Poisoned Pen Press is bringing works from the Golden Age of British crime fiction to the U.S. by publishing the British Library Crime Classics and Spy Classics series, consisting of rediscovered historical mysteries by both major and lesser-known authors. Poisoned Pen will issue 12 Crime Classics and two Spy Classics in 2015, beginning in May with Murder in Piccadilly by Charles Kingston ($12.95, 9781464203732) and The Sussex Downs Murder by John Bude ($12.95, 9781464203718). Poisoned Pen will release one title per month by 2016, in synch with the British Library's publishing schedule.
"The British Library Crime Classic and Spy Classic series are outstanding collections of books written at a time when there was no such thing as genre fiction," said Robert Rosenwald, president and publisher at Poisoned Pen. "As a mystery book publisher with over 700 mysteries in print, we felt Poisoned Pen Press was uniquely positioned to fill the role of U.S. publisher for these extraordinary series. We are thrilled to be able to bring these titles, many of which have been unavailable to the public for years, to the U.S."
He added: "[The] series provides important historical context for mystery enthusiasts. These titles are written by authors who were pioneers in crime fiction--the original masters of crime fiction writing. One of the May releases on our list, The Sussex Downs Murder, is written by John Bude, which is the pen name for Ernest Elmore, co-founder of the Crime Writers' Association. These are important books for readers, for writers, and for libraries."
