The worst well known female crime writer

[George Wilder Jr.]

And that might be Lisa Garner( The Killing Hour) and along with Toni Morrison (Beloved). I could be wrong, just my thoughts. However, there are plenty of others who will totally disagree with me. And I understand that. I admit I have not read everything by these authors and it may be unfair. Let me say, that I have wasted lots of money purchasing books that I thought would bring something new to crime writing. Orginality just was not there. At least not for me. Everything I write is original.

[I. J. Parker]

Quite true. Ruined by money?

[Laura Root]

Completely agree. Some absolutely stunning early books though.

[I. J. Parker]

Quite true. But I think there are probably many, many worse books than hers. The thing that is infuriating is that she still has bestseller status. And that will tell us all we need to know about readers.

[Laura Root]

Yes, I was a bit surprised to see Toni Morrison mentioned! I thought Beloved was fascinating - not as a crime novel though, but as a meditation on the effects of slavery on the psyche. In particular how family ties could be ripped apart at the whim of the owner.

[Janet McClellan]

I am a bit puzzled as to why you have decided to speak disparagingly about any author, most particularly start a little tiff about female authors. Your question appears to me to be disingenuous and divisive. Perhaps you could let us know what you have published so we might become more familiar with what you refer to as your original writings.

[Julie Lomoe]

Sometimes I'm astounded by what gets published, both by well known authors who are running out of steam and by less well known writers who managed to land a contract with a reputable house. But I'd never post their names here - I'd consider it bad karma. Rather, I study their work to learn more about what doesn't work and why. I make heavy use of the library. And I agree with some of the previous posters - why pick on women?

[Sunnie Gill]

Has anyone tried Martina Cole? I read one of her books for review. About 200 pages too long and overegging the pudding . She spent 2 pages describing the marriage of a London criminal. The fact he was unfaithful, the circumstances under which he was unfaithful, his attitude to the girl/s in question, theirs to him and what his wife thought.

Three was a passage in the book where rivals broke into the family home and beat someone to death. The author described it from the points of view of everyone there. Trouble is they all saw the same thing and no one added anything new.

My most recent stinker is a pair of authors who called themselves The Mulgray Twins. British customs officer who has a drug sniffing cat!!. Need I say more?

[Laura Root]

Sounds like an unusual twist on the cat cozy genre there :). Never tried Martina Cole, she doesn't sound my cup of tea.

[Sunnie Gill]

She definitely wasn't mine either.
The drug sniffing cat book was pretty dire. As it was review copy I felt obliged to read it from go to whoa.