THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES. THE GREAT WOMEN DETECTIVES AND CRIMINALS.

Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1943., 1943. First edition. First edition. Signed on the title page "Ellery Queen"/ (Frederic Dannay). Fine, bright copy in price-clipped dust jacket with red color on spine lightly sunned and minor wear to the foot of spine. An important anthology as well as an early one that includes stories by Eberhart, Palmer, Rinehart, Footner, Starrett, Holmes [Boucher], Christie, Orczy, Hume, Bangs, Vickers, Wallace, et al. The introduction is quite informative. Queen says, "the first true detective in literature cracked open his eggshell in 1841, emerging 'fully grown and armed to the teeth.' Out of Poe's immortal rib [ no pun intended ] came the world's first woman detective---a full twenty years later." Queen goes on to say, "again obeying the primeval laws of nature--though less laggard, let it be noted, in matters pertaining to sin--woman came second. In all these years no one has collected in one 'feminology' the best exploits of our many distaff detectives, matronly murderesses, and petticoat pilferers." Thus does Mr. Queen explain this fascinating collection. Also contains Frederick Irving Anderson's The Jorgensen Plates, a publishing story featuring the technical aspects of publishing in England and the USA.