Sisters in Crime 2

by Marilyn Wallace (Editor), Joyce Harrington (Contributor), Carolyn G. Hart (Contributor)

A mystery anthology featuring the best short fiction by women writers includes twenty-one original stories by P.M. Carlson, Susan Dunlap, Jeanne Hart, Lia Matera, and others.

Contents:
* Foreword by Marilyn Wallace
* Death Scene, or, The Moor of Venice by P.M. Carlson
* Voices in the Coalbin by Mary Higgins Clark
* The Celestial Buffet by Susan Dunlap
* The Snake Plant by Jean Fiedler
* Lucky Numbers by Mickey Friedman
* The Evidence Exposed by Elizabeth George
* A Poison That Leaves No Trace by Sue Grafton
* Andrew, My Son by Joyce Harrington
* Upstaging Murder by Carolyn G. Hart
* Missing Person by Jeanne Hart
* Too Much to Bear by Joan Hess
* An Act of Loving Kindness by Deidre Laiken
* The Works by T.J. MacGregor
* Out of Whole Cloth by Margaret B. Maron
* Destroying Angel by Lia Matera
* The Luncheon by Sharyn McCrumb
* The Place That Time Forgot by Marcia Muller
* Storm Warnings by Nancy Pickard
* Cul-de-sac by Julie Smith
* Kindness by Deborah Valentine
* Cousin Cora by Carolyn Wheat

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Anthologies, Crime, Mystery Thriller

292 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1990

About the author

Marilyn Weiss Wallace's first novel, A Case of Loyalties, won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel in 1986. Her second, Primary Target, was nominated for an Anthony Award. She is also the editor of the Sisters in Crime anthologies, which have won Anthony, Macavity, and American Mystery Awards. Current Danger is her seventh novel. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Steve]

There are twenty-one stories in this second anthology from Sisters in Crime and most of them are quite good, with only about four that I didn't much like. My favorites are "Voices in the Coalbin" by Mary Higgins Clark, "The Snake Plant" by Jean Fiedler, "A Poison That Leaves No Trace" by Sue Grafton, "Too Much to Bare" by Joan Hess, and "The Place That Time Forgot" by Marcia Muller.

As I write this in 2017, twenty-seven years have gone by since this was published. I think the book has held up well; a check with Google shows that the authors have also held up well. Of the editor and twenty-one authors, it appears that only one person, Joyce Harrington, is no longer living. I guess Sisterhood really is powerful.

[Sparrow .]

Is there a particular feminine way to write mystery stories? With more emotional depth, not just revolvers and rationality? Come to think of it, Agatha Christie is pretty rationalistic – maybe more so than Arthur Conan Doyle, who semi-invented the genre. Plus, some of these authors could be men masquerading as women, or children masquerading as adults, for that matter.

All anthologies seem to get better towards the end – have you noticed that? Maybe it’s because you get attached to them when they’re about to conclude.

And this one is alphabetical in order. So unless writers whose names begin with V are better than those whose names start with C, there’s some other factor…

(Being exiled to the end of the alphabet improves a writer: a new thesis topic.)

The one I remember best, strangely, is a historical piece (I knew there were historical novels, but I was not aware of historical short stories) set on a stagecoach in the Old West. I forget what happens, but I think there is a romance. Or was. (No, I guess one uses the present tense for a story, since it’s always going on, in some sense.)

My God, it's the very first story: "Death Scene; or, The Moor of Venice" by P.M. Carlson. ("Note: This story is based on the actual tour of America by the great Italian actor Tommaso Salvini in 1880-81.")

Opening at random:

She searched wildly for a way to prove Sylvia wrong, to catch her in some horridly devious lie. "But you had dinner with him!"

"He wanted to ask me how I thought you'd react to a divorce," Sylvia said gently. "He made me swear not to mention it to you. It's been Bitsy all along."

[From "Too Much to Bare" by Joan Hess]

[Sheila Myers]

Some good stories while others aren't quite so good.

[Leah]

I didn't particularly care for the first several stories but the later ones were more to my liking.

[Gail]

I enjoyed every story in this anthology.