Mystery Women, Volume One (Revised)

May 1, 2004
Barnett started collecting novels featuring female detectives in 1975, and an early result was the publication in 1997 of " Mystery Women: An Encyclopedia of Leading Women Characters in Mystery Fiction" , which covered the years 1860-1979." " That volume was revised in 2001, and quickly followed by " Mystery Women, volume 2" , extending coverage through the 1980s. Volume 3 (which is actually spread over two volumes) covers 1990-1999.

Together, the volumes treat almost 1,300 women. Selection is based upon number of significant appearances, and not all of the women who are included are heroines or even detectives. The expected names such as Jane Marple and V. I. Warshawski are here, but Barnett also includes Spenser's girlfriend, Susan Silverman, and Lord Peter Wimsey's eventual wife, Harriet Vane. Arrangement is alphabetical by character name, and each entry includes author name and a readable character biography. Entries are followed by an author and character index, a cumulative character index, a title index, and a chronology of years in which the characters made their first appearances (1860-1999). The chronology is a useful finding aid, since characters are assigned to a volume depending on the year in which they first appeared in print. Also helpful is the "Author/Character Master List" in volume 3.

Public libraries can add this work to their collections as both a collection-development and a readers'-advisory tool for mystery-loving patrons. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)