Latin American Mystery Writers: An A-to-Z Guide

(Hardback)

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Description

Latin America has a rich literary tradition that is receiving growing amounts of attention. The body of Latin American mystery writing is especially vast and diverse. Because it is part of Latin American popular culture, it also reflects many of the social and cultural concerns of that region. This reference provides an overview of mystery fiction of Latin America. While many of the authors profiled have received critical attention, others have been relatively neglected. Included are alphabetically arranged entries on 54 writers, most of whom are from Argentina, Mexico, and Cuba. Every effort has been made to include balanced coverage of the few female mystery writers. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and includes a brief biography, a critical discussion of the writer's works, and primary and secondary bibliographies. The volume closes with a general bibliography of anthologies and criticism.

Reviews

"Provides an overview of mystery fiction in Latin America."-Hispanic Outlook
(Reviewed with Science Fiction Writers) [T]hese two new titles fill a void. Both genres are relatively fledgling, and furthermore, the notion of "popular culture" in Latin America is a recent phenomenon. Receommended for libraries serving Latin American studies programs.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
[A]n important contribution to mystery scholarship....[p]rovocative and stimulating reading.-Mystery Scence
[T]races the history and presence of the mystery genre in Latin America, offering an overview of the two most prevalent subgenres practiced there, the police procedural and the hard-boiled private detective story....Recommended. Library collections with holdings in Latin American literature or detective fiction.-Choice
Provides an overview of mystery fiction in Latin America.-Hispanic Outlook
Whoever wants to inform themselves about Latin American crime writers would be well advised to place Lockhart's reference work Latin American Mystery Writers on their shelf-Alligatorpapieren
"(Reviewed with Science Fiction Writers) These two new titles fill a void. Both genres are relatively fledgling, and furthermore, the notion of "popular culture" in Latin America is a recent phenomenon. Receommended for libraries serving Latin American studies programs."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"An important contribution to mystery scholarship....provocative and stimulating reading."-Mystery Scence
"Traces the history and presence of the mystery genre in Latin America, offering an overview of the two most prevalent subgenres practiced there, the police procedural and the hard-boiled private detective story....Recommended. Library collections with holdings in Latin American literature or detective fiction."-Choice
"(Reviewed with Science Fiction Writers) [T]hese two new titles fill a void. Both genres are relatively fledgling, and furthermore, the notion of "popular culture" in Latin America is a recent phenomenon. Receommended for libraries serving Latin American studies programs."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"[A]n important contribution to mystery scholarship....[p]rovocative and stimulating reading."-Mystery Scence
"Whoever wants to inform themselves about Latin American crime writers would be well advised to place Lockhart's reference work Latin American Mystery Writers on their shelf"-Alligatorpapieren
"[T]races the history and presence of the mystery genre in Latin America, offering an overview of the two most prevalent subgenres practiced there, the police procedural and the hard-boiled private detective story....Recommended. Library collections with holdings in Latin American literature or detective fiction."-Choice

Author Bio

DARRELL B. LOCKHART is an assistant professor of Spanish at the University of Nevada, Reno where he teaches Latin American literature, popular culture, and film. He is the editor of Latin American Jewish Writers: A Dictionary (1997), co-author of Culture and Customs of Argentina (Greenwood, 1998), and editor of Latin American Science Fiction Writers and Latin American Mystery Writers (both Greenwood, 2004).