Presenting a social history of British crime film, this book focuses on the strategies used in order to address more radical notions surrounding class, politics, sex, delinquency, violence and censorship. Spanning post-war crime cinema to present-day "Mockney" productions, it contextualizes the films and identifies important and neglected works.

Barry Forshaw's books include Death in a Cold Climate, British Crime Film, The Rough Guide to Crime Fiction, Italian Cinema, British Crime Writing: An Encyclopaedia , and a biography of Stieg Larsson. He has written for a variety of newspapers, Crime Time, and is a talking head for ITV author profiles and BBC documentaries.

A Social History of the Crime Film The Age of Austerity: Post-war Crime Movies Class and Crime: Social Divisions Between Left and Right: Politics and Individuals Heritage Britain Shame of a Nation: Juvenile Delinquents and Exploitation The New Violence: The Loss of Innocence Scourging the Unacceptable: Censorship Battles Metropolitan Murder: London The Regions Breaking Taboos: Sex and the Crime Film Corporate Crime: Curtains for the Maverick Mockney Menace: The New Wave The Age of Acquisition: New Crime 21st Century Hybrids The Directors: Makers of Key Crime Films APPENDIX 1: The Directors: Makers of Key Crime Films APPENDIX 2: TV Crime APPENDIX 3: Crime and Espionage APPENDIX 4: Films, TV and Books Index