A Moment on the Edge edited by Elizabeth George

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Mysteries are my go to books. They have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, starting with Encyclopedia Brown. I have always loved reading them, both as novels and short stories. However, almost all of the books I read are by male writers. I have visited the worlds of a few women mystery writers, and Sara Paretsky is one of my favorites, but I have never read a lot of their work. So, when my wife told me about this collection of short mysteries, I was intrigued.

Edited by Elizabeth George, the creator of the aristocratic Inspector Lyndley, one of wife’s favorite detectives, the book presents a comprehensive overview of history of mysteries written by female writers. Her choices range from women who are well known, such as Dorothy Sayers, Ruth Rendell and Joyce Carol Oates, to some lesser known writers including Lia Matera and Minette Walters. All are excellent, and they provide a wide variety of examples of the mystery genre.

One of my favorite stories is A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell. A writer of fiction and plays, Ms. Glaspell (1876-1948) was a member of the Provincetown Players. A Jury takes place out on the plains. The story revolves around the women of a small town and how they react when the husband of one is found, hanged, in his home.

In Murder-Two, Joyce Carol Oates (b. 1938) presents a deep and dark look at the psychology of a young man whose mother has been found murdered. The tale is told through the eyes of his lawyer, a self-assured young lady, who quickly forms doubts about her client and herself.

It is no real surprise that my favorite story comes from my favorite author in the collection – Sara Paretsky (b. 1947). In The Case of the Pietro Andromache, she takes to the short story form and still presents her detective – V.I. Warshawski, with her usual mix of social class awareness, politics and, in this case, she even throws in art history and holocaust for good measure. She does all of this without losing the thread of the mystery or the interest of the reader.

If you love mysteries, especially short ones, and you want to expand your knowledge of women writers, pick up A Moment on the Edge. It is an excellent collection.