visitors per quarter. Everything
you need from Crime Time - new, features, reviews,
The cadre of top crime-writing experts assembled
will be available online, with daily updates.
for the task of writing this book were chosen on
the basis of their boundless enthusiasm for the British Crime Writing: An Encyclopedia
genre, and (largely speaking) the authors they Barry Forshaw (Ed.)
cover (all entries have individual credits) have
pub. by Greenwood World Publishing
their virtues rather than their demerits maximised
isbn: 978-1-84645-022-8
in the essays. But while there are no hatchet
price £90.00
jobs here, many a dispassionate view is given.
www.londonbooks.co.uk/shop/product.php/6838/
2 www.crimetime.co.uk Crime time 54
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