2 Volumes 757 Pages 100 In-depth Articles 30 Photos List of Authors’ Works Glossary of Terms Cross-References Annotated Bibliographies Category List of Plot Types Articles Honoré de Balzac Chester Himes Sara Paretsky Dorothy L. Sayers Other Elements Index Table of Contents The only reference a library would need to answer basic questions or quell readers' curiosity about top mystery writers. Library Journal   Highly recommended for all libraries, this well-written update of Critical Survey of Mystery and Detective Fiction will satisfy any library that needs recent reference information on mystery writers, their works, and principal characters. Choice   The set is recommended for large reference collections seeking comprehensive coverage of the genre and especially for smaller collections looking for something relatively inexpensive, but well done, to fill a gap. American Reference   Books Annual

Editor: Fiona Kelleghan, University of Miami ISBN: 978-0-89356-958-7 List Price: $104 July 2001 · 2 volumes · 757 pages · 6"x9" 100 Masters of Mystery and Detective Fiction 100 Masters of Mystery and Detective Fiction is a response to the growing attention paid to genre fiction in schools and universities. Since Edgar Allan Poe invented the modern mystery story in the mid-19th century, the number of authors writing in this field has steadily grown, as have the appetites of growing numbers of readers. This collection surveys 100 of the writers who have made the most lasting contributions to the genre, covering such major figures as Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ellery Queen, and Rex Stout. Scope & Coverage The essays and bibliographies, drawn from Salem Press's Critical Survey of Mystery and Detective Fiction (1988) have been substantially updated for this 2-volume set. The authors were selected because of their enduring effect on this field. All of the writers are known primarily for their work in the genre and most of them have made significant contributions to mystery and detective fiction. Organization & Format Articles range in length from 2,500 to 6,000 words and are organized in a format designed to provide quick access to information. Handy ready-reference listings are designed to accommodate the unique characteristics of the mystery/detective fiction genre, including author's pseudonyms, types of plots, principal series and principal series characters, and even a glossary of terms peculiar to the genre. Ready-reference data at the top of each article include the author's name, birth and death information. A "Contribution" section pinpoints each author's impact on the genre. The "Biography" section offers a concise overview of the author's life, and the "Analysis" section, the core of each article, examines the author's most representative works. A bibliography at the end of each article lists the author's works chronologically both within and outside of the genre. Special Features Reference elements include a complete, up-to-date list of authors' works, a glossary of mystery and detective fiction terms, annotated bibliographies, a time line, an index of series characters and a list of authors by plot type.

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