An entertaining analysis of the clues provided by descriptions of clothes in interwar crime fiction.

Natasha Cooper, Literary Review

An appealing book about a less than obvious field of study … You might not think that this topic justifies a full-length book - but it does so, and without padding … The writing is accessible and lively.

Martin Edwards, author of The Life of Crime

This lucid, insightful, extensively researched book breaks new ground by revealing how the language of dress and fashion articulated anxieties about class, deception, change and upheaval for the millions who turned to detective fiction for reassurance and escape in interwar Britain. It's an important work and an exciting read.

Fiona Hackney, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

A highly original study of cultural significance of dress in interwar Britain, through the lens of detective fiction. Using a new large-scale survey of the representation of clothing across 280 texts, Baker reveals the powerful cultural meanings of clothes and their importance in constructing gender, class and national identities.

Jane Hamlett, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

This is a fascinating study on a hitherto sadly understudied area within crime fiction and a good addition for any scholar of Golden Age detective fiction or the history of clothes.

Kerstin-Anja Münderlein, Crime Fiction Studies