Sisters on the Case

Sisters In Crime is an organization that supports female writers of mysteries. So, it's not surprising that the short stories in this book are very very good. These are not wannabe writers, these are writers whose names you may know. It's interesting to read the short story side of them. It's good tale telling.

I can't ask more of a book than that it make me love its whole genre. Refreshing, speedy to read, that's any good short story. But I had forgotten why I enjoy mysteries. In these mysteries (and, in my opinion, most well-written mysteries) either justice prevails, or, if it doesn't, I feel the ending is perfectly, delightfully inevitable. The characters could ONLY have acted that way--although I like it better when the actual ending is a surprise. I loved and hated so many of these characters with equal passion, and every single story left me satisfied. That's rare and wonderful.

This new anthology celebrates twenty years of Sisters in Crime, fittingly edited by the woman who founded that organization at Bouchercon in 1986. As most are aware, this is an international body originally created by and for female mystery and crime writers but which now counts many male authors among its members. The book includes, fittingly, twenty short stories, by a varied group of female writers, and is published by a new mystery imprint, always a good and welcome event. Admittedly short stories are not my favorite things, but this collection is fast reading and very enjoyable. The entries move from present-day to P. M. Carlson's 1880's Chicago; jumping a quite a bit to the Chicago of 1968 at the time of the Democratic convention riots in Libby Fischer Hellmann's "The Whole World is Watching," one of the longer tales and one I especially liked. Among my other favorites were stories by Barbara D'Amato; Susan Dunlap [short but shocking]; Rochelle Krich [ditto]; Linda Grant, in a tale of, surprisingly, a female contract killer who has taken over the family business; Carolyn Hart in a story of comeuppance; the late Charlotte MacLeod's charming "Lady Patterly's Lover;" Margaret Maron's delightful "You May Already Be a Winner;" Annette Meyers' mini-police procedural, one of the sadder entries; and all capped off by what is assuredly the first appearance of V. I. Warshawski, again taking the reader to Chicago, this time in 1920, when V.I. was a young girl. An altogether estimable collection.

In 1986, at the Baltimore Boucheron World Mystery Convention, Sara Paretsky and a small group of women mystery writers talked about the difficulties of trying to break into and establish a name in the traditionally male-dominated mystery genre. What started as a conversation that year, blossomed into an organization with well over 3,400 members in 48 chapters worldwide. Sisters In Crime commemorated its twentieth anniversary last year and the fun continues with the release of Sisters On The Case: Celebrating Twenty Years of Sisters In Crime. The 20-story anthology, edited by Sara Paretsky, offers a wide variety of tales from such mystery favorites as Barbara D'Amato, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Kate Grilley, and Eve K. Sandstrom. Being a mystery buff and a great fan of so many of the women contributors, it was difficult to select which stories to highlight. A Family Sunday in the Park: V. I. Warshawski's First Case by Ms. Paretsky shows readers a young Victoria-or Tori, growing up in South Chicago, her dad one of the city's finest. Assigned to cover Marquette Park during the Martin Luther King and Al Raby protest march in 1966, the story depicts how adults attitudes and beliefs influence young minds, especially that of a girl like Tori. When she hears her cousin's Uncle Tomas threatening to kill her papa, she sets out to find him and warn him of the threat. In typical V.I. fashion, she runs head first into trouble, but still manages to solve the case. Lady Patterly's Lover is a wonderful addition, by former Sisters In Crime steering committee member and author, Charlotte MacLeod (deceased). Eleanor, Lady Patterly, plots murder with her lover as her paralyzed husband lay in bed. Will the suddenly devoted young wife actually commit cold blood murder, or will she have a change of heart? Nancy Pickard's story, I Killed, turns the usual clichéd mob story into a history lesson with wonderfully written dialogue and a nice twist at the end. Not Just The Facts by Annette Meyers is a brilliant look at point of view, showing that there is more to bare bones than just the facts. Armchair Interviews says: Whether you are a mystery buff, appreciate and support women writers, or simply enjoy great short stories, Sisters On The Case will make an excellent addition to your bookshelf.

This twenty-story anthology celebrates "twenty years of Sisters in Crime". The tales run the gamut of the mystery genre especially procedurals and historicals, but not limited to those sub-genres as for instance Eve K. Sandstrom goes tribal, Clare McNab writes about an Aussie investigator interrogating a canine movie star and Sue Henry turns mystical. Fascinatingly Chicago seems to be the prime spot for crime thrillers though other locales are used. Each of the tales is well written as expected by the renowned female authors who contribute. Especially fascinating is Ms. Paretsky's preadolescent Warshawski's first case when she is called Victoria or Tori. Once again the Sisters in Crime prove they still are on the case of providing first rate entertainment with this superb collection of all new tales. Harriet Klausner