A Moment on the Edge: 100 Years of Crime Stories by Women

“An absolutely first-rate anthology. . . a thoughtful and intelligent paean to crime fiction.” — New York Sun

#1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George serves up a century's worth of superb crime fiction penned by women. This veritable all-star team delivers tales of dark deeds that will keep you reading long into the night. Some of the works included are:

• "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell
• The Summer of People" by Shirley Jackson
• "The Irony of Hate" by Ruth Rendell
• "Country Lovers" by Nadine Gordimer
• "Wild Mustard" by Marcia Muller
• "Murder-Two" by Joyce Carol Oates
• "The Man Who Knew How" by Dorothy Sayers

A Moment on the Edge is a rare treat not only for fans of crime fiction but also for anyone who appreciates a skillfully written, deftly told story.

Whether the story is a murder mystery, a tale of suspense, a psychological study of the characters affected by a devastating event, a courtroom drama, a police procedural ... the question remains the same. Why crime? Why exists this fascination with crime and why, above all, exists this fascination with crime on the part of female writers?
-- Elizabeth George

In A Moment on the Edge, bestselling author Elizabeth George has selected a stunning collection of twenty-six crime stories from some of the best practitioners of the genre, who also happen to be some of the most successful women writers of our time.

These shocking and compulsively readable stories are arranged chronologically, starting with the classic "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell (1917). Also included are stories by Golden Age mystery writers Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh, and New Golden Age author Sara Paretsky, as well as selections by writers outside the genre, such as Shirley Jackson, Nadine Gordimer, Antonia Fraser, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Collectively these stories illustrate how crimefiction -- especially that written by women about women -- has changed in the last hundred years. As Elizabeth George notes in her introduction, "All of these authors share in common a desire to explore mankind in a moment on the edge. The edge equates to the crime committed. How the characters deal with the edge is the story."

This is a must-have anthology for aficionados of crime fiction.

“From start to finish, a first-rate anthology.” - Booklist

“The stories sparkle…. It’s these stories, that work as short fiction as well as they work as mysteries, that give the collection its life.” - Detroit Free Press

“Sterling examples of both British stories a la Agatha Christie and distinctively American tales.” - Publishers Weekly

“A huge feast of female-authored short crime stories....you’ll find everything from cozies to outright terror.” - Bookreporter.com

“A solid selection...the stories themselves speak for the part women have played in the development of the modern mystery.” - Denver Post

“An absolutely first-rate anthology...a thoughtful and intelligent paean to crime fiction.” - New York Sun

“Lively, informative introduction....The chronological arrangement gives the reader a feel for the evolution of crime fiction over the past century.” - Library Journal