Martin Edwards Receives 2020 CWA Diamond Dagger

The author awarded the highest honour in British crime writing, the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Diamond Dagger, has been announced.

Martin Edwards joins icons of the genre who have been recognised with the accolade, including Ruth Rendell, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Ian Rankin, PD James, Colin Dexter, Reginald Hill, Lindsey Davies, Peter Lovesey, and John Le Carré. 

Praise for Martin:

"Martin Edwards is not only a fine writer but he is also ridiculously knowledgeable about the field of crime and suspense fiction.  He wears his learning lightly and is always the most congenial company.  He is also a great champion of crime writing and crime writers.  He has been an active (and proactive) member of the CWA for many years and has guided countless writers into publication through his scrupulous editorship of short story anthologies.  His novels feature an acute sense of place as well as deep psychological insights.  As a solicitor, he knows the legal world more intimately than most of his fellow novelists.  He is a fitting winner of the Diamond Dagger." - Ian Rankin

“Martin knows more about crime fiction than anyone else working in the field today.  He's always been a fan of the genre and his passion shines through in his work: the fiction, the non-fiction and the short stories.  In his editing, he's brought new writers and forgotten favourites to discerning readers.  I'm delighted his work is being recognised in this way.” - Ann Cleeves

“Martin’s fiction alone makes him a truly worthy winner of the Diamond Dagger.  His editorial excellence, his erudition, his enthusiasm for and contributions to the genre, his support of other writers, and his warm-hearted friendship are the icing on the cake.” – Lee Child

“Martin Edwards is a thoroughly deserved winner of this prized award. He has contributed so much to the genre, not only through the impressive canon of his own wonderfully written novels, but through his tireless work for crimewriting in the UK.” – Peter James

“Martin is not only one of the finest crime writers of his generation. He is the heir to Julian Symons and H.R.F.Keating as the leading authority on our genre, fostering and promoting it with unflagging enthusiasm, to the benefit of us all. I'm delighted that our community can show its gratitude by honouring him in this way.” – Peter Lovesey

“Martin Edwards is a wonderful choice to receive the Diamond Dagger. He takes stellar roles in both the legal profession and crime-writing in a way few could manage. He’s a very fine writer but has also devoted huge energy to both the CWA and Detection Club – all done quietly and companionably, which is a rare thing. I love a man who takes care of archives. I am delighted for him, but as we always say: it’s for lifetime achievement – but please don’t stop what you do so well!” – Lindsey Davis

Alongside his career as a prolific novelist, Martin is a renowned editor, reviewer, columnist and versatile writer of non-fiction, and is a leading authority on crime fiction. He has also enjoyed a separate career as a solicitor, and is recognised for his expertise in employment and equal opportunities law.

The Diamond Dagger award recognises authors whose crime writing careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and who have made a significant contribution to the genre.

Andrew Taylor, chair of the Diamond Dagger sub-committee and winner of the award in 2009, said: “I’m delighted that the CWA Committee has decided to honour Martin with this year’s Diamond Dagger. Given the range and quality of his work, together with his enormous contribution to the genre as a whole, he is the perfect recipient.”

Linda Stratmann, CWA Chair, said: “Martin Edwards has been honoured not only as an award-winning author and editor, but also as a tireless promoter of crime writing. He researches and preserves the history of the genre, and has introduced the modern reader to classics of the past that might otherwise have been forgotten.”

Martin’s first novel, All the Lonely People, was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Memorial Dagger in 1991. Since then his crime writing has won multiple awards in the UK and US. In 2018 he received the CWA Dagger in the Library, awarded by British librarians. He has won the CWA Short Story Dagger, the H.R.F. Keating award, and in 2014 the inaugural CWA Margery Allingham Prize. His novels have been shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize and the Lakeland Book Award, while in 2017 his non-fiction book The Golden Age of Murder was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. In the US he has received the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe award, an Agatha award, and two Macavity awards from Mystery Readers International. In 2017 he received the Poirot award for his outstanding contribution to the genre.

Martin Edwards said: “The Diamond Dagger is special because it’s conferred by my fellow authors and because the previous winners are so illustrious. To be part of the warm and welcoming community of crime writers for the past thirty years has been a joy. I fell in love with crime fiction when as a young boy I first discovered Agatha Christie. From then on, my only ambition was to write a detective novel that people might enjoy reading. But I never imagined receiving an accolade like this. I’m truly honoured.”    

Originally known for his Harry Devlin and the Lake District Mysteries series, Martin is now making waves with his 1930s-set thrillers. His latest novel Gallows Court revived the Golden Age of crime fiction with a unique twist, featuring the character Rachel Savernake, and was last year nominated for the CWA Historical Dagger and shortlisted for the eDunnit award. The sequel, Mortmain Hall, is published in April by Head of Zeus.

In 2015, Martin followed in the footsteps of Agatha Christie, G.K. Chesterton and Dorothy L. Sayers by being elected President of the Detection Club, the world’s oldest social network of crime writers. The Club will celebrate its 90^th birthday this year by publishing Howdunit (HarperCollins), edited by Martin; a masterclass of crime writing by leading exponents of the genre. He is consultant to the British Library’s bestselling Crime Classics series, and wrote the award-winning companion volume, The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books. He is also archivist of the Detection Club and the CWA and a former Chair of the CWA. Author of over sixty short stories, since 1996 he has been the editor of the CWA’s annual anthology.

Martin was born in Knutsford, Cheshire, and now lives in Lymm. After graduating with a first class honours degree in law from Balliol College, Oxford, he became a solicitor, acting for many high profile clients. He was head of employment law at Mace & Jones, and subsequently a partner with Weightmans LLP, with whom he remains as a consultant.

Author of four editions of Equal Opportunities Handbook, he says, “The appeal of fiction is not so very different from the appeal of employment law. Both concern conflicts in human behaviour – and how best to resolve them.”

The CWA Diamond Dagger is selected from nominations provided by CWA members. Nominees have to meet two essential criteria: first, their careers must be marked by sustained excellence, and second, they must have made a significant contribution to crime writing published in the English language.

‘Little Boy Lost’ by J P Carter

Published by Avon,
23 January 2020.
ISBN: 978-0-00831-330-2 (PB)

Three days following a tragic accident when the wife of a gang member was killed during a police raid, riots broke out south of the River Thames where DCI Anna Tate lives and works.  Currently on leave after finally being
re-united with her daughter* Anna has offered to report for duty and been told to stand by and wait for a call back.

When she is called by Detective Chief Superintendent Bill Nash, despite the severity of the riots she is asked to take the case of the death of a young boy who was killed when the rioters set fire to a derelict pub in Camberwell. He died of smoke inhalation as he couldn’t escape owing to being chained to a wall in the cellar.

As the riots continue and move closer to Anna’s home, she asks her boyfriend, Tom Bannerman who is a social worker and lives only a mile away to go and stay with her daughter Chloe. He responds that he will go straight there.

The dead boy is quickly identified by the label in his blazer as Jacob Rossi, the ten-year-old son of Mark Rossi, a TV presenter and Celebrity with a capital C. The boy had disappeared while walking home from school.

While Anna is examining the crime scene the leading officer in the search for the missing boy arrives introducing himself as DI Benning, who was clearly devasted to find the boy dead. ‘How do I tell the parents, I told them there was hope and that I would bring their boy home to them’. He said, with anguish. When Anna explains its now an MIT investigation he asks if he can stay on the case to help bring those who did this to justice.

Confident that her daughter Chloe is safe with Tom Anna sets her mind on the case. But are Chloe and Tom safe?  Caught up in her investigation Anna is unaware that the rioters have reached her street.

As Anna investigates it becomes clear that a number of people have grudges against the boy’s father. But would any of them go so far as to abduct his son?  

Little Boy Lost is the third book in the DCI Anna Tate series. The story is narrated in the third person by Anna, and by Chloe, who provides some back story to her earlier life.  

It is often said of a book that it was a ‘thought-provoking’ read.  This book is certainly that. It is about ‘consequences’.  The actions that we take and the decisions that we make that can lead to unthought of, and unforeseen situations that may have dramatic and heartbreaking results.   In 2015 I reviewed a book by this author written as James Raven called  Random Targets  and if you have read it you may understand that when travelling on a motorway I still find myself scanning the bridges.

This is a truly gripping read, with a jaw-dropping ending.  Highly recommended.

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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

• See At Your Door

J P Carter is a pseudonym for James Raven who has been a journalist for most of his working life. After reporting for local, regional and national newspapers he moved into television as a news scriptwriter. He then worked his way up to become Director of a UK News Division. He now runs his own TV production company. James spends much of his time writing and travelling. He is also an accomplished magician.

http://www.james-raven.com/

‘Shamus Dust’ by Janet Roger

Published by Matador,
28 October 2019.
ISBN: 978 1-838590 93-7 (PB)

London, Christmas Day, 1947, and one of the coldest winters ever to hit the British Isles: deep snow, ice, bitter winds. Britain had been victorious in World War II but everywhere were the scars inflicted by the bombing, particularly in London where this story is set. And to add to physical damage inflicted on the landscape there are the privations arising from the strict control necessitated by the conflict which increased after the war was over so that even bread was rationed. And the cold made everything much worse, the sea freezing over, coal impossible to get out of the ground, electricity supplies often intermittent.

