Uploaded March 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Crime, violence, blood, guns, a career—at one time, these were all things that women were cautioned to steer clear of so as not to disturb their "fragile dispositions." Apparently, the message never got through to Agatha Christie. Or Ruth Rendell. Or Patricia Cornwell. Or Dorothy Uhnak, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Dorothy B. Hughes, Margery Allingham, or the countless others who refused to adhere to the status quo.
Women crime writers know no limits. They write spine-tingling psychological thrillers, getting into the minds of serial killers and victims alike. They craft perfect locked-room mysteries. And they create hard-boiled heroes as tough as any Philip Marlowe. In this video, join mystery authors Ruth Rendell, Susan Isaacs, Laura Lippman, and Susan Dunlap as they speak about the important role that female authors play in the mystery genre.
This Women's History Month, let's salute female crime writers—and leave the hysterics and the fainting for the boys.
Crime, violence, blood, guns, a career—at one time, these were all things that women were cautioned to steer clear of so as not to disturb their "fragile dispositions." Apparently, the message never got through to Agatha Christie. Or Ruth Rendell. Or Patricia Cornwell. Or Dorothy Uhnak, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Dorothy B. Hughes, Margery Allingham, or the countless others who refused to adhere to the status quo.
Women crime writers know no limits. They write spine-tingling psychological thrillers, getting into the minds of serial killers and victims alike. They craft perfect locked-room mysteries. And they create hard-boiled heroes as tough as any Philip Marlowe. In this video, join mystery authors Ruth Rendell, Susan Isaacs, Laura Lippman, and Susan Dunlap as they speak about the important role that female authors play in the mystery genre.
This Women's History Month, let's salute female crime writers—and leave the hysterics and the fainting for the boys.
