Resources for Mystery/Crime Authors
Websites:
o Mystery Writers of America: Authors. http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=userlist.
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for professional crime authors who have been published in the U.S. Their "Authors" section contains biographic material on every published author that is part of the organization. Biographical information often includes an author's picture, name, home state, publisher, bibliography, and short biography. While their "Authors" database is far from complete and is missing a lot of information on major authors, it contains information on lesser known authors, whereas most other sites do not.
o Top Mystery: The Best Mystery Authors--Top 100. http://www.topmystery.com/authors.
This site groups mystery authors by their time period, making it easy for users to find mystery writers from a specific era. Each author contains a short biography, and the sources for that biography are listed at the bottom of the page. While much of the information is culled from unathoritative sources such as "Wikipedia," this is a great starting point for research.
o Wikipedia List of Mystery Writers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mystery_writers.
Wikipedia contains an extensive list of mystery and crime writers with links to their Wikipedia pages, which contain biographical information as well as references and links to other resources. This is a great starting point to do further research on mystery writers.
Books:
o 100 Most Popular Contemporary Mystery Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies (Popular Authors Series) by Bernard Drew.
This book contains biographical sketches for the most famous contemporary mystery authors. Each sketch contains basic biographical information along with a bibliography of the author's works.
o African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey.
This work focuses on the development of the mystery genre in African American culture, beginning with slave narratives and advancing to fiction writing. It focuses on major works of Black mystery-writing and showcases modern authors. While not simply a biographical work, the reader can gain an overall understanding of the genre along with its major authors.
Archival Collection:
o Women of Mystery Collection, The University of Arizona Library Special Collections. http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/collections/women-of-mystery.
This is a manuscript collection at the University of Arizona Library on women mystery writers, especially those from the Southwest. The collection consists of many novels, from 1950-present, along with personal papers and manuscripts.
Top Mystery Authors:
o Agatha Christie
§ Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie.
Published after her death, this work by the famous author herself chronicles her childhood, her volunteer work during World War II, and her career. The book is valuable for the personal insight from Christie herself and the way she outlines her life using her unique writing style.
§ The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie by Charles Osborne.
This is an illustrated work that showcases the author's works and career against the backdrop of her personal life. Osbourne also critiques the works of the author, delving into many of her writing flaws, but still paints Christie in a beloved and redeeming light. At the end of the book, one can find bibliographies and an index.
o Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
§ The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle: A Biography by Russel Miller.
This is the first biography of Doyle that makes use of the fifteen hundred personal letters he wrote to his family, which expose many of his innermost thoughts and feelings. It is also the first book to fully draw upon the Richard Lancelyn Green Archive, which holds the world’s most extensive collection on Doyle.
§ Arthur Conan Doyle, The Prolific Writer: An Online Exhibition by Westminster Libraries. http://www.westminsteronline.org/conandoyle/index.html.
Published by Westminster Libraries, this page includes an extensive biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with essays on his fiction, military life, and spirituality. It also contains a fun quiz on Doyle, along with a link to his major works.
o Edward Stratemeyer (aka Carolyn Keene, Franklyn W. Dixon)
§ Edward Stratemeyer: Creator of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew: Who Wrote That? by Brenda Lange and Karle Zimmer.
This biography is written especially for young adults who might be interested in the author of The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and The Bobbsey Twins, popular youth mystery series. The book concentrates mainly on the works of Stratemeyer, who went by several pen names and has an elusive personal life.
§ The Literature Network: Edward Stratemeyer. http://www.online-literature.com/stratemeyer.
This article gives a concise history of Stratemeyer, focusing on his early life, career, and works. The website as a whole contains the biographies of many of the most famous authors, along with links and interactive quizzes.
Top 11 Mystery Authors
o Mystery Writers of America: Authors. http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=userlist.
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for professional crime authors who have been published in the U.S. Their "Authors" section contains biographic material on every published author that is part of the organization. Biographical information often includes an author's picture, name, home state, publisher, bibliography, and short biography. While their "Authors" database is far from complete and is missing a lot of information on major authors, it contains information on lesser known authors, whereas most other sites do not.
o Top Mystery: The Best Mystery Authors--Top 100. http://www.topmystery.com/authors.
This site groups mystery authors by their time period, making it easy for users to find mystery writers from a specific era. Each author contains a short biography, and the sources for that biography are listed at the bottom of the page. While much of the information is culled from unathoritative sources such as "Wikipedia," this is a great starting point for research.
o Wikipedia List of Mystery Writers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mystery_writers.
Wikipedia contains an extensive list of mystery and crime writers with links to their Wikipedia pages, which contain biographical information as well as references and links to other resources. This is a great starting point to do further research on mystery writers.
Books:
o 100 Most Popular Contemporary Mystery Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies (Popular Authors Series) by Bernard Drew.
This book contains biographical sketches for the most famous contemporary mystery authors. Each sketch contains basic biographical information along with a bibliography of the author's works.
o African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey.
This work focuses on the development of the mystery genre in African American culture, beginning with slave narratives and advancing to fiction writing. It focuses on major works of Black mystery-writing and showcases modern authors. While not simply a biographical work, the reader can gain an overall understanding of the genre along with its major authors.
Archival Collection:
o Women of Mystery Collection, The University of Arizona Library Special Collections. http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/collections/women-of-mystery.
This is a manuscript collection at the University of Arizona Library on women mystery writers, especially those from the Southwest. The collection consists of many novels, from 1950-present, along with personal papers and manuscripts.
Top Mystery Authors:
o Agatha Christie
§ Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie.
Published after her death, this work by the famous author herself chronicles her childhood, her volunteer work during World War II, and her career. The book is valuable for the personal insight from Christie herself and the way she outlines her life using her unique writing style.
§ The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie by Charles Osborne.
This is an illustrated work that showcases the author's works and career against the backdrop of her personal life. Osbourne also critiques the works of the author, delving into many of her writing flaws, but still paints Christie in a beloved and redeeming light. At the end of the book, one can find bibliographies and an index.
o Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
§ The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle: A Biography by Russel Miller.
This is the first biography of Doyle that makes use of the fifteen hundred personal letters he wrote to his family, which expose many of his innermost thoughts and feelings. It is also the first book to fully draw upon the Richard Lancelyn Green Archive, which holds the world’s most extensive collection on Doyle.
§ Arthur Conan Doyle, The Prolific Writer: An Online Exhibition by Westminster Libraries. http://www.westminsteronline.org/conandoyle/index.html.
Published by Westminster Libraries, this page includes an extensive biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with essays on his fiction, military life, and spirituality. It also contains a fun quiz on Doyle, along with a link to his major works.
o Edward Stratemeyer (aka Carolyn Keene, Franklyn W. Dixon)
§ Edward Stratemeyer: Creator of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew: Who Wrote That? by Brenda Lange and Karle Zimmer.
This biography is written especially for young adults who might be interested in the author of The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and The Bobbsey Twins, popular youth mystery series. The book concentrates mainly on the works of Stratemeyer, who went by several pen names and has an elusive personal life.
§ The Literature Network: Edward Stratemeyer. http://www.online-literature.com/stratemeyer.
This article gives a concise history of Stratemeyer, focusing on his early life, career, and works. The website as a whole contains the biographies of many of the most famous authors, along with links and interactive quizzes.
Top 11 Mystery Authors