Detective, Mystery, and Suspense Fiction

Biographical Sources

British mystery writers, 1860-1919, edited by Bernard Benstock and Thomas F. Staley (Detroit, MI: Gale Research Co., 1988) *R-AB 79-1061 (Dictionary of Literary Biography v. 70) and British mystery writers, 1920-1939, edited by Bernard Bernstock and Thomas F. Staley (Detroit, MI: Gale Research Co., 1989) *R-AB 79-1061 (Dictionary of Literary Biography v.77) Both volumes provide bio-bibliographical information on most popular British authors of the genre. Illustrations, portraits, bibliographies, manuscript sources. Not good for lesser known authors.

Gribbin, Leonore S. Who's whodunit (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1969) JFD 94-3095 Intended as a name authority list for librarians. Includes American and British book authors 1845-1961. Approximately 5000 entries.

Twentieth-century crime and mystery writers, 3 rd ed., edited by John M. Reilly (London: Macmillan, 1991) JFF 97-867 Covers over 700 English-language authors. Each entry includes a biography, bibliography and signed critical entry. Most useful information given is sources of uncollected short stories, plays and verse, and locations of manuscript collections.