Re-discovering lesser known female writers

[Miss M]

Over the weekend I discovered a fantastic new (to me) blog, dedicated to lesser known British women writers from the period 1910-1960.

Amongst the huge wealth of information, he has a separate list dedicated to female mystery writers. Some great stuff (and wonderful period covers) there.

http://furrowedmiddlebrow.blogspot.co...

Be warned, some of these are so obscure it can definitely be frustrating when they don't show up even on abebooks or bookfinder.com...still I guess the hunt is part of the fun!

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

I'm in love with this blog already. I can't thank you enough for calling it to my attention!!!

[Feliks]

I will submit something related here (you may have seen it before, from me)

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
(see post approx halfway down)

Basically--under a discussion thread for Wilkie Collins' 'Woman in White'--we got to chatting about who penned the first detective novel, and so I threw in everything I knew about the topic. The potentially useful thing about this thread is that I went to the labor of providing publishing dates for all the author's first novels (I hope it dovetails with FurredMiddleBrow).

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

the British women I picked out of that discussion:

The Baroness Orczy (of 'Scarlet Pimpernel' fame) created 'The Old Man In the Corner' --an armchair detective--in 1909 and 'Lady Molly of Scotland Yard' in 1910 (very early female sleuth!).

Margery Allingham with 'The White Cottage Mystery' (1927).

Christie, Marsh, Sayers, Tey, and Allingham were the reining 'queens of crime' in the 20s and 30s and really, the spine supporting the 'Golden Age of Detective Fiction' which the era can safely be characterized as.

[Miss M]

That looks really interesting, Feliks. I'm bookmarking to read when I get home. Thanks!

[Feliks]

Thanks Miss M. Any corrections or edits needed, please let me know so I can amend it for more accuracy.

Nancy, you missed just one.
Anna Katharine Green's 'The Leavenworth Case'(1878)

As far as I can tell this was the first female-written English detective novel.

[Skye]

I have read many that slipped my mind! Thank you, Miss M

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Feliks wrote: "Thanks Miss M. Any corrections or edits needed, please let me know so I can amend it for more accuracy.

Nancy, you missed just one.
Anna Katharine Green's 'The Leavenworth Case'(1878)

As far as I..."

Anna Katherine Green is American, not British - that's why I didn't include her.

BTW, I just bought a book by Marjorie Allen mentioned on the blog - and I'm going to go through as many of his authors as I can find (the ones I haven't yet read).

[Jan C]

Working my way through Allingham and Ngaio Marsh (New Zealand, I think). Still debating about Green.

[Feliks]

Nancy! I'd like to start a thread about my favorite female *thriller* authors. Is that okay with you?

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Of course! Please make a little announcement about no self promotion before making your first post. Nicely, please.

[Feliks]

Good deal. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't reinventing the round thingy. Maybe the topic might've already been covered, after all.

[Carolien]

Thanks Miss M and Feliks for the information. It's nice to have it in one place.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Updating: I'm currently reading Postscript to Poison, by Dorothy Bowers from the blog - and I just ran into this:

"He had the natural man's horror of hysteria," ... (97) -

The book was written in 1938. Seems like a pretty dumb attitude for men to have that late.

[Feliks]

I think we still have it. We generally like women to be stable and unflappable.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Feliks wrote: "I think we still have it. We generally like women to be stable and unflappable."

how very Victorian of you.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Update: finished and posted review of Masked Murder aka Dark Prophecy, by Marjorie Alan. Written in 1945.

Next up - Joanna Canaan and They Rang Up the Police, which I just bought.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

I'm doing the reading in alpha-order style -- I'll get the basics first & go back & pick up the ones I haven't yet read.

[Bill]

I've enjoyed Allingham, Tey, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers, all interesting authors. Thanks for providing the link Miss M.