Murder by the Book?: Feminism and the Crime Novel (Narrative Forms and Social Formations)

Murder by the Book? is a thorough - and thoroughly enjoyable - look at the blossoming genre of the feminist crime novel in Britain and the United States. Sally Munt asks why the form has proved so attractive as a vehicle for oppositional politics; whether the pleasures of detective fiction can be truly transgressive; and when exactly it was that the dyke detective appeared as the new super-hero for today. Along the way Munt poses some critical questions about the relations between fiction and activism, politics and representations, the writer and the reader. This will be an enticing book both for addicts of the genre and for teachers and their students. Book Cover......Page 1 Half-Title......Page 2 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 8 1 Masculinity and masquerade or ‘Is that a gun in your pocket?’......Page 10 2 The New Woman—a sheep in wolves’ clothing?......Page 38 3 A case of ‘death by political correction’?......Page 66 4 ‘A change is gonna come’?......Page 90 5 The inverstigators......Page 126 6 Murdering the inner man?......Page 152 7 ‘What does it mean to sing “somewhere over the rainbow” and release balloons?’......Page 174 8 An unsuitable genre for a woman?......Page 196 Notes......Page 212 Fictional bibliography......Page 242 Critical bibliography......Page 248 Index......Page 260 1. Masculinity And Masquerade Or 'is That A Gun In Your Pocket?' Mainstream Women Crime Writers -- 2. The New Woman -- A Sheep In Wolves' Clothing? Liberal Feminist Crime Fiction -- 3. A Case Of 'death By Political Correction'? Socialist Feminist Crime Fiction -- 4. 'a Change Is Gonna Come'? Race Politics In Crime Fiction By Women -- 5. The Investigators: Lesbian Crime Fiction -- 6. Murdering The Inner Man? Psychoanalysis And Feminist Crime Fiction -- 7. 'what Does It Mean To Sing Somewhere Over The Rainbow And Release Balloons?' Postmodernism And The Crime Fiction Of Sarah Schulman -- 8. An Unsuitable Genre For A Woman? Sally R. Munt. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 237-252) And Index. A thorough - and thoroughly enjoyable - look at the genre of the feminist crime novel in Britain and the United States. A pioneering work in the field and an indispensable guide for readers and scholars of the genre.