In 1864, the British writer James Redding Ware, under the pseudonym Andrew Forrester, published The Female Detective, introducing readers to the first professional female detective character, Mrs. Gladden, and paving the way for the more famous female detectives of the early twentieth century, namely Miss Marple and Nancy Drew. Mrs. Gladden's deductive methods anticipate those of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, who would not appear for another twenty years--and like Holmes, she regards the regular constabulary with disdain. But her energetic and savvy approach to solving crimes is her greatest appeal, and the reappearance of the original lady detective is sure to captivate a new generation of crime fiction fans. In 2012 The Female Detective was made available to the general public for the first time since its original publication; the British Library is now reissuing this foundational crime novel as part of its Crime Classics series.

The Female Detective (British Library Crime Classics)

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Forrester, Andrew

Mystery

British Library

In 1864, the British writer James Redding Ware (1832–c.1909), under the pseudonym Andrew Forrester, published The Female Detective, introducing readers to the first professional female detective character, G., and paving the way for the more famous female detectives of the early twentieth century, namely Miss Marple and Nancy Drew. This edition from the British Library makes The Female Detective available for the first time as a trade paperback for the general public.           Characteristic of the casebooks of the time, The Female Detective features a number of different cases, each of which is narrated by G. She uses methods similar to those of her male counterparts, examining the scene of the crime, looking for clues, and employing skill and subterfuge to achieve her ends, all the while trying to conceal her own tracks and her identity from others. Her deductive methods anticipate those of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, who would not appear for another twenty years, and like Holmes, she regards the regular constabulary with disdain. For all the intrigue and interest of the stories, little is ever revealed about G. herself, and her personal circumstances remain a mystery throughout. But it is her energetic and savvy approach to solving crimes that is her greatest appeal, and the reappearance of the original lady detective will captivate a new generation of crime fiction fans.

The Female Detective

'CRIMINALS ARE BOTH MASCULINE AND FEMININE...AND THEREFORE IT FOLLOWS THAT THE NECESSARY DETECTIVES SHOULD BE OF BOTH SEXES...' London, 1860s: Mrs. Gladden's friends suppose her an innocent dressmaker. But she is in fact a private detective, fiercely dedicated to her trade, and an expert at moving undercover in both high society and the criminal underworld. Not only accomplished in gathering information, but also in analysing it with her formidable skills of logic and deduction, Mrs. Gladden delves to the heart of murders and mysteries that have even the official police baffled...

Ulverscroft Softcover

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Literary ancestor to Miss Marple, Lisbeth Salander and Nancy Drew" ―Guardian
'Miss Gladden', the first female detective, is a determined and resourceful figure, with ingenious skills of logic and deduction. Pursuing mysterious cases, she works undercover and only introduces herself as a detective when the need arises. Her personal circumstances and even her real name are never revealed. This obfuscation makes sense, considering that when The Female Detective was first published in 1864 there were no official female detectives in Britain―in fact, there were no women police officers either (and would not be for another 50 years). And the novel itself was well ahead of its time; further stories and novels featuring women detectives would not be widely published until the turn of the century.

Literature & Fiction

Classics

Poisoned Pen Press

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Books by Forrester, Andrew

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The Female Detective (British Library Crime Classics)

The Female Detective

The Female Detective

The Female Detective (British Library Crime Classics)