Reviews

Martin's novels have been widely and very positively reviewed and a selection of reviews appears below. There has been increasing critical interest in and appreciation of his work. In The Mammoth Encyclopaedia of Modern Crime Fiction, Mike Ashley noted that the author's legal knowledge 'provides a solid reliability to the Devlin books, but their strength lies in the evocation of Liverpool both past and present'. Similarly, Russell James commented in Great British Ficitional Detectives that the Devlin books 'are all solid and well-informed'. In Scene of the Crime, Julian Earwaker and Kathleen Becker described the Devlin series as 'a blend of classic detection and urban noir', pointing out that 'The bleaker tones of the early books...are superseded by the lighter tone and more complex plotting of the later novels.' In Whodunit?, Rosemary Herbert said that 'Edwards rapidly made a name for himself as a writer whose law expertise informs fiction set in a well-drawn Liverpool...Edwards' work as an anthologist is highly regarded.'

In British Crime Writing: an encyclopaedia, Michael Jecks described him as 'a writer of imagination and flair' and as possessing 'a rare skill for acute description'. In the same volume, Philip Scowcroft praised Edwards' books set in the Lakes 'which he describes idiomatically and evocatively in a series of well-plotted mysteries'. Jecks summed him up as 'a crime writer's crime writer. His plotting is as subtle as any; his writing deft and fluid; his characterisation precise, and his descriptions of the locations give the reader the impression that they could almost walk along the land blindfolded. He brings them all to life.'

'A first rate complex thriller'
The Sunday Times

'Martin Edwards is one of the finest stylists and most perceptive crime writers of his generation. His gifts are of the more classical variety--there are points in his novels when I think I'm reading Graham Greene--and that recognition has begun to attract the attention of book buyers as it has so long attracted the attention of reviewers.'
Ed Gorman (February 2006)

'First rate...Martin Edwards writes terrific crime novels'
Guardian

'A clever psychological thriller'
Sunday Telegraph

'Highly original'
The Literary Review

'Martin is increasingly recognised as one of Britain's most exciting crime writers'
Liverpool Daily Post

'Edwards' mastery of the psychological thriller is as assured as ever'
Crime Time

'The insights into contemporary society are as sharp as the dark and discursive plotting.'
The Times

'A master storyteller...a captivating read'
Shots

'The novels successfully combine the style of the traditional English detective story with a darker noir sensibility.'
Crime Time

'Nail-bitingly good.'
Woman's Realm

'Very highly recommended'
Mystery Women

'Ambitious, nuanced and brimful of Lake Country atmosphere -- Edwards always gives top value'
Kirkus Reviews

'Martin Edwards is up there with the Masters.'
Mystery Readers Journal

'The picturesque qualities of Northern England's touristy area are fabulously described, and make a superior scenic backdrop for this otherwise dark tale of labyrinthine convoluted relationships and secrets galore, all waiting to be unearthed by skilled scavengers....'
I Love a Mystery

A review of the anthology "ID"