The Legendary Women Detectives: 6 Classic Novelets

By: Jean Marie Stine - editor

Narrated by: Addison Barnes

Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Sherlock Holmes' female rivals!

This unique collection for connoisseurs of detection done female style brings back six of the greatest fictional women sleuths of the era of gaslights and horseless carriages. Fans of Kinsey Milhone and other contemporary women detectives, as well as of Agatha Christie and Honey West, will love this collection featuring the foremothers of today's fictional female crime-fighters.

Long out of print and unobtainable, these celebrated women 'tecs - Baroness Orczy's Lady Molly of Scotland Yard, Anna Katharine Green's Violet Strange, Arthur B. Reeve's Constance Dunlap, C. L. Pirkis' Loveday Brooke, Valentine's Daphne Wrayne, and Edgar Jepson and Robert Eustace's Ruth Kelstern - were once nearly as famous as the fictional sleuth of Baker Street himself. Their fame waned in the long decades of the 1930s through the '80s, when female sleuths took a backseat to Sam Spade, Nero Wolfe, and the like. But, they are back to baffle and thrill contemporary readers in The Legendary Women Detectives edited by Jean Marie Stine.

©2003 PageTurner (P)2018 PageTurner

Women Detectives

As a fan of Sherlock Holmes and similar stories, I am always looking for other classic detective stories. This is a nice introduction to 6 female sleuths that I was unfamiliar with before reading this book. I am not sure if these were originally short stories or if they were condensed down for this collection, but overall, it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours with classic detective stories.

The narrator did a great job with the female voices and a passable job with the males. My only complaint with the narration was the sound quality. Even with the volume on my Kindle fire turned up to the maximum, I still had a hard time hearing some of the book. There was a strange echo-y quality to the sound which made it difficult to hear.

I was given the chance to listen to this audiobook by the publisher and chose to review it.

Forgotten Female detectives rediscovered

This is a good introduction to 6 different women detectives that precede some of the famous male detectives. This compilation of stories was edited by Jean Marie Stine. The narration was performed admirably by Addison Barnes who had to voice many different characters. My only problem with the audiobook was that it sounded like it was recorded in a tunnel and was hard to hear without the volume turned up. Good detective stories!

Intriguing detectives

This collection contains six clever and entertaining stories of mysteries solved by women detectives. The detectives were so intriguing that I would enjoy listening to more stories from these authors. Addison Barnes was an excellent narrator.

female detectives

This is a small synopsis of some of the best of the female detective and mystery writers of the days of old. I liked that the author made separate mystery collections to honor male and females. It was interesting to hear how women dealt with mysteries then as compared to today's authors. Entertaining. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The narrator did a great job.

Smart Women

Well, we learn something everyday. These women were very clever to find the culprit. If you like detective stories, this one is for you.

Nice starter kit for new readers/listeners

I received the audiobook free in exchange for an honest review.

The Man in the Inverness Cape

Mr. Marvel goes missing after leaving to run errands. Like the well-known Sherlock Holmes, Lady Molly goes undercover to where Rosie Campbell, the ex-maid of the sister of Mr. Marvel, was staying, to unravel the mystery.

The Problem of the Second Bullet by Anna Catherine Green

A shot in an apartment. A locked room. Two dead and only one bullet fired. Violet Strange is asked to look into the deaths and eventually discovers the truth.

The Shoplifters by Arthur B. Reeve

A young lady is caught red-handed with a stolen ring and other items. Constance Dunlap takes pity on her and refuses to charge her. Instead, she uncovers a ring of shoplifters.

The Murder at Trott's Hill by C.L. Burgess

Loveday Brooke goes undercover to solve the case of the murder of the landskeeper of the Trotts Hill house.

The Man Who Scared the Bank by Valentine

Sleuth Daphne Rein must solve the mystery of a doppleganger and a bank swindled out of money.

The Tea Leaf by Edgar Jepson and Robert Eustace

Ruth Kelston solves the mystery of the death of her father after he is found in the Turkish baths with his mortal enemy.

Each of these novelettes were interesting to listen to. Some of the stories were logical in the culprit and reason; for example the first one I caught on to fairly quickly. Others like the last one, is similar in style to a murder in a locked room.

Each story gives the listener an example of the different authors and their writing style and the genre of the women detective in the early part of the 20th century. A nice starter kit for people who want those types of books to read.

The narrator was quite competent and adjusted her voice to relay the various characters quite nicely.

BRAVO!

THE LEGENDARY WOMEN DETECTIVE 6 NOVELETS BY JEAN MARIE STINE focuses on WOMEN detectives. These fictional detectives rivaled both Holmes and Wimsey in their powers of detection. Each short novel hilights the talents. At the beginning of the novel, the reader gets a bit of an inside look at the author(s) of these very talented fictional women.

I loved this! Until I read THE LEGENDARY WOMEN DETECTIVES, I had no idea these characters existed,now I do! I just wish the stories were a bit longer and more ladies talents were brought to light!

Also, a round of applause goes out to ADDISON BARNES for the great narration!

I received this audiobook free in exchange for an honest review.

Good stories narration lacking

I think this could have been so much better with male and female narrators. It was too monotone.

Wonderful Short Detective Stories

Amazing short detective stories that are well written and interesting. The narrator did a great job of bringing the story to life. I received this book for free upon my request. I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased review here of my own volition.

Too heavy accent

I really had a hard time understanding the dialog with the narrators accent, so my rating may not be fair to the author