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The Penguin Book Of Victorian Women In Crime: Forgotten Cops And Private Eyes From The Time Of Sherlock Holmes (2011)

by Michael Sims(Favorite Author)

3.72 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

014310621X (ISBN13: 9780143106210)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Penguin Classics

review 1: A very balanced anthology which focuses both on the well known and lesser known-members of the "petticoated police". The short bibliographical notes on the authors of the stories which Sims has included with each story are fun to read, informative and just the right size (not too long and not to short). I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Victorian popular literature and/ or detective fiction.
review 2: Although there is no record of a woman on the detective force until 1918, they make their debut in fiction in 1864. While few of these stories are exemplary and some are downright clunky, they provide a fascinating look at the early history of the genre. They also offer a revealing portrait of women in Victorian society. While the... more heroines range from the most proper English ladies to the bicycle-riding “new woman,” each story strives to establish that they possess that most essential trait of female Victorians – womanliness. In one story the heroine is motivated to seek out the villains because they cut off her knee-length hair. In “The Long Arm,” Sarah is a determined investigator who successfully gathers all the clues to solve the case. However, she is not smart enough to work out what they mean until the male detective puts it all together for her. Fortunately many of the heroines do have the brains to figure things out for themselves, although almost every of them is explicitly described as “womanly.” Overall a fun read, especially the bicycle chase in “How He Cut His Stick.” less

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