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kittykornerlibrarian's review
2.0
Did Not Finish. The narrator is way too intrusive in these stories; always apologizing and justifying and overexplaining in a way that just gets in the way of the story. I actively did not want the detective to succeed in the first story; it was so clear that interfering was completely unwarranted and it was unclear what her motives were. I couldn't take it any more. This was no fun at all.
katrina26's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
backpackfullofbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
traceymlee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
vsbedford's review against another edition
3.0
I wouldn't call this an *enjoyable* read really, but it is an interesting one. The Victorian writing style is, for me, so remote and mannered with too many stops and starts and compound phrases and this novel has all of these in spades. It is to be worked through instead of savored. I would recommend for those of us who want to round out our knowledge of the detective novel as an historical object and not for mystery fans in general.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
3.0
The Female Detective was published in 1864. Written by James Redding Ware under the pseudonym Andrew Forrester, it not only represents what is probably the first stories about the Metropolitan Police (formed in 1829) but also introduces readers to the first professional female detective in fiction. She is unnamed in the longest story, "The Unknown Weapon," but in other stories by Forrester, she is referred to as Mrs. G---- of the Metropolitan Police. She makes reference to herself and another female officer as constables...and I find it interesting to have references to female constables at this early date
Mrs. G---- generally works undercover and only represents herself as a detective when she must. We learn very little about her--later female detectives will be described as falling into their profession out of need, either to support themselves or loved ones in reduced circumstances. But we don't even learn that much about Mrs. G----. The stories themselves are very casebook in nature, running true to the form of other casebooks of the time. Like her male counterparts, she uses professional methods--hunting for clues, looking over the scene of the crime, questioning suspects, and using cunning and disguise to reach her conclusions. But not all of her cases are great successes. She tells at least two stories where the culprit gets away and she isn't shy about relating the shortcomings of the police force of the time.
In "Tenant for Life" Mrs. G--- becomes interested in a story that her friends the Flemps tell her. Mr. Flemps is a driver and while out driving one evening a poor young women approaches him and asks him to take her child to raise (as she cannot afford to). Flemps has no sooner taken the child and started on his way again when another young woman approaches him--first to hire him for transport, but then when he refuses to ask if he has seen a young woman with a child. The child in his carriage cries and the woman is ecstatic to have found the child and pays Flemps to take the child away. Mrs. G---- is intrigued by the story and feels sure that someone somewhere is up to no good. She determines to get to the bottom of the story and by the end she knows that it involves the rightful heir of some very important property.
"Georgy" relays one of the failures. Georgy is a clerk at a local bank. He manages to abscond with a goodly sum and does so in a fashion that makes it impossible for the authorities to catch up with him. Mrs. G---- tells us the particulars of the case to let her readers know that criminals maybe the most charming of fellows and completely fool the most cunning of detectives (namely, Mrs. G----).
"The Unraveled Mystery" is about a mysterious carpet bag that appears on one of the Thames bridges. It contains bits of human remains, but no head. The official police are baffled and seem unable to solve the mystery Mrs. G----'s colleague, Dr. Y----, comes to tell Mrs. G--- about his theory about the case. We also have one of the first instances where we are told in a detective story that the use of a knife indicates that the murderer/s must be foreign. Englishmen just don't use knives, you know.
"The Judgement of Conscience" is a shorter work. In this one, Mrs. G---- insists on ballistic evidence being examined. Her insistence saves an innocent man from being hanged for a crime he did not commit.
"A Child Found Dead: Murder or No Murder" is an odd little tale. Mrs. G--- is not really the detective here. She relays the story as told to her by Dr. Y----. A young child is killed and the reader is asked to believe that the killer struck while sleepwalking. If true (I'm not convinced), does that make the killing murder? Can somebody be convicted for murder for a death caused while they are sleepwalking? I don't know how to answer that one. But it doesn't really matter to me, because I don't really believe that someone would kill under those circumstances.
