Books to beg, borrow, dare it be said, even to steal or to buy, but definitely to look up.

Twentieth Century Crime & Mystery Writers

Third Edition, 1991. Editor: Lesley Henderson

Chicago / London, St. James Press. 1,294 pages. ISBN 1-55862-031-1.

The Himalayas and Mt. Everest of reference books. Over 1,000 authors, including nineteenth century and foreign language writers. Complete articles on their lives, achievements, bibliography of all their works (mystery and otherwise). Expensive, but once you have this on your desk or bedside table you'll wonder how you ever managed without it.

The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing

Edited by Rosemary Herbert

OUP 1999. 535 pages. ISBN 0-19-507239-1.

Most amazing, most wonderful, most readable articles under such titles as Greed, Great Outdoors, Christmas Crime, Nautical (Ocean Liner & Ferry, Boating & Sailing), Nosy Parker Sleuths (amateur detectives who invite themselves into the lives and crimes of others), and hundreds more, with a helpful index to help you find which of your favourite authors have written mysteries that fit such themes.

John Kennedy Melling
Murder Done to Death. Parody and Pastiche in Detective Fiction

UK / USA, Scarecrow Press, 1996. 282 pages. ISBN 8108-3034-5.

Like Sherlock Holmes, JKM has a sensational knowledge of sensational literature (there the resemblance ends, as JKM writes, and most elegantly, himself). A warm and affectionate look at contemporary crime and mystery authors and their sleuths (many of whom J.K.M. knew personally), many forgotten by all but us cognoscenti. C. Northcote Parkinson (of Parkinson's Management Laws) gets a look-in, so does Helen Traubel, the opera singer, certainly all the greats. Films, television, stage revues, radio all included. Wallow in nostalgia with a serious and entertaining book.

John Tuska
The Detective in Hollywood

New York, Doubleday. 436 pages. ISBN 0-385-12093-1.

The Movie Careers of the Great Fictional Private Eyes and their Creators it says on the jacket, and that says it all. Lots of photos taken from the films we all love. An unusual essay on Film Noir (Chapter 10).

100 Great Detectives

Edited and Introduced by Maxim Jakubowski

1991. Xanadu Press. 255 pages. ISBN 1-85480-025-6.

Maxim Jakubowski had the interesting idea of asking 100 mystery writers to examine their favourite fictional investigators. This is the splendid result and, as usual, there are original and often little-known and undeservedly forgotten choices. But thank heavens for the growing reprint industry.