All the Lonely People

Harry Devlin #1

by Martin Edwards

Liverpool lawyer Harry Devlin remains infatuated with his wife, Liz- even though she has left him for another man. When Liz shows up at his flat, obviously frightened, Harry is only too pleased to offer shelter. But any hopes he has for reconciliation are dashed when Liz fails to meet him as planned the next day. And when her body is found in a lonely alleyway, Harry becomes the number one suspect.

Determined to prove his innocence, Harry's search for the truth takes him into Liverpool's sinister underbelly of shady streets and seedy clubs. To see justice done, he must confront an obsessive killer- and have his illusions about Liz shattered for ever.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Detective, British Literature, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Martin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ He has published twenty-three novels, which include the eight Lake District Mysteries, one of which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated Gallows Court and Blackstone Fell, while Gallows Court and Sepulchre Street were shortlisted for the eDunnit award for best crime novel of the year. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and has also been nominated three times for Gold Daggers. In addition to the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) he has received four other lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics, a former Chair of the CWA, and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.

Reviews

[Marwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The previous "Crimes Classics" novels which I've read never failed to impress me, and this one is no exception. It has the thrill,a lot of twists, and the excitement made me walking while reading the last 20 pages (where everything is revealed), and yes, I couldn't guess who's the culprit till the very end.

Harry Devlin, a Solicitor who's been separated from his wife Liz for 2 years, returns one night to find her waiting for him in his flat. She plans to leave Coghlan (the man who she dumped her husband for) for the sake of another guy (who's richer and wealthier), and asks him to stay for few days to sort things out and because she's afraid of Coghlan. Despite what she did to him, Harry (who still hold feelings for her and a little hope for them to return together) agrees to let her stay.

However, the night after, Liz is found stabbed to death in a dingy alleyway and the police regards Harry as the prime suspect. So he takes it upon himself to find her killer and bring him to justice. However,as he digs for Liz's past he start to realize that she was a bad girl (more than he thought she was) and many people wanted her dead.

[``Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This crime classic was a real treat to read. Solicitor Harry Devlin is having a very complicated relationship with his wife Liz. She left him 2 years earlier after learning that Devlin loved his work and was far from wealthy. So what's a Gold Digger to do when she realizes Devlin is not the least bit materialistic? Why break his heart of course and find another man.

The next man in her life seems to be involved in all things illegal and unfortunately for Liz, having a real dry spell with legal complications so it's time to movie on of course, even though she's still married to the ever besotted Harry.

When Harry returns to his modest apartment after a late night at work he is much surprised to find Liz in his living room watching TV. His sudden elation at the return of his prodigal wife is soon dashed to pieces as Liz tells him she just needs to find a place to stay for a few nights. Liz reveals that she has left her mobster boyfriend that Harry despises and is moving on to a new mysterious and wealthy lover. Her new lover is ending his marriage to his present wife and will join Liz in a few day to begin their new life together so everything is hush-hush of course and Liz doesn't share many details about her new lover. Her mobster ex-boyfriend is really upset with Liz and she claims that his people are following her as she announces her plans to stay with Harry. But of course she will take the bed since there's only one and big guy Harry can sleep on the small sofa.

So what's Harry to do when Liz turns up dead on a side street the next day? The police are eyeing him as a very interesting suspect and instead of listening to Harry's claims that he's innocent and the mobster boyfriend must have killed her they assume he's just another shady lawyer and must have done the deed. They are also very wary when Harry claims he doesn't even know the name of her new lover as well. Harry decides that if the police aren't trying hard enough to find the true murderer of his wife he must do so himself.

Along the way of solving this crime Harry comes face to face with the many people involved with Liz and how she flippantly destroyed their lives. When the culprit is finally revealed I almost felt that Liz deserved her fate.

A real page-turner and a must read for all lovers of classic mysteries.

[Mickey Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

A main character with no personality beyond an obsession with a wife who is completely unlikeable. The story drags and meanders through many other characters who all seem much alike. In short, a boring book that I barely managed to finish.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was wrong and I'm happy. Whenever I read a mystery novel and I guess the murderer, I get upset and feel like the author hasn't done his or her job. But not so in this one. This is a taut, well-plotted whodunit that I started and didn't want to put down. If you like a good, old-fashioned kind of mystery, you'll enjoy this one.

basic plot -- no spoilers
The main character of this novel (#1 in this series, btw) is Harry Devlin, an attorney in Liverpool whose woes begin when his wife, Liz, drops in unexpectedly. Although they are married, they haven't lived together for some time. Liz is one of those people who stayed for a while, found something better, then took off. It was a pattern with her. They never divorced and Harry holds out some tiny measure of hope that they'll get back together. So when Liz shows up at his place, he's not sure what's going on -- she tells him she's left her criminal boyfriend and is frightened because she's being followed. Next thing Harry knows is that she ends up dead, and he is a suspect in her murder. He takes it upon himself to find the killer and ends up learning more about Liz than he really wanted to.

