‘The Measure of Malice’ Edited by Martin Edwards

Published by The British Library,
10 September 2019.
ISBN: 978-0-7123-5289-5 (PB)

The Measure of Malice is a collection of short detective stories that all contain a strong scientific element in the investigation and solution of the crime. It is an eclectic mix, with some stories containing early forensic techniques that have been developed and improved and are still in use today, while other scientific processes and ideas have been re-evaluated and discarded.

In his fascinating introduction to the book, Martin Edwards points out that over half the authors featured in this collection were men who had scientific careers, such as doctors, engineers and chemists, with the majority being in the medical profession. Although not a scientist, Dorothy L. Sayers was fascinated by forensic science and its use in detection, both in real life crime and in fiction. This is evident in her short story, In the Teeth of the Evidence, which is featured in this collection, and in which Lord Peter Wimsey refers to real-life murders that use a similar method to the killer in this story.

Several of the authors featured in The Measure of Malice are still famous and the stories are still widely read. The most notable of these are Sayers and Conan Doyle, and I was intrigued to discover that, for me, reading these familiar stories in a different context brought new nuances to my notice. Many other authors were well known, although these particular stories were unfamiliar to me. I was especially pleased with the inclusion of a Reggie Fortune story by H. C. Bailey. Although Bailey’s writing style has been criticised as old fashioned, these stories are usually delightful and insightful, as was this one, The Broken Toad. There were a few authors in the collection that I had not heard of and it was interesting to encounter new styles of writing and new fictional detectives.

The Measure of Malice is an excellent collection of short stories with a well-balanced selection of authors and scientific methods. It is enhanced by the introductions by Martin Edwards, not just at the beginning of the book but also preceding each story. It is a very interesting book, which I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend.
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Reviewer:  Carol Westron

Martin Edwards was born 7 July 1955 at Knutsford, Cheshire and educated in Northwich and at Balliol College, Oxford University, taking a first-class honours degree in law. He trained as a solicitor in Leeds and moved to Liverpool on qualifying in 1980. He published his first legal article at the age of 25 and his first book, about legal aspects of buying a business computer at 27, before spending just over 30 years as a partner of a law firm, where he is now a consultant. He is married to Helena with two children (Jonathan and Catherine) and lives in Lymm. A member of the Murder Squad a collective of crime writers. In 2007 he was appointed the Archivist of the Crime Writers Association and in 2011 he was appointed the Archivist of the Detection Club. Martin is currently chair of the CWA. For more information visit:

 www.martinedwards.com.         
www.doyouwriteunderyourownname.blogspot.com

Carol Westron is a successful author and a Creative Writing teacher.  Her crime novels are set both in contemporary and Victorian times.  Her first book The Terminal Velocity of Cats was published in 2013. Since then, she has since written 6 further mysteries. Carol recently gave an interview to Mystery People. To read the interview click on the link below. 

https://promotingcrime.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/carol-westron.html www.carolwestron.com
http://carolwestron.blogspot.co.uk/
To read a review of Carol latest book click on the title
The Curse of the Concrete Griffin