Dope on Private Dicks & Christie

James, who lives and breathes detective fiction, tackles her genre in this examination of British detective fiction. It is important to note this is not literary criticism in the academic sense. James will introduce readers to lesser-known detectives from the past, such as two from the 1920s: H.C. Bailey's doctor Reggie Fortune and Gladys Mitchell's psychiatrist Dame Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley. Because of these types of discoveries, the volume has the potential to stimulate investigations beyond the text. James includes chapters on Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown; a brief nod to Americans Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler; and a discussion of four women writers: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. She is not afraid to share her opinion of writers' strengths and weaknesses, especially when the focus is on Christie. VERDICT Considering James's devoted following and her highly recognizable name, there is sure to be interest amongst fans and readers of detective fiction. The writing is entertaining, approachable, and interesting, and this makes it an appealing read for a wide audience.—Stacy Russo, Chapman Univ. Libs., Orange, CA

Continuing characters in books are as tantalizing to readers as a favorite meal, particularly so to the legions of mystery readers. Agatha Christie's Miss Marple comes to mind; ditto for Hercule Poirot. Recognizing the power of long-standing favorites in mystery writing, editor and bookshop owner Penzler (The Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection) solicited the genre's well-known authors—e.g., Faye Kellerman, John Connelly, Colin Dexter, and Laura Lipman—and some not so well known to write profiles of their reoccurring gumshoes that offered additional insights into their very diverse characters. Funny, irreverent, stylish, stimulating, and almost always provocative, the results are certain to please, not only for the crime-busters that a reader may relish, admire, even esteem but also for the ones that a reader may not know. VERDICT An easy read, effortless at times; fans of mysteries will find the essays irresistible. If by chance a nonmystery reader would discover this collection, he or she might without protest succumb to the temptation of a real thriller.—Robert Kelly, Fort Wayne Community Schs., IN

There have been dozens of Christie biographies over the years. This lengthy U.S. version of Thompson's 2007 UK work distinguishes itself from the field. Thompson—a writer and freelance journalist who won the Somerset Maugham Award for her first book, The Dogs—obtained access to all of Christie's unpublished letters and diaries, as well as her family's letters. She weaves that material into this work and creates a full and detailed depiction of Christie's world. The tone is conversational, while the structure is somewhat loose and not strictly chronological. Subjects are introduced in sequence (mother, father, sister, husband), but the way they are discussed gives the work an appearance of jumping back and forth in time. VERDICT The mass of details in the work makes it best suited for avid Christie fans. Other readers may find it dense and hard to finish.—Paolina Taglienti, Everest Coll., Henderson, NV