The Golden Age of Murder - the new 10th anniversary edition

What better way to start the first full week of the new year than by announcing the second edition of The Golden Age of Murder? This is a book that holds a special place in my affections. Even though it is a work of non-fiction (albeit told like a kind of detective story) its publication had a hugely beneficial impact on my writing career as a whole, certainly including my work as a novelist. So I was thrilled when David Brawn, my ever-supportive editor at HarperCollins, approached me some time ago to suggest a new edition to celebrate ten years of publication.

Was it really ten years ago that the book came out? More than twenty since I first started writing it? Hard to imagine, but it's true. The time has whizzed by in a flash. But it's fair to say that, since the book first appeared, I've kept discovering fresh information. There were a few small tweaks in the paperback edition, but the second edition involved a significant amount of writing.

Not much rewriting, though. I've picked up (or had pointed out to me!) a small number of points which needed correction or clarification, but not many for a book of this scale. And I didn't want to tamper with the book's overall structure. That structure is, admittedly, idiosyncratic, but in a deliberate way. I wasn't sure if critics (and academic scholars, who are accustomed to a very different style of writing) would 'get' my approach to the subject, given that it was unusual, but it was quite thrilling to find that, with rare exceptions, they did. And for the book to receive four awards, and be shortlisted for two more, was incredible.

When I sat down and thought about how to approach the second edition, I felt that I should try to create a book that would be appealing not only to new readers but also to people who read the first edition. That meant adding a great deal of material, so as to deliver value for money. But of course the new stuff has to be interesting and relevant and to fit in to the existing text. The result is that there are four new chapters and a lot of other changes. The first edition wasn't a short book. The second edition is considerably longer, but still - I like to think - relatively concise. This will be a trade paperback, and publication is scheduled for 8 May.

In working on the second edition, I've had help from a good many people, too many to mention here, but I should highlight Nigel Moss, who went through the text with his customary attention to detail, making helpful suggestions, and Jamie Sturgeon, who has supplied me with quite a bit of fresh information. I hope they - and everyone who reads the book - will be happy with the result.