On Wed, 22 Aug 2001, Todd Mason wrote:
> I must admit I wondered about the characterization
of the PI pulp stories
> and such extensions as Gold Medal novels as an
essentially male domain,
> although it may well've been, despite the obvious
presence of the likes of
> Daisy Bacon, "Craig Rice," Leigh Brackett, Marijane
Meaker/Vin Packer, et
> alles...certainly the majority, but the
near-totality?
Never heard of Daisy Bacon, who she? And did Vin Packer ever
write PI books? In the pulps there were few female PI's (of
which Kevin must have something on his site), but I think
they were written by men. (With the exception of Leigh
Brackett, of course.)
> And I enjoy Paretsky's, and Muller's, and not a few
others' work in this
> vein...
I've now read my first Graftons and I must say that I quite
liked them
(well, it was only the first novel and one short story, in
"The Mammoth Book of Private Detectives, but I intend to read
more). Grafton seems to have developed a balance between the
supposed harshness of the PI character and her actual
softness.
I also finished two other female crime novels, which I would
categorize more as noir: Dolores Hitchens's "Footsteps in the
Night" (1961) and Ursula Curtiss's "The Deadly Climate"
(1950-something). I liked Hitchens's grim portrayal of the
suburban milieu very much. I also enjoyed Curtiss's brooding
atmosphere. Recommended both.
Juri
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