Howdunit

A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club

By: Martin Edwards - editor

Narrated by: Malk Williams, Joan Walker

Winner of the H.R.F. Keating Award for best biographical/critical book related to crime fiction, and nominated for the Edgar Allen Poe and Macavity Awards for Best Critical/Biographical book.

Ninety crime writers from the world’s oldest and most famous crime writing network give tips and insights into successful crime and thriller fiction.

Howdunit offers a fresh perspective on the craft of crime writing from leading exponents of the genre, past and present. The book offers invaluable advice to people interested in writing crime fiction, but it also provides a fascinating picture of the way that the best crime writers have honed their skills over the years. Its unique construction and content mean that it will appeal not only to would-be writers but also to a very wide readership of crime fans.

The principal contributors are current members of the legendary Detection Club, including Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Peter James, Peter Robinson, Ann Cleeves, Andrew Taylor, Elly Griffiths, Sophie Hannah, Stella Duffy, Alexander McCall Smith, John Le Carré and many more.

Interwoven with their contributions are shorter pieces by past Detection Club members ranging from G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr to Desmond Bagley and H.R.F. Keating.

The book is dedicated to Len Deighton, who is celebrating 50 years as a Detection Club member and has also penned an essay for the book.

The contributions are linked by short sections written by Martin Edwards, the current President of the Club and author of the award-winning The Golden Age of Murder.

Critic reviews

'Aspirant crime writers will relish the tips in Howdunit'—Barry Forshaw, Financial Times

‘A must-read for fans of crime writing and would-be authors alike.’—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

‘There can be few people in the country who know more about crime fiction than Martin Edwards.’—On Magazine

Enjoyable

Enjoyed this one. Lots of gems abound. Excellent narration as well. You don't even need to binge it in one go. It's easy to revisit and listen in pieces.

A Must Read!

If you are a crime fiction author looking to boast your knowledge on the craft, look no further. This book is the answer to all your crime fiction questions and should be place on your to read list ASAP. Each essay is packed with professional advice that is guaranteed to make your writing stand out. I loved this book so much that I'd be keeping it as a study guide throughout my writing career. I HIGHLY recommend this book to all mystery writers if you haven't checked it out yet. Don't delay; stop whatever you're doing and get your copy today, you will not regret it. It's 1000% worth it...

Loved it. Learned a lot

I enjoyed this book immensely. I learned a lot and will definitely listen to it many more times. The only down side was a strange passive undercurrent of anger towards America 🇺🇸 (USA for anyone wants to point that out. You know who you are 😀) it wasn’t a big deal, it was simply unfortunate and disappointing. That took up a few minutes total out of many hours of fantastic writing or dictation, whichever. 5 stars.

Do I want to be a writer?

I didn't realize this is how to for writing a book. Didn't think I wanted to write a book, but this was interesting enough to finish it.Now I ask myself, do I want to be a writer?

Helpful and thought provoking

I found this book to be most helpful in my thinking of how to approach my novel at more than just the writing stage. The advice for writing, plotting and character development was fantastic, but so was the advice on editing, publishing and how to tackle writer's block.