Page Updated: 02/07/99
Helen Windrath
Helen Windrath
A Career in CrimeA Career in Crime Newpbk 24 Jun 99
Reader, I Murdered Him, TooReader, I Murdered Him, Too
About the Author
Bibliography


New British Pbk Original - Women's Press (1999)
A Career in Crime
Inside information from leading women writers, including: Val McDermid, Marcia Muller, Sarah Dreher, Stella Duffy, Ellen Hart, Gillian Linscott and more
'Should I make my character like myself in background, lifestyle, appearance and spirit? Certainly not! At the time I had no recognisable skills, no prospects, a failing marriage, and was afraid of my own shadow.'
'If there is a rule about writing it is that there are no rules. But at the back of my mind, I keep a handful of yardsticks to measure my imaginary people against. Are their motivations clear? Are their reactions consistent? Are they acting out of character and is there a purpose in that? Do I like them or dislike them and is that the reaction I want the reader to have?'
In A Career in Crime, leading women crime writers describe their professional lives - their struggles to make time to write; strategies for maintaining concentration; and the blood, sweat and tears that go into each and every creation. They provide on intimate and personal view of their writing lives, plus clear and comprehensive advice for all prospective authors of crime fiction. This unique and fascinating book covers atmosphere and suspense; plot; character creation and development; how to get started; research; developing a sense of place and sustaining a series. It is essential reading for all crime writers in the making and for all with an interest in writers' lives.
A Career in Crime also provides clear and comprehensive advice for all women who are thinking of writing crime fiction. It covers how to get started, research, creating a sense of place, plot, characterisation and character development, atmosphere and suspense, developing a series and much more.

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British Pbk Original - Women's Press (1995)
Reader, I Murdered Him, Too
A woman’s gotta do what a woman’s gotta do: holding the eye contact, I smile right back…
Murders in stately homes, crimes in convents and bodies lost at sea… Hot on the trail are hard-drinking investigators, academic sleuths and determined amateurs...
Reader, I Murdered Him was a huge bestselling success and remains, today, a classic of the genre. Now, Reader, I Murdered Him, Too brings the best in the business back again as Sara Paretsky, Val McDermid, Amanda Cross and many more offer razor-sharp solutions to heinous crimes, both past and present…

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About The Author
Helen Windrath is senior commissioning editor and rights manager at The Women's Press. She has edited The Women's Press Book of New Myth and Magic (1993), Reader, I Murdered Him, Too (1995), Feast! Women Write About Food (1996), Something to Savour: Food for Thought by Women Writers (1996), and The Female Odyssey: Visions for the 21st Century (1999), all published by The Women's Press. She lives in London, and has no criminal record!

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Bibliography
N.B. dates and publishers in dark red indicate British First Editions. Dates and publishers in black indicate recent reprints.

  • A Career in Crime (Women's Press Pbk, 1999) New Pbk Jun 99
  • Reader, I Murdered Him, Too Short Stories (Women's Press Pbk, 1995)

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