David Stuart Davies

David is a writer, editor and performer, the author of fourteen published novels and several non-fiction works.

He is a former member of the national committee of the Crime Writers’ Association and edited Red Herrings, their monthly publication for twenty years. He is a member of the Detection Club and the Baker Street Irregulars. He also edited the crime fiction magazine Sherlock from 1996 to 2006.

David’s latest novels are Revenge from the Grave (Titan), and The Dead of Winter (Level Best Books). He has also created two modern series of crime novels, featuring wartime London private detective Johnny Hawke and 1980s Yorkshire noir Detective Inspector Paul Snow.

‘Johnny Hawke breathes new life into the traditional British mystery. He’s a hero with a heart.’ Val McDermid.

‘[The Snow novels are] …dark but very compelling. David Stuart Davies knows how to write and how to twist the knife inside the reader’s mind.’ Peter James.

David has given presentations at many literary festivals and venues including the Edinburgh Fringe; Bouchercon; Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate; CrimeFest, Bristol; Bloody Scotland; Alibis in the Archives; the House of Commons; the National Media Museum in Bradford; the National Arts Club in New York and on the Queen Mary II.

David is a recognised authority on Sherlock Holmes has written a number of books – both fiction and non fiction – about the character including his Holmes novels, The Tangled Skein, The Shadow of the Rat, The Hentzau Affair, The Veiled Detective, The Devil’s Promise, The Ripper Legacy, Instrument of Death and Revenge from the Grave. His non fiction work includes The Sherlock Holmes Book (2015); Starring Sherlock Holmes: A Century of the Master Detective on Screen (2015); Bending the Willow: Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes (1996; 2002; 2010); and Holmes of the Movies (1976).

He has contributed many short stories to various anthologies including Crime in the City (Do Not Press); Murder Through the Ages (Headline); The Mammoth Book of Comic Crime (Robinson); The Dickensian Whodunits (Constable); Crime Scenes (Wordsworth); and The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime 2014 (Constable & Robinson).

He is the author of two one-man plays starring Roger Llewellyn. Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act premiered at Salisbury Playhouse in 1999 and toured for ten years. The Death & Life of Sherlock Holmes premiered at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, in March 2008 to excellent reviews. Both plays have been recorded by The Big Finish on audio CD. Sherlock Holmes: The Final Reckoning, starring Michael Daviot and Mark Kydd, premiered in Edinburgh in 2019.

David’s collection of ghost stories, The Hallowe’en Mask was published in September 2014 and he is currently the General Editor for Wordsworth Editions’ successful Mystery & Supernatural series.

David writes Afterwords and Introductions for Collector’s Library and
is a former Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund.