This article in the Chicago Tribune reviews “Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives,” a collection of early women suspense authors. Many of the stories weave themes of psychological complexity and use the home as a springboard for a variety of crime stories. The editor, Sarah Weinman, has applied the term “domestic fiction” to these stories to distinguish them from the typical crime fiction written by men. “Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives” is a selection of both known writers, like Shirley Jackson, and others who are perhaps not as famous, but nonetheless solid writers from the 1940’s to the 1970’s. This piece is an interesting, brief overview of the genre.
(PS- Barbara Vine is Ruth Rendell.)
Shira S.
