100 British Crime Writers explores a history of British crime writing between 1855 and 2015 through 100 writers, detailing their lives and significant writing and exploring their contributions to the genre. Divided into four sections: ¿The Victorians, Edwardians, and World War One, 1855-1918¿; ¿The Golden Age and World War Two, 1919-1945¿; ¿Post-War and Cold War, 1946-1989¿; and ¿To the Millennium and Beyond, 1990-2015¿, each section offers an introduction to the significant features of these eras in crime fiction and discusses trends in publication, readership, and critical response. With entries spanning the earliest authors of crime fiction to a selection of innovative contemporary novelists, this book considers the development and progression of the genre in the light of historical and social events.

Esme Miskimmin is a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Liverpool, UK. She has research interests in Renaissance drama as well as crime writing, and sometimes combines the two.

1. Caroline Clive, Paul Ferroll (1855), Adrienne E. Gavin.- 2. Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White (1860), Adrienne E. Gavin.- 3. Mrs Henry Wood, East Lynne (1861), Anne-Marie Beller.- 4. Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret (1862), Adrienne E. Gavin.- 5. Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet (1887), Anne-Marie Beller.- 6. George R. Sims, The Case of George Candlemas (1890), Esme Miskimmin.- 7. C. L. Pirkis, 'Loveday Brook' stories (1893), Adrienne E. Gavin.- 8. Arthur Morrison, 'Martin Hewitt' stories (1894), Nick Freeman.- 9. E. Phillips Oppenheim, The Mysterious Mr Sabin (1898), Alexandra Phillips.- 10. E. W. Hornung The Amateur Cracksman (1899).- 11. Baroness Orczy, 'The Old Man in the Corner' stories (1901), Suzanne Bray.- 12. Erskine Childers, The Riddle of the Sands (1903), Christopher Routledge.- 13. Edgar Wallace, The Four Just Men (1905), Stephen Knight.- 14. R. Austin Freeman, The Red Thumb Mark (1907), Nick Freeman.- 15. G. K. Chesterton, The Man Who Was Thursday (1908), Christopher Routledge.- 16. Edwy Searles Brooks, 'Sexton Blake' stories (1912), Lucy Andrew.- 17. Sax Rohmer, 'Fu Manchu' stories (1912), Steven Powell.- 18. E. C. Bentley, Trent's Last Case (1913), Suzanne Bray.- 19. Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados (1914), Nick Freeman.- 20. John William Bobin, Sexton Blake Library (1915), Lucy Andrew.- 21. John Buchan, The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915), Alexandra Phillips.- 22. H. C. Bailey, Call Mr Fortune (1920), Megan Hoffman.- 23. Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (US 1920; UK 1921), Delphine Cingal.- 24. Freeman Wills Crofts, The Cask (1920), Diana Powell.- 25.H. C. McNeile, (a.k.a. Sapper) Bulldog Drummond (1920), Alexandra Phillips.- 26 and 27. G. D. H. Cole and Margaret Cole, The Brooklyn Murders (1923), Victoria Stewart.- 28. Dorothy L. Sayers, Whose Body? (1923), Esme Miskimmin.- 29. Patricia Wentworth, The Astonishing Case of Jane Smith (1923), Delphine Cingal.- 30. Philip MacDonald, The Rasp (1924), Alexandra Phillips.- 31. Anthony Berkeley, The Layton Court Mystery (1925), Christine R. Simpson.- 32. Margery Allingham, The White Cottage Mystery (1928), Jasmine Simeone.- 33. Graham Greene, The Man Within (1929), Steven Powell.- 34. Gladys Mitchell, Speedy Death (1929), Christine R. Simpson.- 35. Josephine Tey, The Man in the Queue (1929), Christine R. Simpson.- 36. Elizabeth Ferrars, Turn Single (1932), Victoria Stewart.- 37. Georgette Heyer, Footsteps in the Dark (1932), Greg Rees.- 38. C. P. Snow, Death Under Sail (1932), Christine R. Simpson.- 39. Ngaio Marsh, A Man Lay Dead (1934), Kate Watson.- 40. Eric Ambler, The Dark Frontier (1935), Steven Powell.- 41. Nicholas Blake, A Question of Proof (1935), Esme Miskimmin.