Queens of Crime: Female Authors from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction
I’ll let you in on my least-well-kept secret: I’m a big fan of mystery novels. They are my go-to reads, with one caveat: they have to be a specific kind of mystery novel.
I’m not looking for gritty procedurals here, nor am I hankering after bleak and graphic noir. On the other hand, I don’t want pure fluff, the kinds of books that take place in small town quilt shops or bakeries. No, I want a puzzle—one that I can’t quite put together, where I have all the pieces, but the author is always one step ahead of me. I want it to be thoughtful, with depth. And I want it to be enjoyable; I don’t want to be sobbing into my pillow at night after I read it.
And so, without fail, I turn to the Golden Age of Detective Fiction (the 1920s & 1930s) and also without fail, I turn to the handful of female authors who were honing their craft within this genre, and doing some pretty spectacular things.
Detective fiction was booming during this era—the post-war realities had people looking for some escapism, and mystery novels were a part of a kind of “puzzle-mania” that took hold around this time. The genre was flourishing, and so it made sense for emerging writers to kick off their careers by writing a whodunit or two.
But then a really interesting thing happened. Intelligent and adventurous writers—like the four women listed below—wanted more. And so once they had established themselves, they began to push the boundaries of the genre a little bit more. They started playing with their craft, exploring what they could do within the confines of the “detective novel,” and they began writing about nuanced human relationships, complex psychological and social issues, and stories without pat endings. At the same time, their books are full of lightness, wittiness, and fantastic wordplay. Their novels began to transcend the genre, even as it redefined it.
Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to four of the reigning Queens of Crime from this era, whose novels remain just plain good reads today. (I have no doubt that you are familiar with Agatha Christie—she is the most famous of the Queens of Crime. And in my opinion, the least worth reading. She will not be covered here. Sorry, Agatha!)
Dorothy L. Sayers
Born June 13, 1893 in the headmaster’s house at Oxford University (her father was a chaplain there), Dorothy L. Sayers would grow up to be among that school’s first female graduates. Her detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, suffers from PTSD from his time in the war, and is triggered every time he catches a criminal. In terms of long-term, multi-book character development, Sayers cannot be beat. She also has a lot to say about the role of unmarried women in society, through the fantastic recurring character of Miss Kitty Climpson. Her books can in turn be funny, haunting, jarring, satirical, and deeply thought-provoking. Her novel Gaudy Night is widely considered the first feminist mystery novel, and is a masterpiece.
Please do read: The Peter/Harriet quartet (in order—this is essential!): Strong Poison; Have His Carcase; Gaudy Night; and Busman’s Honeymoon.
Ngaio Marsh
Ngiao Marsh is the only author on this list who is not from the UK. She was a New Zealander, born in 1895 in Christchurch, NZ. She was a prolific author, penning 32 detective novels featuring her character Chief Inspector Roderick “Handsome” Alleyn, as well as numerous short stories, a memoir, and five stage plays. Her books are notable for their immersive beginnings—often 100 pages or more will be spent on new characters, settings, and relationships, before a crime is committed and Handsome Alleyn shows up. Marsh had a sly sense of humour, and her books are always a good time.
Please do read: A Surfeit of Lampreys; Artists in Crime
Josephine Tey
Born Elizabeth Mackintosh on July 25 1897 in Inverness, Scotland, Tey also wrote stage plays under the pseudonym Gordon Daviot. An intensely private person, her closest friends famously did not know that she was ill until they read her obituary in The Times. Josephine Tey’s novels are darker than some of the others listed here; she was interested in human motivations and wrote in a subtle and nuanced way about aspects of society that were typically behind closed doors at the time. Her detective, Inspector Alan Grant, appears in five of her seven detective novels, and in the final novel is suffering from anxiety attacks after a lifetime spent investigating crime. (It’s hard to imagine this happening to Poirot).
Please do read: The Daughter of Time; To Love and Be Wise; The Franchise Affair
Margery Allingham
Okay, so although I have an abiding love for all of these women, it is my considered opinion that Margery Allingham was a genius, and possibly one of the most unique thinkers I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Born in 1904 in London to magazine and pulp fiction writers, she sold her first story at age eight. (!) Another prolific writer, she published 18 novels and a plethora of short stories featuring her deceptively bland detective, Albert Campion. Allingham had a gift for creating the kind of detailed world that is at once absurd and sinister. Her knack of description and character names (among them such gems as Mrs Talisman, Roly Bowels, Prunella Scroop-Dory, and Sir Doberman), keep you constantly on your toes. She digs deep in ways that you didn’t even know you wanted, and you will laugh your head off along the way.
Please do read: Hide My Eyes (alternate title Tether’s End); More Work for the Undertaker
These authors are well worth reading; it would be a shame if they faded into time. Many of their explorations are still relevant and timely today, although now they also read as a fascinating bit of social history. And they are also intriguing from a writer’s perspective: these women were pushing back and pushing boundaries, paving the way for the rest of us.
