Description: Latest News BRUCE ALEXANDER'S SIR JOHN FIELDING HISTORICAL MYSTERIES BY MICHAEL DIRDA, FALL 2019 At this year's Malice Domestic, the annual convention for writers and readers of classic mysteries, I had dinner one night with a half dozen of its attendees. They included a leading publisher, a judge for the Edgar Awards, the field's most…
Home About Works Photos Inquiries Latest News BRUCE ALEXANDER’S SIR JOHN FIELDING HISTORICAL MYSTERIES BY MICHAEL DIRDA, FALL 2019 At this year’s Malice Domestic, the annual convention for writers and readers of classic mysteries, I had dinner one night with a half dozen of its attendees. They included a leading publisher, a judge for the Edgar Awards, the field’s most prominent reviewer, and two prize-winning authors. While waiting for dessert, I asked my tablemates to name their favorite detective-story w
There was a moment of quiet, perhaps of surprise, and then people started to talk about how wonderful the Sir John Fielding mysteries are. I can’t remember exactly what was said, but I know that anyone who picks up Blind Justice, the first book in this 11-book series, is likely to pause occasionally while reading and just smile with pleasure. If pressed to explain that smile, he or she would probably murmur some phrase like “terrific evocation of the 18th century,” “such loveable characters,” “a book you ju
Over the past decade many people, weary of brutal modern thrillers, have been rediscovering classic and historical mysteries. For example, The British Library Crime Classics, under the direction of Detection Club president Martin Edwards, has been wildly successful in reissuing Golden-Age whodunits. After all, who doesn’t yearn to put aside, at least for a while, the problems of the modern world and just surrender to great storytelling? This—with seemingly effortless ease–is what Bruce Alexander provides in