Sonderbooks Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

Sonderbooks Stand-out 2005
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*****= An all-time favorite
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****A Moment on the Edge

100 Years of Crime Stories by Women

edited by Elizabeth George

Reviewed February 5, 2005.
HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 2003.  Originally published in Great Britain in 2002.  540 pages.
Sonderbooks Stand-out 2005 (#3, Mystery)

Here’s a fantastic collection of 26 crime stories, all written by women in the last century.  Elizabeth George, who selected the stories, writes in her brilliant introduction:  “Crime writing does not have to be considered genre writing.  It is not confined to a few moderately talented practitioners.  And most importantly, it is indeed something that can stand, will stand, and has already stood the test of time.”

There’s a wonderful variety in this collection, including, as Elizabeth George mentions, murder mysteries, tales of suspense, psychological studies of the characters affected by a devastating event, courtroom dramas, and police procedurals.  The authors include many famous for their crime writing, others simply famous for their writing, and some I hadn’t heard of at all.  The stories are invariably excellent, and each one memorable on its own, leaving you sitting in a moment of appreciative silence.

Review of another book by Elizabeth George:
Write Away

Copyright © 2005 Sondra Eklund.  All rights reserved.

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