Last Ditch The Ngaio Marsh Collection

A classic Ngaio Marsh novel

On an idyllic island off the coast of France, Ricky finds inspiration for a novel: the death of an equestrienne who rode as recklessly as she lived. Ricky turns to his formidable father for help when he discovers a world of drugs and murder under the surface of his island paradise.

 Considered one of the "Queens of Crime"--along with such greats as Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham--Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982) was a gifted writer and a celebrated author of classic British detective fiction, as well as a successful theater director. Best known for the 32 detective novels she published between 1934 and 1982, she was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) in 1966. Based on years of original research by the curator of the Ngaio Marsh House in Christchurch, New Zealand, this book explores the fascinating literary world of Dame Ngaio.

The tenth volume in a set of omnibus editions presenting the complete run of 32 Inspector Alleyn mysteries.

This invaluable resource provides information about and sources for researching 50 of the top crime genre writers, including websites and other online resources. Crime Writers: A Research Guide is an easy-to-use launch pad for learning more about crime fiction authors, including those who write traditional mystery novels, suspense novels, and thrillers with crime elements. Emphasizing the best and most popular writers, the book covers approximately 50 contemporary authors, plus a few classics like Agatha Christie. Each entry provides a brief quotation that gives some indication of writing style; a biographical sketch; lists of major works and awards; and research sources, including websites, biographies, criticism, and research guides. There are also read-alikes for selected authors. Of special note is the inclusion of websites and other online resources, such as blogs and social networking sites, which are often overlooked in author-reference sources. The book also provides an overview of the genre and subgenres, a timeline, and a comprehensive bibliography. An ideal resource for genre studies and literature classes, this guide will also be invaluable to readers' advisors, book club leaders, students, and genre fans.

This volume, which examines the special contributions of a number of women mystery writers, sheds light on this significant example of common interests in recreational reading among women and men and the reasons behind the early and continuing uncharacteristic near-equality of both sexes in this field of endeavor.

Three Inspector Alleyn novels plus a bonus story "I can find my way out".

Why are English women so good at murder? Among the books which have survived for more than half a century, always in print and always in demand, are the murder mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and other women writers. Yet their male competitors are mostly forgotten. What is it about these womens' work that has kept it alive? And what was it about the authors that gave them such violent or cunning imaginations, always hidden behind the most respectable of facades? In this book, first published in 1981, Jessica Mann brings the perception of a fellow crime writer to her investigation of her predecessors' lives and work. She discusses the changes in the mystery form over the years, and its enduring worldwide popularity, in a book that was described by one critic as "e;obligatory reading for any reader of crime fiction"e;, and of which another wrote "e;I cannot recall a better work of criticism devoted to the crime story."e;