A Suitable Job for a Woman
Nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for an Edgar Award
for best critical work
HarperCollins, 1994, non-fiction
Synopsis:
The female private eye is one of the sexiest
and most exciting of fictional creations. But who are the real women
who pound the mean streets? How do they get into this seemingly
unladylike profession and what makes them stay, despite the risks
they encounter? What qualities does it take to survive in this harshest
of male worlds? From the elegant manager of a successful all-women
investigation agency in Merseyside to the Californian woman who
spends her days working for murderers, crime writer Val McDermid
has spoken to female private eyes on both sides of the Atlantic,
heard their most terrifying stories and learned how they work -
whether it's going undercover to bust drug barons or serving injunctions
on violent offenders.
What she discovered is a group of women who are every bit as tough
and fascinating as their fictional counterparts, with lives that
few could even imagine. A Suitable Job for a Woman is a riveting
insight into the women who fight crime on their own terms and beat
men at their own game.
