Published in 2002 (first published 1992)
260 pages
Cynthia Manson is a literary agent, formerly Director of Marketing at Davis Publications, publishers of Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazines. She has also edited several anthologies.
What is this book about?
From the pages of the world’s two most acclaimed mystery magazines, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, here are fifteen stories of women sleuths — stories that have helped transform the conventions of the genre. Numerous best-selling and award-winning writers comprise this entertaining collection, many of who appear here for the first time in this book. From cops to private eyes in extraordinary situations, these heroines face danger and solve crimes with daring and panache. Some of them are old friends, while others are introduced here for the first time. Amanda Cross’s Kate Fansler looks into the disappearance of a fellow professor; Antonia Fraser’s Jemima Shore, TV journalist and investigator, is hired by a newlywed to find his missing bride; Patricia McGerr’s Selena Mead, government agent, plays the dual role of victim and level-headed operative in an exciting thriller; Sara Paretsky’s widely renowned V. I. Warshawski gets involved in a complicated game, literally; Ruth Rendell’s heroine undergoes a liberation from her former self; and Mary Higgins Clark highlights the heroic side of womankind in her story of a stewardess and a stowaway. From mystery to thriller, to the “lighter side” of the genre, these exciting stories will thrill and delight mystery fans, both male and female alike. This rich collection is thoughtfully chosen to represent the best of this fascinating and compelling genre.
Contents:
Introduction / by Cynthia Mason
Stowaway / by Mary Higgins Clark
Constitution Street / by Janet Stockey
A pair of yellow lilies / by Ruth Rendell
Discards / by Faye Kellerman
The girl who wanted to see Venice / by Antonia Fraser
Chain of terror / by Patricia McGerr
Tania’s no where / by Amanda Cross
Old friends / by Dorothy Salisbury Davis
A case for Clara Cates / by Carolyn Jensen Watts
Guilt feelings / by Celia Fremlin
A little more research / by Joan Hess
The upstairs flat / by Elizabeth A. Dalton
The Takamoku joseki / by Sara Paretsky
Digby’s first case / by Anne Perry
Night vision / by B.K. Stevens