"The Unknown Weapon" is the longest of the stories. It is about the death of the son of a miserly old man who is killed while apparently in the the process of breaking into his own father's house. He has been stabbed with a weapon that no seems to be able to identify. Mrs. G---- is a thoroughly scientific detective in this outing, reminding the reader of Holmes. Had she the advantages of his training at university, I'm sure she would have examined her own bits of fluff under the microscope rather than sending them off in a tin box and directing "it to the gentleman who is good enough to control these kind of investigations." She faithfully takes up every piece of evidence, giving it a more thorough going-over than the local constable, looks over the scene of the crime, and thinks the problem through with logic that Holmes could not fault. There is no "feminine intuition" at work; it is a thoughtful, orderly investigation. The grand finale is a bit of a let-down--but over all a very good early detective story.
"The Mystery"is the final and shortest of the entries. It's not really much of a mystery at all. A young woman is told by her father that she must marry the man he has chosen or he will lock her in her room until she complies. She is in love with someone else and refuses to obey her father. She manages to get a message to her love and then escapes from the locked room. How she got out and what happens next is the only (tiny) mystery that needs explained.
The best story is "The Unknown Weapon." It ranks at four stars--balancing the entire collection out at a solid three-star rating.
This was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Mrs. G---- generally works undercover and only represents herself as a detective when she must. We learn very little about her--later female detectives will be described as falling into their profession out of need, either to support themselves or loved ones in reduced circumstances. But we don't even learn that much about Mrs. G----. The stories themselves are very casebook in nature, running true to the form of other casebooks of the time. Like her male counterparts, she uses professional methods--hunting for clues, looking over the scene of the crime, questioning suspects, and using cunning and disguise to reach her conclusions. But not all of her cases are great successes. She tells at least two stories where the culprit gets away and she isn't shy about relating the shortcomings of the police force of the time.
In "Tenant for Life" Mrs. G--- becomes interested in a story that her friends the Flemps tell her. Mr. Flemps is a driver and while out driving one evening a poor young women approaches him and asks him to take her child to raise (as she cannot afford to). Flemps has no sooner taken the child and started on his way again when another young woman approaches him--first to hire him for transport, but then when he refuses to ask if he has seen a young woman with a child. The child in his carriage cries and the woman is ecstatic to have found the child and pays Flemps to take the child away. Mrs. G---- is intrigued by the story and feels sure that someone somewhere is up to no good. She determines to get to the bottom of the story and by the end she knows that it involves the rightful heir of some very important property.
"Georgy" relays one of the failures. Georgy is a clerk at a local bank. He manages to abscond with a goodly sum and does so in a fashion that makes it impossible for the authorities to catch up with him. Mrs. G---- tells us the particulars of the case to let her readers know that criminals maybe the most charming of fellows and completely fool the most cunning of detectives (namely, Mrs. G----).
"The Unraveled Mystery" is about a mysterious carpet bag that appears on one of the Thames bridges. It contains bits of human remains, but no head. The official police are baffled and seem unable to solve the mystery Mrs. G----'s colleague, Dr. Y----, comes to tell Mrs. G--- about his theory about the case. We also have one of the first instances where we are told in a detective story that the use of a knife indicates that the murderer/s must be foreign. Englishmen just don't use knives, you know.
"The Judgement of Conscience" is a shorter work. In this one, Mrs. G---- insists on ballistic evidence being examined. Her insistence saves an innocent man from being hanged for a crime he did not commit.
"A Child Found Dead: Murder or No Murder" is an odd little tale. Mrs. G--- is not really the detective here. She relays the story as told to her by Dr. Y----. A young child is killed and the reader is asked to believe that the killer struck while sleepwalking. If true (I'm not convinced), does that make the killing murder? Can somebody be convicted for murder for a death caused while they are sleepwalking? I don't know how to answer that one. But it doesn't really matter to me, because I don't really believe that someone would kill under those circumstances.
"The Unknown Weapon" is the longest of the stories. It is about the death of the son of a miserly old man who is killed while apparently in the the process of breaking into his own father's house. He has been stabbed with a weapon that no seems to be able to identify. Mrs. G---- is a thoroughly scientific detective in this outing, reminding the reader of Holmes. Had she the advantages of his training at university, I'm sure she would have examined her own bits of fluff under the microscope rather than sending them off in a tin box and directing "it to the gentleman who is good enough to control these kind of investigations." She faithfully takes up every piece of evidence, giving it a more thorough going-over than the local constable, looks over the scene of the crime, and thinks the problem through with logic that Holmes could not fault. There is no "feminine intuition" at work; it is a thoughtful, orderly investigation. The grand finale is a bit of a let-down--but over all a very good early detective story.
