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The Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime
Forgotten Cops and Private Eyes from the Time of Sherlock Holmes
Michaels Sims

Penguin Classics
January 25, 2011/ ISBN 9780143106210
Classic Mysteries written by authors popular in the from the Victorian
Period
Amazon

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks

I'm familiar with some of the mysteries in this Penguin Classic, so reading Victorian Women in Crime was a nice stroll down memory lane. In this Classic edition, each writer has his/her own writing style and portrayal of Victorian society, personalities, and dialect. Avid readers will recognize these writers, I'm sure. And if you are a fan historical mysteries or mysteries written in the Victorian era by popular authors of that time, you will enjoy this classic edition.

"Mysterious Countess" with the undercover detective and suspicious countess is a great hook for the rest of the book. My favorite reads are "Long Arm" by Mary E Wilkins where the main character pleads her case to the readers, giving them the power of judge and jury. Another favorite is Anna Katharine Green's "Affair Next Door", but unfortunately only a very small portion is included in this book. I found "The Second Bullet" by Anna Katharine Green complex and heartbreaking.

Without a doubt, these stories are a wonderful way to go back in time to experience some impressive writers and imaginative storylines. I know with these Victorian mysteries you, too, will seek a quiet place away from interruption.

Stories included are:

The Mysterious Countess - W S Haward (1864)
The Unknown Weapon - Andrew Forrester (1864)
Drawn Daggers - C L Pirkis (1893)
The Long Arm - Mary E Wilkins (1895)
That Affair Next Door - Anna Katharine Green (1897)
The Man with the Wild Eyes - George R Sims (1897)
The Adventure of the Cantankerous Old Lady - Grant Allen (1899)
How He Cut His Stick - M McDonnell Bodkin (1900)
The Man Who Cut Off My Hair - Richard Marsh (1912)
The Man with Nines Lives - Hugh C Weir (1914)
The Second Bullet - Anna Katharine Green (1915)

 

Reviewer's Note:
Reviewed 2011
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