Ms. Murder: The Best Mysteries Featuring Women Detectives, by the Top Women Writers.

by Marie Smith

Here is a unique collection of mystery stories featuring women detectives, all written by women. For the first time the top women mystery writers are presented together in one volume. "Ms. Murder" includes some of the best fiction by such writers, including Amanda Cross, Ruth Rendell, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and Antonia Fraser. The book traces the evolution of the female sleuth from F. Tennyson Jesse's Solange Fontaine (in a newly discovered story making its first appearance here in any book) to Sarah Paretsky's tough Chicago investigator V. I. Warshawski, who lives life entirely on her own terms. The detectives in these stories are shrewd, sophisticated, even hard-boiled. Amateur or professional, they unravel mysteries that involve the reader right from the start. From Edwardian London to sleek modern Chicago, from discerning academics to gun-toting P.I.'s, "Ms. Murder" presents the best by the best. It is destined to become a collectable classic.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

Reviews

[Kirsten Simkiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really deserves about 3 1/2 stars, but in the absence of that option I have given it three stars. I felt that I enjoyed about half, if not a little bit over half, of the stories.

My biggest complaint was that it felt like it was a lot more than it actually was. It took me a long time to read through all of them because it was dry and I lost interest in some of the stories. Some of the authors I was familiar with, while others I had never heard of.

My least favorite was the second to last story, "Once Upon A Time" by Amanda Cross. Otherwise, I found most of the others to be passable mysteries. This one was the only story in the collection to not be a murder mystery at all, but an origin story.

All in all, this is definitely a book to recommend to those who are looking into other mystery writers that might like Agatha Christie. It was the reason I picked up the book and it gave me other authors in the mystery genre to look into.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun! This is a great anthology of mystery. Each one has a voice of its own. Some make you laugh and others keep you wondering until the end and the last one of all has a heart thumping chase scene. My favorite was The Lipstick, by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Paintbox Place, by Ruth Rendell was really fun, too. I love this anthology of the best mysteries featuring women detectives!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting in historical terms primarily. Women investigating murders throughout the last 100 years.... somewhat horrific in terms of how even women wrote about women 60-80 years ago - heck even 30 years ago.....

a couple of good yarns nevertheless

[Harron68 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd, if interesting collection of shorts going back decades. It features women sleuths, from elderly spinster types to actual modern day female P.Is. They vary in quality and get better as they get closer to our era. Three stars, babe.

[Jeff Hobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solange Fontaine in The lover of St. Lys / by F. Tennyson Jesse --2
Jane Marple in Tape-measure murder / by Agatha Christie --3
Gwynn Leith in The Mackenzie case by Viola Brothers Shaw --3
Susan Dare in Easter devil / Mignon G. Eberhart --2
Ann Shelley, M.A. in The gilded pupil / by Ethel Lina White --2
Susan Tabbitt in Scrawns / by Dorothy L. Sayers --3
Louise Baring in The lipstick by Mary Roberts Rinehart --3
Beatrice Lestrange Bradley in A light on murder / by Gladys Mitchell --2
Rachel Murdock in The absent hat pin / by D.B. Olsen --3
Miss Phipps in Miss Phipps and the invisible murderer / by Phyllis Bentley --2
Julia Martell in The Mother Goose madman / by Betty Ren Wright --3
Sarah Brady in The Splintered Monday / by Charlotte Armstrong --4
Avice Julian in Paintbox Place / by Ruth Rendell --2
Selena Mead in The writing on the wall / by Patricia McGerr --2
Jemina Shore in The case of the Parr children / by Antonia Fraser --3
Professor Kate Fansler in Once upon a time / by Amanda Cross --3
V.I. Warshawski in Three-dot Po / by Sara Paretsky --2

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once I got past the Miss Marple story, i lost interest in the book. It was apparent from the beginning that this wasn't my type of book. The Miss Marple short was a ***** but as for the others I read I didn't like the way they were written. However I can't comment on the ones later on the book as they may be good but I had already lost interest.

[Gowri N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of interesting mysteries featuring female detectives. Obviously, Miss Marple finds a place - but the story selected - Tape Measure Murder - is really not one of her best.

Some other memorable stories from this collection are: The Mother Goose Madman; The Case of the Parr Children and The Gilded Pupil.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good collection of short stories.