The Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime: Forgotten Cops and Private Eyes from the Time of Sherlock Holmes (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Michael Sims (Editor, Introduction)

Book Description

Release date: January 25, 2011 | Series: Penguin Classics

A wonderfully wicked new anthology from the editor of The Penguin Book of Gaslight Crime

It is the Victorian era and society is both entranced by and fearful of that suspicious character known as the New Woman. She rides those new- fangled bicycles and doesn't like to be told what to do. And, in crime fiction, such female detectives as Loveday Brooke, Dorcas Dene, and Lady Molly of Scotland Yard are out there shadowing suspects, crawling through secret passages, fingerprinting corpses, and sometimes committing a lesser crime in order to solve a murder.

In The Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime, Michael Sims has brought together all of the era's great crime-fighting females- plus a few choice crooks, including Four Square Jane and the Sorceress of the Strand.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Sims has edited two other collections for Penguin Classics: The Annotated Archy and Mehitable and Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Thief. His research for the latter inspired The Penguin Book of Gaslight Crime. His most recent non-fiction book is Apollo's Fire: A Journey through the Extraordinary Wonders of an Ordinary Day, which National Public Radio chose as one of the Best Science Books of 2007. He is also the author of Adam's Navel: A Natural and Cultural History of the Human Form, which was a New York Times Notable Book and a Library Journal Best Science Book; and Darwin's Orchestra: An Almanac of Nature in History and the Arts. His writing has appeared in New Statesman, Gourmet, Orion, the Washington Post, and many other periodicals in the United States and abroad. Learn more at www.michaelsimsbooks.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (January 25, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014310621X
• ISBN-13: 978-0143106210
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.6 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #574,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful history of female detectives June 10, 2011

By M. Campio

Format:Paperback

I am so glad I decided to give this book a try. Excellent, excellent history of the beginnings of the female detective in novellas and short stories, dating from 1864 to 1915. As the other reviewer who actually read the book, stated...with the exception of one mystery, I thoroughly enjoyed them all. Mr. Sims did his homework in giving not only the history of each detective, but a short bio of the author as well that gave us good background material. Don't skip over the Introduction! What a wealth of information I would have missed by not reading it. This is my first Penguin Classic but definetly not my last. My actual rating would have been a 4.5 stars if available. I love history so what could be better than reading the history of one of my favorite genres?

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Complilation May 5, 2011

By KathyZ

Format:Paperback

This collection is full of very well-thought-out choices and I love that the stories are presented chronologically (by their publication date; the stories span between 1864 and 1915). I especially appreciated Sim's introduction, which put you into the mind frame of exactly the social and political position women were placed in during the Victorian era in Britain.

The compilation consists of either short stories that were one-offs, shorts that were part of a series, or a chapter from a larger story. Either way, Sims set-up each one very well so you didn't feel lost and you understood where in the Victorian time line this story fell. He also includes a nice intro background to the authors that are included in this title.

Each time I finished a story I thought to myself, "Man, that was really good. I hope the next one isn't a let down." And the next one would be even better than the last. The only story I was kind of "meh" about is the second one, "The Unknown Weapon" by Andrew Forrester. It also happens to be the longest story in the collection, but it was good to read for context and historical purposes.

This collection is equal, if not better, than its companion, The Penguin Book of Gaslight Crime.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure trove of "new" vintage detectives March 8, 2012

By Patto TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm beginning to think of Michael Sims as my personal literary advisor, even though I don't know him. His collection of Victorian detective stories, The Dead Witness, introduced me to several delightful writers I'd never heard of. Now he's expanded my horizons again with this collection of Victorian Women in Crime.

I was thrilled to learn, for example, that one of my favorite fin de siècle authors, Richard Marsh (The Beetle), wrote a whole series of stories with a feisty female detective whose special talent is lip reading. I immediately ordered a collection of these Judith Lee stories. I loved the story by Grant Allen featuring Lois Cayley, penniless Girton graduate, and plan to follow up on her adventures. Another find was the New England writer Mary E. Wilkins. I think I'll try her ghost stories.

So if you're in search of forgotten writers of vintage fiction, which I always am, Sims's Victorian collections are a great resource.

In his lively introduction to Victorian Women in Crime, Sims points out that fictional female detectives appeared on the scene decades before they became a reality. Women sleuths were a kind of fantasy that appealed greatly to the reading public. Some of the women investigators in this book are Sherlock Holmes types in skirts, complete with their own Watsons. One is a master of disguise, another claims simply to be a hard worker, and another boasts of "corkscrew-like qualities" as an interrogator.

Every story is exceptionally well written and engaging. This is remarkable, considering the obscurity of the authors overall. Anna Katherine Green is the most famous writer in the collection, but even she may be a new discovery for some readers.

I enjoyed every minute of this book and recommend it with enthusiasm.