Reviews

‘My favourite type of mystery, suspenseful, and where everyone is not what they appear . . . Christine is great at creating atmosphere . . . she evokes the magic of the stage, and her characters [have] a past to be uncovered before the mystery is solved.’ [Stage Fright]

- Lizzie Hayes, MYSTERY WOMEN

Thrilled!

Posted on Jan 31, 2020 in Barry Forshaw, Crime Fiction: A Reader's Guide, Deep Water | 6 Comments

I was in Waterstone’s Piccadilly on Tuesday and Barry Forshaw’s Crime Fiction: A Reader’s Guide caught my eye. I’d been meaning to buy a copy since it came out towards the end of last year. It’s the kind of book I love: short reviews of hundreds of books, accounts of different trends in crime fiction, and biographies of the most important figures in the genre. There are also entries on related films and books. And then there’s the game of looking to see if your favourite writers have been included (what? no Rex Stout? no Fredric Brown?). There’s the pleasure of being reminded of books you’ve enjoyed and of discovering new authors to add to the already tottering reading pile.

Barry is the doyen of crime fiction reviewing and appears to have read absolutely everything by absolutely everyone. All the same, when I turned to the back and riffled through the index, it was with no expectation of finding my own name there. After all, I’m hardly a big hitter. So the thrill was all the greater when I saw that Deep Water, the first of my Katie Flanagan novels, is one of the books that Barry reviews.

It makes it even more of a pleasure to recommend this splendid book, which offers hours of happy browsing and is surely essential reading for the crime fiction aficionado. Great cover, too.

 

6 Comments

  1. Margot Kinberg
    January 31, 2020

    How exciting for you, Christine! Forshaw is at the top of the tree, and I’m not surprised that he recommended your work = it’s excellent. I shall now drop your name shamelessly 🙂

    Reply
  2. tracybham
    January 31, 2020

    I agree with Margot, I am not at all surprised your book is included. Well deserved.

    I accumulate all the mystery reference books and guides that I can so I am sure I will purchase this one by Forshaw when it is available over here. Even though I often quibble with his opinions.

    Reply
    • Christine Poulson
      January 31, 2020

      Thank you very much, Tracy! I too have a weakness for mystery reference books and I am really enjoying this one. Yes, I don’t necessarily agree with everything either.

      Reply
  3. Moira@Clothes in Books
    February 2, 2020

    Brilliant and well-deserved Chrissie! And as it happens I had just got this book, so I will be off to look you up… as well as enjoying the rest of it.

    Reply
    • Christine Poulson
      February 3, 2020

      Thanks, Moira! I hope you enjoy it. I have already had much pleasurable browsing.

      Reply

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