The protagonist of this story, Newman (no first name), had first arrived in London nearly twenty years before and had found himself a job as an insurance fraud investigator in the City of London and then, when the war began, tracking down military supply fraud. Now he’s back in London and going it alone as a private investigator, private eye, gumshoe, shamus – call it what you will. He knows his way around both England and the English, but he is, and always will be, an outsider.

Early in the morning of Christmas Day, Newman receives a call from a Councillor Drake to the effect that a driver will call for him with a set of keys and then will drive him to an address in the City where he is to hand the keys to a detective inspector who had just called Drake to request access to a property owned by him because of an ‘incident.’ But when Newman gets to his destination, which is the church of St Bartholomew’s near Smithfield, the detective inspector has gone and there is a body with gunshot wounds in the porch. The constable on duty tells Newman that the body was actually discovered by a neighbour, a nurse from Barts Hospital nearby. Newman looks round the church, sees two candles burning, lights a couple more himself and then, armed with the keys Councillor Drake has supplied, enters the building to which the keys belong. The second floor flat was plainly occupied by a skilled photographer whose favourite subject was boys in various seductive poses on a divan. One photograph, however, is of a grown man, the man whose body is now in the porch of St Bartholomew’s. But that is not all: in the next room is the divan featured in the photographs and in the bathroom is a hole in the wall with a camera focused on the divan. A scenario clearly set up for blackmail.

But blackmail is only part of what this story is about. Much of the City of London had been largely destroyed during the Blitz and property developers are eyeing the opportunities offered by the devastation. When Newman speaks to the nurse who found the body, she tells Newman his name – Raymond Jarrett – but refuses to say anything more. Drake, however, is very perturbed to hear of his tenant’s death and of his activities about which he claims to know nothing. Then Newman finds himself following leads: to an elderly prostitute called Dillys Valentine but when he is talking to her he is attacked and wounded, and she is killed. And it all goes on from there: tough City of London cops who may or not be corrupt, a nervous City solicitor, an enigmatic temporary forensic medical examiner, an edgy nurse, a frightened boy from a good family, a missing archaeologist, City bankers and property developers, a tangled web of soured family relationships. And more bodies.

I was very impressed with this book. The author, although English, writes in a highly effective pastiche of the traditional U.S. hard-boiled style but which is at the same time very literary – one chapter heading refers to the Austrian philosopher Wittgenstein and another to a famous chess player. The plot is very complex with strong characters, although it is not always easy to follow. The author on her website (www.janetroger.com) ,which is well worth reading, scrupulously tells us that the bitter winter which forms such a vital part of the story had actually happened the year before, but she certainly paints a totally convincing picture of what it was like. She also describes, not just on her website, but in the course of the story the peculiar jurisdiction of the City of London police which is quite distinct from that of the Metropolitan police. Recommended.

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Reviewer: Radmila May

Janet Roger says as a teenager I’d read all of Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe detective stories - not so long after they were written as I’d like to think - and they knocked my socks off. He wrote about a Los Angeles of neon-lit boulevards, a sour, gritty downtown and gun-toting cops (a novelty to this young European) and made them exotic. But what really got under my skin was Marlowe's voice guiding me around the next street corner, and beyond it into a stale apartment block or a down and low bar. He invited me in to look over his shoulder, let me see the highs and the lows, talked me through them and then put me in the seat beside him to drive me home. It was heady stuff, up to the point where the story began to seem incidental to the city, its moods and characters and speech patterns. What really mattered was a time, a place and the people you might run into there. I’d discovered a new kind of mystery writing and got hooked. I wasn’t the only one. Pretty soon it just wasn’t possible to take the Chandler out of anyone’s idea of LA. By now you might have the same thought about Leon and Venice, Lehane and Boston, or Block and New York. And when that happens, you know they’re getting under your skin too.

https://www.janetroger.com

Radmila May was born in the U.S. but has lived in the U.K. since she was seven apart from seven years in The Hague. She read law at university but did not go into practice. Instead she worked for many years for a firm of law publishers and still does occasional work for them including taking part in a substantial revision and updating of her late husband’s legal practitioners’ work on Criminal Evidence published late 2015. She has also contributed short stories with a distinctly criminal flavour to two of the Oxford Stories anthologies published by Oxpens Press – a third story is to be published shortly in another Oxford Stories anthology – and is now concentrating on her own writing.