Now those writers who have kept readers on the edge of their seats or shivering with fear under their blankets late at night need no longer be a mystery.

The nearly 1,300 pages in this detailed guide are devoted to 650 of the most influential and in-demand English-language writers of the crime and mystery genre. Those seeking the secrets of these writers will relish the details provided in each entry, such as author biographies; complete bibliographies; lists of critical studies; locations of manuscripts; the writer's own comments on his or her work, when available; and an essay written by an expert of the genre.

This fourth edition reflects the work an interests of more recent authors such as Dorothy Cannell, Lindsey Davis and P.C. Doherty.