Harry's character is well done; the mystery is quite good and will keep you involved for quite a long while. I'd definitely recommend it to people who enjoy more gritty types of mysteries.

[Melania Con un libro y un café · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Hola lectores!
Hoy les traigo la reseña de una fantástica novela de misterio, la primera de una serie de novelas escritas por Martín Edwards, autor ganador de varios prestigiosos premios y que por primera vez podemos disfrutar en nuestro idioma gracias a Who Editorial en su nueva colección de novelas Who Contemporánea. Colección que nos trae absorbentes novelas detectivescas con un buen whodunit, con todo los bueno de las típicas novelas de detectives con un misterio por resolver, pero escritas en una época más actual.

“All the Lonely People” fue escrita en 1991 y su trama se desarrolla en esa misma época en la ciudad de Liverpool. Una ciudad llena de cultura e historia, que tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial vivió un gran declive, cuya oscuridad y sordidez son plasmadas perfectamente por el autor, hasta el punto que se convierte una protagonista más de esta novela.

Nuestro protagonista es Harry Devlin, un abogado penalista, buen samaritano, altruista y empático con los delincuentes a los que defiende, un abogado quizás no lo suficientemente brillante para su exmujer que lo abandonó por otro hace dos años.
Devlin sigue enamorado de ella y es por eso que cuando esta acude a su casa para pedirle ayuda, este no duda en ayudarla, teme que alguien la está siguiendo para hacerle daño. Sin embargo, Liz aparece brutalmente apuñalada en un callejón y nuestro abogado no solo estará en en el punto de mira de la policía, sino que no parará de investigar hasta que descubra quién es el culpable.

Liz era una mujer voluble, caprichosa y egoísta, pero también muy magnética y hechizante, hasta el punto que, siendo asesinada desde las primeras páginas, su protagonismo es palpable en toda la novela, así veremos como ha influido en cada una de las personas que la han rodeado.

Personajes complejos y bien desarrollados para un misterio que se fragua a fuego lento, quizás demasiado, es el único pego que le pongo a esta novela, y es que en ocasiones ha pecado de ser algo lenta. Aún así, se disfruta mucho y cuenta con una resolución final que no me esperaba para nada.

Otro punto fuerte de esta historia es el psicológico de los personajes, estando muy presente aspectos como el amor no correspondido o el miedo a la soledad, así como lo que somos capaces de hacer con tal de no estar solos y no perder a la persona que amamos, aunque esa persona no merezca ni nuestro tiempo o esfuerzo.

En conclusión, una novela muy recomendable para los amantes del género y cuyo título no puede representarla mejor.

[Katherine Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the beginning of the book, but as I read on, I got bored and didn't care. I didn't like the victim, and I was annoyed at the protag's deep interest in her. Yes, this is ridiculous on my part. But what I am suggesting is that the author could have used this as an opportunity to talk about bi-polar or whatever issues the wife had. Author didn't, and I just felt like the protag was a sucker. I'm being far too mean about this, but am not certain how else to discuss it. Anyway. I am trying another series by Edwards. We'll see how that goes.

[Laratitadelibros · Rating 2 out of 5]

Viajamos a Liverpool para conocer a nuestro protagonista Harry el cual lleva dos años divorciado de Liz.
Trabaja como abogado y desde que su mujer le dejó para irse con otro hombre su vida se volvió una monotonía. Ella era el centro de su mundo y cuando regresa dos años después buscando asilo el la acoge encantado.
Liz le cuenta que su actual pareja es agresivo y que teme por su vida y que ha decidido poner fin a la relación por un nuevo amor asique su estancia en casa de Harry es temporal.
Dos días después unos policías se personan en la vivienda para comunicarle que han encontrado el cuerpo sin vida de Liz.

El título está en ingles pero el libro está traducido al castellano.

La trama me llamó la atención, la ambientación es muy buena y fue sencillo situarme en la historia por la sencillez con la que está escrita la obra.

Creo que mi fallo ha sido que no he logrado conectar con los personajes, especialmente con el protagonista. No he podido empatizar con el en algunas de sus actuaciones pero sobretodo con su manera de pensar.

Según avanzaba en la lectura tenia la sensación de que la trama estaba estancada o era muy lenta y aunque a veces la historia remontaba el final ha sido previsible.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more like 3.5. I liked this book and will continue to read this series, but this was the author's first book and it doesn't rise to the level of his Lake District series. I've heard that this series is really good, too, and am looking forward to learning more about Harry Devlin!