"The Mystery"is the final and shortest of the entries. It's not really much of a mystery at all. A young woman is told by her father that she must marry the man he has chosen or he will lock her in her room until she complies. She is in love with someone else and refuses to obey her father. She manages to get a message to her love and then escapes from the locked room. How she got out and what happens next is the only (tiny) mystery that needs explained.
The best story is "The Unknown Weapon." It ranks at four stars--balancing the entire collection out at a solid three-star rating.
This was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
marystevens's review
3.0
The first British mystery with a female detective, published in 1864. Just came out this year by Poisoned Pen Press. Not beautifully written but you get used to the style. Two novellas and six short stories. The detective earns some of her money from the new London police force, on the QT and some as a milliner but she seems to have independent means. She avoids identifying herself as a detective, getting her information on the strength of her wits. I don't think I'd recommend you rush out and buy it, but it's nice to know it exists.
franfernandezarce's review against another edition
2.0
this was very comfortable although hardly groundbreaking at a narrative level. at the risk of being slightly spoiler-y, do not expect much in terms of twists and turns regarding each mystery. however, i must say it was a pleasant surprise to find one of the cases inspired by the very same case discussed in [b:The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective|1747896|The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective|Kate Summerscale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1312021413l/1747896._SY75_.jpg|3254095]. it almost felt like reading a wripped-from-the-headlines law and order episode.
katherine27's review against another edition
2.0
This is the first I ever read of Andrew Forrester (or James R. Ware) and I wonder how it is his name is not more frequently mentioned in the genre (although I got an idea) Apparently these are the first stories ever published in English about a woman detective so that should give him some credit.
On the other hand they are not really detective stories but more memoires from a woman who was either really good at her job or just very, VERY nosy. In not one of the stories she is actually asked to investigate the following case, she just… goes there and starts sleuthing. And even though she says she’s paid for her services as a detective agent it never appears on the page. In several cases she just leaves the situation as it is (after finding out all about it) because she ‘feels’ it’s the right thing to do (woman! You annoy me)
This volume clearly is a collection of stories written over several years, rewritten and reworked to fit the title. Some are really good, ‘The Mystery’ is funny in a way none of the others were but over all there are no real surprises. Quite unsatisfactory as far as detective writing goes.
(I have to honestly add here that most detective story fans (me! me! pick me!) are of course outrageously spoiled by The Great Agatha Christie, which influences the way we look upon earlier works. And I plead guilty.)
On the other hand they are not really detective stories but more memoires from a woman who was either really good at her job or just very, VERY nosy. In not one of the stories she is actually asked to investigate the following case, she just… goes there and starts sleuthing. And even though she says she’s paid for her services as a detective agent it never appears on the page. In several cases she just leaves the situation as it is (after finding out all about it) because she ‘feels’ it’s the right thing to do (woman! You annoy me)
This volume clearly is a collection of stories written over several years, rewritten and reworked to fit the title. Some are really good, ‘The Mystery’ is funny in a way none of the others were but over all there are no real surprises. Quite unsatisfactory as far as detective writing goes.
(I have to honestly add here that most detective story fans (me! me! pick me!) are of course outrageously spoiled by The Great Agatha Christie, which influences the way we look upon earlier works. And I plead guilty.)
abookishtype's review against another edition
3.0
There is a not insignificant portion of the bookish world that seeks out the first instance of particular characters and genres. Because I am a trivia hound, I follow scholars who try to identify the first novel (probably The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shibiku, depending on how you define it), the first science fiction story (probably The Blazing World, by Margaret Cavendish), etc. etc. The first time I tried to chase down the first instance of something happened after reading “The Purloined Letter,” by Edgar Allan Poe. This story is one of the first recognizable detective stories that I know of, published in 1844. Andrew Forrester’s The Female Detective is probably the first collection of stories featuring a woman who works as a professional detective. It was originally published 1863-1864. I’ve been eager to read it since I first spotted a reference to this collection a few months ago...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.