British Women Mystery Writers: Authors of Detective Fiction with Female Sleuths

by Mary Hadley

Overview

Many aspects of British detective fiction are intriguingly different from the American detective fiction. And, confusingly, many of the British women detectives who have made it to American television are far from typical of the latest women detectives.

This work is a study of British detective fiction with female protagonists written by women. Authors included are P.D. James, Jennie Melville, Liza Cody, Val McDermid, Joan Smith and Susan Moody. Special attention is paid to the evolution of the British female sleuth from the 1960s to the year 2000, particularly the 1980s, and how this shaped and altered detective fiction. Also discussed is the effect of the British judicial system and gun laws on detective fiction and real life, the types of crimes women detectives usually investigate, why certain directions have been taken and which ones may be taken in the future, issues being raised by the authors, and new women authors of detective fiction with female protagonists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786412426
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	04/09/2002
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.42(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Mary Hadley, a former associate professor of writing and linguistics at Georgia Southern University, is retired and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	vii
	Introduction	1
1	P.D. James	17
2	Jennie Melville	39
3	Liza Cody	56
4	Val McDermid	77
5	Joan Smith	97
6	Susan Moody	113
7	New Voices	133
	Conclusion	154
Appendix	Transcripts of Personal and E-Mail Interviews, and Records of E-Mail Responses	163
	Works Cited	191
	Index	195

Editorial Reviews

a pleasantly clear work”—Choice; “intriguing insights...clear and lucid”—Reviewing the Evidence.

From the Publisher

"intriguing insights...clear and lucid"

Reviewing the Evidence

a pleasantly clear work

Choice

With an emphasis on the evolution of the British female sleuth from the 1960s to 2000, Hadley (writing and linguistics, Georgia Southern U.) traces how six authors' attitudes, intentions, and motives have been affected by feminism and societal changes. She looks, too, at how the work of the authors<-->P.D. James, Jennie Melville, Liza Cody, Val McDermid, Joan Smith, and Susan Moody<-->differs from that of their US counterparts and how they have created entirely new types of female protagonists. A final chapter on "new voices" assesses the work of four promising mystery writers of the next generation. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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