- 42. Daphne du Maurier, Jamaica Inn (1936), Megan Hoffman.- 43. Michael Innes, Death at the President's Lodging (1936), Christopher Routledge.- 44. John Creasey, Meet the Baron (1937), Martin Lightening.- 45. Francis Durbridge, Send for Paul Temple (1938), Victoria Stewart.- 46. Enid Blyton, Five on a Treasure Island (1942), Lucy Andrew.- 47. Edmund Crispin, The Case of the Gilded Fly (1944), Malcah Effron.- 48. Julian Symons, The Immaterial Murder Case (1945), Christopher Routledge.- 49. Michael Gilbert, Close Quarters (1947), Christopher Routledge.- 50. Ellis Peters, Fallen into the Pit (1951), Suzanne Bray.- 51. Ian Fleming, Casino Royale (1953), Christopher Routledge.- 52. H. R. F. Keating, Death and the Visiting Firemen (1959), Christopher Routledge.- 53. John Le Carré, A Call For the Dead (1961), Steven Powell.- 54. Dick Francis, Dead Cert (1962), Malcah Effron.- 55. P. D. James, Cover Her Face (1962).- 56. Simon Nash, Dead of a Counterplot (1962), Delphine Cingal.- 57. Peter O'Donnell, Modesty Blaise (1963), Esme Miskimmin.- 58. Joyce Porter, Dover One (1964), Heather Worthington.- 59. Ruth Rendell, From Doon with Death (1964), Anne-Marie Beller.- 60. Catherine Aird, The Religious Body (1966), Jasmine Simeone.- 61. Reginald Hill, A Clubbable Woman (1970), Malcah Effron.- 62. Frederick Forsyth, The Day of the Jackal (1971), Christopher Routledge.- 63. Robert Barnard, Death of an Old Goat (1974), Stephen Knight.- 64. Simon Brett, Cast, In Order Of Disappearance (1975), Jasmine Simeone.- 65. Colin Dexter, Last Bus to Woodstock (1975), Susan Massey.- 66. John Mortimer, Rumpole of the Bailey (1975), Diana Powell.- 67. John Harvey, Amphetamines and Pearls (1976), Delphine Cingal.- 68. Antonia Fraser, Quiet as a Nun (1977), Suzanne Bray.- 69. Anne Perry, The Cater Street Hangman (1979), Delphine Cingal.- 70. Dorothy Simpson, The Night She Died (1981), Christine R. Simpson.- 71. Linda La Plante, Widows (1983), Anne-Marie Beller.- 72. R. D. Wingfield, Frost at Christmas (1984), Steven Powell.- 73. Bill James, You'd Better Believe It (1985), Catherine Phelps.- 74. Anthony Horowitz, The Falcon's Malteser (1986), Lucy Andrew.- 75. Val McDermid, Report for Murder (1987), Susan Massey.- 76. Ian Rankin, Knots and Crosses (1987), Christopher Routledge.- 77. Peter Robinson, Gallows View (1987), Greg Rees.- 78. Lindsey Davis, The Silver Pigs (1989), Heather Worthington.- 79. Martin Edwards, All the Lonely People (1991), Christine R. Simpson.- 80. D. M. Greenwood, Clerical Errors (1991), Suzanne Bray.- 81. Patricia Hall, The Poison Pool (1991), Steven Powell.- 82. Martina Cole, Dangerous Lady (1992), Esme Miskimmin.- 83. Minette Walters, The Ice House (1992), Heather Worthington.- 84. Malcolm Rose, The Smoking Gun (1993), Lucy Andrew.- 85. Veronica Stallwood, Death and the Oxford Box (1993), Megan Hoffman.- 86. Stella Duffy, Calendar Girl (1994), Susan Massey.- 87. Alison Taylor, Simeon's Bride (1995), Catherine Phelps.- 88. Christopher Brookmyre, Quite Ugly One Morning (1996), Christopher Routledge.- 89. Susanna Gregory, A Plague on Both Your Houses (1996), Steven Powell.- 90. Denise Mina, Garnethill (1998), Esme Miskimmin.- 91. Alexander McCall Smith, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1999), Susan Massey.- 92. John Williams, Five Pubs, Two Bars and a Nightclub (1999), Catherine Phelps.- 93. Malcolm Pryce, Aberystwyth Mon Amour (2001), Catherine Phelps.- 94. Lindsay Ashford, Frozen (2003), Catherine Phelps.- 95. Justin Richards, The Paranormal Puppet Show (2003), Lucy Andrew.- 96. Adrian McKinty, Dead I May Well Be (2003), Gerard Brennan.- 97. C. J. Sansom, 2003: Dissolution (2003), Martin Lightening.- 98. Brian McGilloway, 2007: Borderlands (2007), Gerard Brennan.- 99. Stuart Neville, The Twelve(2010), Steven Powell.- 100. Gerard Brennan, The Point (2011), Esme Miskimmin.