In the Shadow of Agatha Christie edited by Leslie S. Klinger
This collection of classic crime fiction by "forgotten" authors, from 1850-1917, highlights some of the female writers of that period who were the forerunners of the great Golden Age crime authors. Each of the featured authors is given a short biography, putting them and their work in context, which is followed by one their short stories.
Like many anthologies, this one is a mixed bag. Some I thoroughly enjoyed, some were neither her nor there, and at least one I thought was more than a little silly. Several authors are ones I've heard of/ read before, but many were new to me. I've marked a few to pick up more works by. Overall, it's a good collection of women crimes writers at the time. The writing styles are varied as are the types of cases and crimes involved.
The stories included are:
Catherine Crowe - The Advocate's Wedding DayElizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell - The Squire's StoryMary Fortune - Traces of CrimeHarriet Prescott...