Monstrous Regiment of Women

Monstrous Regiment of Women

by Laurie King    

February 2016

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Born September 19, 1952, in Oakland, CA;. Education: University of California, Santa Cruz, B.A., 1977; Graduate Theological Union, M.A., 1984. Addresses: Home: Freedom, CA. Agent: Linda Allen, Linda Allen Literary Agency, 1949 Green St., Ste. 5, San Francisco, CA 94123.       E-mail: info@laurierking.com.

Website:  http://www.laurierking.com

AWARDS:  

Among many awards, King won the Nero Wolfe Award, 1995, for A Monstrous Regiment of Women; she has an honorary doctorate from Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

"MARY RUSSELL" SERIES

Laurie King's versatile storytelling smoothly blurs the borders of mystery, historical mystery, and psychological suspense genres. Her carefully-plotted, imaginative works often feature admirable heroines who bend societal norms in some way. Subtle undercurrents of feminism and theology are common. King's popular Sherlock Holmes series features Mary Russell, who is foremost Holmes's equally brilliant, strong-willed, partner-and, eventually, his near-scandalously younger wife.

• The Beekeeper's Apprentice; or, On the Segregation of the Queen, 1994.
• A Monstrous Regiment of Women, 1995.
• A Letter of Mary, 1997.
• The Moor, 1998.
• O Jerusalem, 1999.
• Justice Hall, 2002.
• The Game, 2004.
• Locked Rooms, 2005.
• The Language of Bees, 2009.
• The God of the Hive, 2010.
• Pirate King, 2011.
• Garment of Shadows, 2012
• Dreaming of Spies, 2015
• Murder of Mary Russell, April, 2016 (forthcoming)

Laurie King is also the author of the Kate Martinelli series and several stand alone mysteries.

AUTHOR READ- ALIKES FROM NOVELIST (by Krista Biggs)

Wilhelm, Kate    Reason:  Another writer in several genres, Kate Wilhelm makes a good suggestion for fans of King's Psychological Suspense novels. Both authors' works feature elegant style, building suspense, intelligent plotting, and strong characterizations, not to mention feminist attitudes.

Fyfield, Frances   Reason:  Suspense and Mystery novelist Frances Fyfield offers multiple similarities to King. In addition to her gripping, sinister, provocative novels of Psychological Suspense, Fyfield also writes contemporary Mysteries that should please King fans for their marked feminism, dark foreboding atmosphere, troubled personal relationships, and difficult cases, often driven by disturbing social issues.

Pears, Iain   Reason:  These authors write fast-paced Historical Mysteries set in a variety of eras. King's novels have a more feminist point of view, but both authors' character-driven works have a strong sense of place, no matter the time period.

Todd, Charles   Reason:  Charles Todd and Laurie R. King write character-driven historical mysteries set primarily in the World War I and post-war era. Carefully researched details contribute to a strong sense of place in both authors' work, although Todd's stories have a darker tone and elements of psychological suspense.

Gaudy Night  by Dorothy L. Sayers

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Family: Born June 13, 1893, in Oxford, England; died of a thrombosis, December 17, 1957, in Witham, Essex,married Oswald Atherton (one source says Oswald Arthur) "Mac" Fleming (a journalist) in 1926 (died, 1950); children: one son. Education: Somerville College, Oxford, earned first class honors, 1915, B.A. (with honors), M.A., B.C.L., all in 1920. Religion: Anglican. Memberships: Modern Language Association (president, 1939-45), Detection Club (president, 1949-57, and co-founder).

Dorothy L. Sayers's mysteries feature not only devilishly clever plots that delight traditional mystery readers, but also the graceful writing, nuanced characters, and beautifully evoked settings often found in literary fiction. Series character Lord Peter Wimsey deepens and grows more subtle as the books progress, especially after he meets Harriet Vane, who comes to excel at investigation herself. The interesting supporting characters, strong sense of place in varied settings, and rich use of language round out a satisfying reading experience in each story. Start with: Whose Body.

Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries

Whose body?: a Lord Peter Wimsey novel (1923) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 1]

  (First book in series) Sayers's most renowned amateur detective, the engaging and amusing Lord Peter Wimsey, sets out to unravel a puzzling case involving the disappearance of a wealthy financier and the discovery of a nude corpse, wearing a golden pince-nez, in a bathtub.           

Clouds of witness (1927) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 2]

Unnatural death (1927) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 3]

The unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1928) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 4]

Strong poison (1930) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 5]

The five red herrings (1931) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 6]

Have his carcase  (1932) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 7]

Murder must advertise  (1933) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 8]

The nine tailors (1934) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 9]

 

Gaudy night (1936) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 10]

Harriet Vane's Oxford reunion is shadowed by a rash of bizarre pranks and malicious mischief that include beautifully worded death threats, burnt effigies, and vicious poison-pen letters, and Harriet finds herself and Lord Peter Wimsey challenged by an elusive set of clues.

        

Busman's honeymoon ( 1937) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, short stories]

Thrones, dominations (Feb 1998)

Newlyweds Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane explore another mysterious turn of events during the short-lived reign of Edward VIII, in a novel left unfinished and unpublished for almost sixty years.

       

Lord Peter views the body (1928) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, short stories]

Hangman's holiday (1933) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, short stories]

Lord Peter (1972) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, short stories]

Gathers together in one volume all of the tales which depict the adventures of this celebrated British detective.

 

Striding folly: including three final Lord Peter Wimsey stories (1972)

In the teeth of the evidence (Jun 1968) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, short stories]

Continuation of series by Jill Paton Walsh:

A presumption of death (Jan 2002)       

The Attenbury emeralds (Jan 2011)

Read-alikes from NoveList

.	Jemima Shore mysteries by Antonia Fraser Reason:  … Shore, like Harriet, is an intelligent, independent, unconventional woman. These mysteries also feature dark wit, a penchant for literary references, and a strong sense of place. -- Rebecca Sigmon
	Phryne Fisher mysteries by Kerry Greenwood Reason:  The Phryne Fisher books have a lighter tone and the atmosphere is more contemporary, but the post World War I Australian setting, Phryne's wealthy and aristocratic family, and the plot structures may appeal to Sayers fans who want to something slightly different. -- Katherine Johnson
.	Roderick Alleyn mysteries by Ngaio Marsh Reason:  Peter Wimsey and Roderick Alleyn are both aristocratic sleuths who work in Great Britain. These series have a writing style that is more literary than most mystery stories. -- Rebecca Sigmon
.	Kate Fansler mysteries by Amanda Cross Reason: …  Kate Fansler, who, like Harriet, is an intelligent, independent, unconventional woman. These mysteries also feature dark wit, a penchant for literary references, and a strong sense of place. -- Katherine Johnson
	websites:  http://www.sayers.org.uk/dorothy.html http://www.dorothyl.com/