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the plot did not grab me immediately, it became more interesting later. Still, this book did not appeal to me as strongly as the Lake District mysteries which were written by the same author. Harry Devlin is an attorney with the tedious job of defending the common folks who have been charged with uninteresting crimes. He lives and works in Liverpool, England which is not an interesting setting when compared to the Lake District section of England. Although Harry Devlin is a likable character, he is nowhere near as charming as Daniel Kind.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like Edmund O’Brian (DOA) has been reincarnated as Harry Devlin. The frantic unrelenting search for his wife’s killer led him on several wild goose chases but in the end he solves the case. Published in 1991 it featured car chases and other trappings of late twentieth century mysteries ( the hero is beaten up; the hero has a gun; a beautiful Girl next door gives him compassion). I did not dislike it but will not read another in the series.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling

[Paul Barton · Rating 2 out of 5]

A hard boiled detective story set in Liverpool around 1990. No computers, no mobile phones and no Internet. A book can still overcome these shortages with a dazzling cast of characters and an intricate yet plausible plot to satisfy a 21st century reader. Sadly this didn't.

Stereotypical villains, coppers and lawyers and trite dialogue made this a rather boring read. The denouement couldn't be predicted or worked out with clues.

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

loving this new discovery for me....widening your reading & library is such a good idea, especially when the writer/characters are as good as these

[Rusty · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's probably well done. But I got 40 pages in and realized I didn't want to spend any more time with anyone in the book....

[Graham Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really outstanding book, especially considering it's a debut novel. Highly recommended.

[John Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading all the Martin Edwards books in The Lake District series,I was a bit apprehensive in this Harry Devlin series which the first one “All The Lonely People” was printed in 1991 and I’m reading this book in 2025, but I was wrong as you read this today it’s just like Liverpool back in 1990.
Solicitor Harry Devlin finds himself number one suspect in a murder case that is far to close to home.
The victim is his estranged wife,Liz,who is found murdered in a dingy alleyway.
Determined to find her killers and prove his own innocence,Harry begins a journey that takes him into a sleazy underworld and shatters his illusions about the woman he loved.
What a book to start this series of eight Harry Devlin stories off with,this book had me hooked by chapter 2 and being 250 pages long was a great length as the stories within the book never stopped.
You are taken around Liverpool throught the streets from the water front to the outer city, the story line moves at a pace that is very easy to follow with an ending to die for, the clues are there to the killers but it’s all wrapped up in the last 20/25 pages which just go at a pace to finish.
I starred this a 5***** because for a first novel from this author is something you don’t see happen very often.

[Tony Lawrence]

Different cover, a lovely hardback black and red new edition. I wonder why I haven't tried this series before (maybe I have!); a Cheshire resident writing about a solicitor-detective in Liverpool.

*moderate spoilers* On reflection I probably haven’t read this, despite the ‘hook’ of the song titles in each book in the series, something that would appeal to me. There is a lot about loneliness in this book, and fear of loneliness, and a past-her-best singer, and Liverpool … so it makes sense.

In Harry Devlin there is a typical ravaged, obsessive, messed-up detective, in this case an enthusiastic amateur but, as a city centre defence solicitor, he has a free pass into the worlds of crime (both sides), the press, and the seedy underbelly of society. When someone close to Devlin dies he takes it personally, bumbling around with his own investigation, sometimes ahead and sometimes behind the police - vernacular ‘scuffers’. It’s a well-structured plot, although it is showing its (middle-) age … my copy is a 30th anniversary hardback 1991-2021. I found Devlin’s MO annoying (I think the reader is meant to?), risking his own life, and riding rough-shod over anyone and any sensibilities and social norms that get in his way. I felt particularly sorry for his well-meaning neighbour Brenda, and sister-in-law Maggie, but no doubt they will get a bit more airtime in Harry’s orbit, or do I mean blast range?! I’m not convinced I will carry on with the series, with 7 more to enjoy, but never say never.

[Dokusha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Devlin setzt sich in den Kopf, den Mörder seiner Frau selbst zu finden...und so ganz kann ich mich mit dieser Geschichte nicht anfreunden. Klar, es passiert einiges, es gibt ein paar interessante Wendungen, aber trotzdem ...
Zum einen ist der Vorsprung, den er teilweise vor der Polizi hat, nicht immer realistisch, auch wenn er durch den persönlichen Kontakt natürlich ein paar Vorteile hat. Zum anderen kommen mir die Charaktere teilweise auch etwas merkwürdig vor - gibt es wirklich keinen, der dem dubiosen Charme dieser Frau widerstehen konnte? Und auch sonst passen einige Charaktere nicht ganz zusammen.
Aber die Story selbst ist gut und der Krimi liest sich gut. Insgesamt also durchschnttlich. Man kann ihn gut lesen, aber man braucht sich auch nicht zu grämen, wenn man es nicht tut.

