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"Fear and Clothing: Dress in English Detective Fiction Between the First and Second World Wars" by Jane Custance Baker is a cultural history book that explores the role of clothing in interwar detective fiction. The author argues that the clothes worn by characters in these novels reflect the class anxieties of the time, rather than being integral to the plot. The book analyzes how dress was used to communicate and consolidate class identities, as well as the presentation of masculinity and femininity through clothing. It also examines the significance of tweed as a new uniform for younger generations and explores the portrayal of race in detective fiction. The interdisciplinary approach of the book provides new insights into the social and cultural history of interwar Britain. [Extracted from the article]

This article considers the representation of tabloid journalists in 1930s British cinema. It argues that during this period, British films showed journalists to be collaborating with state powers to maintain a stable society. They also depicted reporters as not adhering to any recognised ethical framework. As a result, cinematic journalists in 1930s Britain differ markedly from later, better-known fictional reporters, as they do not challenge inequalities or uphold principles of ethics. The 1930s saw the consolidation and expansion of the popular press in Britain, as well as a boom in cinemagoing. The depiction of the relatively novel 'type' of the tabloid reporter in fiction films in this period therefore had the potential to greatly impact the public's view of the journalism profession. The article highlights how this under-researched period in British film history gives important indications of the place of the reporter in the country's popular imagination, in this decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Julia Laite's latest book, I The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey i , painstakingly reconstructs the life of one young woman who became a victim of the international human trafficking networks that operated in Edwardian London. After a few unsuccessful months in South America, the trio relocated to London, where Lydia continued to work as a streetwalker and was eventually sold by Carvelli to another pimp. The book's wide geographical range does not diminish the original research Laite has conducted in relation to Harvey's experiences in London, and indeed builds on her previous scholarship. [Extracted from the article]