BY A WOMAN'S HAND: A GUIDE TO MYSTERY FICTION BY WOMEN

N.Y.: Berkeley Book, 1994. 1st pbk printing, May 1994, so stated with complete number line beginning with 1. Fine, oversize trade paperback.. Over 200 profiles of authors, plots and titles. Includes indexes by series characters, geography & type of detective. "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.. First Edition. Trade Paperback. Fine. Book.