[Mark Higginbottom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm .....quite a decent start to a new series I guess .A little depressing at times.It reminded me very much of one of the A Touch Of Frost novels ...albeit Liverpool rather than Manchester.....with a dash of Boys From The Blackstuff thrown into the mix.It was quite refreshing actually to have a novel set in and around Liverpool rather than the usual London or it's environs.I do think this is going to be an interesting series.The main character of Harry Devlin is a wee bit weak.... hopefully he'll get better as the series progresses.In this first book he just comes across as a bit.... wimpy.The actual plot was a bit same old but it had enough to keep me turning the pages .So,not a bad start ....I do feel they will improve ....fingers crossed!

[El · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

The writing style was easy and a pleasure to read. I wasn't as engaged with the plot at the end as I was in the middle, there were a lot of names and characters to remember, but I didn't guess the murderer until it was revealed.

One thing that stood out at the end was this line:

'Harrry gazed at her white breasts, the triangle of reddish fuzz between her legs.'

This woman just killed herself, there is No Need to be mentioning these things.

I swear every time a woman was mentioned, her boobs were described. It's just not necessary. We don't introduce male characters then write about the size of their dick or describe the way their crotch looks in their jeans, do we? Not that I've seen, at least.

The way men describe women in books is usually the reason I avoid male authors.

[Lorelei Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, but I did have difficulty getting interested in it. It was only after reading the first few chapters that the book really started to interest me. It is about a lawyer, Harry who is separated from his wife. His wife, Liz gets murdered and he is obsessed with finding her killer.

The story was easy to follow. The author did a very good job describing the characters and their surroundings. The story held my interest because it kept me wondering who the murderer was and if Harry was going to get killed while tracking the murderer down.

If you like reading murder mysteries, you may want to look at this one.

[Amy Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm new to this author and think I'll happily continue with this series. Devlin is a good character though I'm hoping he is a bit less personally involved in his next case and can exhibit a bit more objectivity...this one involves his wife so needless to say, he loses a bit of perspective. But good.

[Jason Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big fan of Martin Edwards' Lake District series, so I thought I'd dip into his earlier series about Harry Devlin, a Liverpool solicitor. In this, the series opener, Devlin's estranged wife turns up dead. He's a likable character, the supporting cast interesting, the story more hardboiled than his other books. Neat gimmick: all the books owe their titles to rock songs.

[WTD · Rating 2 out of 5]

A first novel and it reads like it. Martin Edwards is a brilliant writer but this is not his best. It was released as a 20th anniversary edition. But may have been kinder to let it slip away to oblivion. Cliched plot and characters, leaden pace and depressing locations. I shall continue to enjoy Martin Edwards books but maybe skip this one?

[Hilary Mccarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Harry Devlin series .
I enjoyed it and it was a good thriller with many twists and turns .
The character of Harry is a little difficult to understand as he is so blindly lead to find out the truth about his wife .
I hope he may become a little more rounded as the series progresses and he isn’t as close to the case .
Or will he be !

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much a nod to Raymond Chandler, but set in Liverpool, this story gripped me from the first chapter and proved a good read from beginning to end. However, I found the Harry Devlin character difficult to get a handle on - I still haven't got a fixed picture of him in my mind, hopefully that will firm up as I read the next book in the series.

[Brian Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Devlin investigates the brutal murder of his estranged wife in a dodgy part of Liverpool. Driven by a sense of loss and feeling guilty that he could not save her life, he seeks revenge. He must therefore identify her killer and he starts his search by tracing her activity on the day she died. This takes him to the seedy underbelly of 1990's Liverpool. His sleuthing is presented against a gloomy background of dismal February weather. He learns how little he knew about his wife and her life in the time they were separated. At first blush, this is a noirish murder mystery story, but in the end, it's a character study of Harry Devlin.
It's a busy story and rough around the edges, nevertheless it is a good debut for the author and the Harry Devlin series.
Worth reading.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Devlin gets a visit from his estranged wife and she is shortly found dead in an alley. The police suspect him but he is determined to find out the truth himself.

I quite enjoyed it but lost track of a lot of the characters so wasn't entirely sure who the killer was in the end!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read Martin Edwards’ Lake District series and enjoyed his story telling. This was my first foray into his Harry Devlin series, set in Liverpool. I liked the character and the story. I will read more!

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first book in the Harry Devlin series. Excellent writing with twists and turns. Harry Devlin is portrayed as a poor excuse of a human person with no self respect. He is not a lonely person but a person with no self worth. Pathetic is an understatement.