Margins
Urge to Kill book cover
Urge to Kill
How Police Take Homicide from Case to Court
2002
First Published
3.41
Average Rating
192
Number of Pages

Procedural and technical inaccuracies can ruin an otherwise effective crime novel, especially given the public's ever-increasing interest in forensic details. In this fascinating guide, readers delve into the world of murder to learn how and why people commit homicide and how detectives capture the deadly perpetrators.With a compelling mix of text, case studies and photographs, author Martin Edwards explores this intriguing subject step-by-step, empowering writers to create engaging and believable scenarios. The book is organized into five sections, corresponding to the process of committing murder and solving it. In addition to stunning photographs of true crime cases, the book features more than 25 profiles of recent killers, including the Unabomber, Jeffrey Dahmer, Andre Cunanan, and other infamous murderers. Readers will also find a helpful glossary of definitions of important elements in murder cases, along with slang used by homicide detectives.

Avg Rating
3.41
Number of Ratings
27
5 STARS
15%
4 STARS
30%
3 STARS
41%
2 STARS
11%
1 STARS
4%
goodreads

Author

Martin Edwards
Martin Edwards
Author · 44 books
Martin Edwards’ latest novel, Gallows Court, was published in September. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics series, and has written sixteen contemporary whodunits, including The Coffin Trail, which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year. His genre study The Golden Age of Murder won the Edgar, Agatha, H.R.F. Keating and Macavity awards, while The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books has been nominated for two awards in the UK and three in the US. Editor of 38 anthologies, he has also won the CWA Short Story Dagger and the CWA Margery Allingham Prize, and been nominated for an Anthony, the CWA Dagger in the Library, the CWA John Creasey Memorial Dagger, and a CWA Gold Dagger. He is President of the Detection Club and Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, and Archivist of both organisations. He has received the Red Herring award for services to the CWA, and the Poirot award for his outstanding contribution to the crime genre.
548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved