American Women of Mystery

Three complete novels in one One Drop of Blood by Anne Austin

Murder Unleashed by Dorothy Bennett

The Murder of Cecily Thane by H. Ashbrook While the best known writers of American detective fiction in the 1930's were men such as Dashiell Hammett, Rex Stout, and S. S. Van Dine, there were also many American women writing in the genre during that period. This collection includes mystery novels by three of them. Although there are differences in style and treatment between them, they all are written with a distinctly American voice that sets them apart from their British counterparts. They are edgier and darker than the "cozy mysteries" that were so representative of British mysteries of the time. While not particularly well known today, each of these three authors was a talented writer in her own right, making American Women of Mystery a compelling and fascinating read.