Mysteries written by women have always been an important part of the genre and have constituted a growing trend over the past several years. This book provides information on more than 200 women writers. The editors state that they took 1977 as their starting date because that was the year of the publication of Marcia Muller's first Sharon McCone mystery, Edwin of the Iron Shoes, which is "often considered to have ushered in the era of the modern private eye." Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and others from the "Golden Age" of mystery are not included. Among the newer writers who can be found here are Linda Barnes, Sarah Caudwell, Elizabeth George, Joan Hess, Lia Matera, and Sharon McCrumb. Coverage is given to writers of suspense, such as Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, and Mary Higgins Clark; but not to writers of espionage, such as Evelyn Anthony and Helen MacInnes. Emphasis is on American, Canadian, and British writers who have published at least three books.
Entries are arranged alphabetically by author. There are separate entries for writers that produce under more than one name, for example, Ruth Rendell and Barbara Vine. For each writer, a brief essay gives information about style, series characters, and other significant features. Mentioned in entries are initial books in a series, award winners, and other important titles. Each entry refers readers to "read-alikes"; for example, in the entry on Dorothy Cannell, the editors state that "comedy-mysteries by Elizabeth Peters, Charlotte MacLeod, and Joan Hess also may be fun for readers of Cannell." This feature makes the work similar to What Do I Read Next? The volume concludes with a number of indexes: by series character, by place, and by type of detective, such as amateurs, clergy, and cooks. There is also a list of short story anthologies by women mystery writers.
There are now so many reference works on mystery fiction available that a new one has to provide something unique. By a Woman's Hand is the only one devoted exclusively to women writers. It is not intended as a bibliographic guide and so will need to be supplemented by other works for a more complete picture of a writer's output. (It may be difficult to find additional information, however, on some of the newer writers found here.) The lack of bibliographic information limits this work's use as a research tool, but other features, such as the recommendations about similar authors and titles, make it an extremely useful readers' advisory aid. Recommended for public libraries that serve avid mystery fans.
Product Description
Here are more than 200 clear, concise profiles of women authors of mystery and suspense fiction--including Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton, and many others. Focusing on writers whose work appeared from the 1970s to the present, the volume is arranged alphabetically, with each entry containing the author's best-known books, mystery heroines, pen names, writing styles, and more.
