Deadly Women: The Woman Mystery Readers' Indispensable Companion

This is a multi-title review. Titles include Deadly Woman: Woman Mystery Readers' Indispensable Companion and Guilty Parties: A Mystery Lover's Companion - LIT In France, it's a 'polar,' in Germany a 'Krimi.' The mystery novel is sometimes defined as paraliterature, but here it receives serious treatment. Ousby (editor of Cambridge Guide to Literature in English, Cambridge Univ., 1994) chronicles the international development of the crime and detective story from its origins to the current state of the art, covering authors from Europe to South Africa. With a well-rounded blend of critical analysis and goodies for the mystery fan, he examines hard-boiled detectives, pulp fiction, female private eyes, and other elements of the crime novel. A film noir filmography, awards lists, chronologies, maps, and glossaries are scattered throughout. Deadly Women is a random compilation of individual essays and interviews with prominent female mystery authors like Nancy Pickard and Janet Evanovich. The articles range from historical accounts of founding ladies like Honey West, the 'sexiest private eye ever to pull a trigger,' to a discussion of the trials and tribulations of writing a novel and getting it published. Less of an 'indispensable companion' than a fireside chat with favorite authors, Grape's work will appeal to budding mystery writers and fans. Ousby's book is recommended for public and academic libraries needing a world overview of the genre for both circulating and reference collections, while Grape's work will circulate in public collections where mysteries are popular. Kelli N. Perkins, Herrick P.L., Holland, Mich.-