A Moment on the Edge
100 Years
of Crime Stories by Women
Edited by Elizabeth
George
A
Moment on the Edge
is a collection of short stories written by twenty-five of the best
women mystery writers in history. They span the years between 1903
and 2003. Some of the writers included in this book are Antonia
Fraser, Charlotte Armstrong, Sara Paretsky, Ngaio Marsh and Shirley
Jackson.
All
kinds of mysteries and sleuths are represented here. Some are amateur
sleuths and some are professionals. Even the hard-boiled lady private
eye is here. Most, if not all, of the crimes they deal with are
murders. There is a new mystery featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr.
Watson, though it is not told from Dr. Watson's point of view. There
is also a new take on the case of Jack the Ripper. Some of the stories
have sleuths that are featured in a series of books and short stories.
Some, however, feature amateurs that only appear in this one story.
All are great reading.
I
especially enjoyed the new Sherlock Holmes mystery. It is quite
different from the usual Sherlock Holmes story—a refreshing
change. Still, there was no slacking the in the great detective's
mental agility in solving a mystery. I also enjoyed the take on
Jack the Ripper. This was a point-of-view never examined until now.
The
solution to the mystery did not always involve a criminal. Sometimes
the crime was not a crime at all, but a misunderstanding of the
facts in the case. Some involved funny happenings, though most were
quite serious. The end was always believable, but usually quite
unexpected.
Elizabeth
George has done an outstanding job of selecting mysteries for this
book. This is one any mystery lover will enjoy. Pick up a copy and
enjoy.
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