Mystery Book Club: After Grafton - The Rise of the Female Detective

For the spring semester, Carole Shmurak will be leading a five part series on the theme After Grafton: The Rise of the Female Detective. After Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone and Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski made their sensational debuts in 1982, publishers – and readers – eagerly sought out female detectives. These women are judges, lawyers, teachers, housekeepers, and taxi-drivers  — and for better or worse, they have lovers, nieces and nephews, mothers and fathers, sisters and lots of brothers, all of whom complicate their lives

For the month of February, we will be reading Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron.

As a teen, Deborah Knott used to babysit little Gayle Whitehead for her mother, Janie. One rainy spring day eighteen years ago, both mother and daughter disappeared. When they were found three days later Gayle was dehydrated, dirty, and hungry...and Janie was dead. The unsolved murder became a local legend and an enigma that continues to haunt Gayle, who now begs Deborah to investigate.

Carole B. Shmurak, Professor Emerita at Central Connecticut State University, is the author of eleven books, including four mysteries featuring professor/sleuth Susan Lombardi: Deadmistress, Death by Committee, Death at Hilliard High, and Most Likely to Murder. As Carroll Thomas, she co-authored the Matty Trescott novels, one of which (Ring Out Wild Bells) was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. Carole leads monthly mystery groups at the Simsbury, Southington, and Wallingford libraries. Visit her website carole-books.com