Great Women Mystery Writers, 2nd Edition

(Hardback, 2nd Revised edition)

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Description

Mysteries are among the most popular books today, and women continue to be among the most creative and widely read mystery writers. This book includes alphabetically arranged entries on 90 women mystery writers. Many of the writers discussed were not even writing when the first edition of this book was published in 1994, while others have written numerous works since then. Writers were selected based on their status as award winners, their commercial success, and their critical acclaim. Each entry provides biographical information, a discussion of major works and themes, and primary and secondary bibliographies. The volume closes with appendices and a selected, general bibliography. Public library patrons will value this guide to their favorite authors, while students will turn to it when writing reports.

Reviews

For libraries that own Klein's original compilation, the new edition is a valuable update. For other collections, this new edition provides useful biobibliographic information on contemporary women mystery writers. Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. * Choice *
Lindsay offers biographies of 90 female English language mystery writers in this update to the 1994 edition. Writers who were deceased before 1994, or who have died since then but whose entries in the first edition remain complete, have been omitted. Entries on living writers have been updated, and many new names added. The authors were selected based on award receipts, commercial success, and critical acclaim. Each entry offers a short bibliography, a discussion of major works and themes, and a summary of critical response, followed by a complete bibliography. Multiple indexes allow readers to find works by author, series character name, sleuth type, and setting. The appendices list female nominees and recipients of various mystery awards. * Reference & Research Book News *
[A] useful reader's advisory tool for public librarians or an accessible reference for fans looking for a good read. * Feminist Collections *
Each A-Z entry includes the author's full name, a short biography, a summary of the author's major works and themes, a discussion of the author's critical reception, a bibliography of the author's works separated by series, and a list of works about the author.Libraries that have the first edition of Great Women Mystery Writers will want to add the second edition since it updates the first book and gives valuable information on many new mystery writers.Public libraries with a strong patron demand for mysteries and academic libraries that have mystery courses will definitely want to add Great Women Mystery Writers to their reference collections. * Booklist *

Author Bio

Elizabeth Blakesley Lindsay is the Assistant Director for Public Services and Outreach at the Washington State University Libraries, where she formerly served as Head of Library Instruction. She previously worked in the libraries at Indiana State University and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.