African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study

The book describes the movement by African American authors from slave narratives and antebellum newspapers into fiction writing, and the subsequent developments of black genre fiction through the present. It analyzes works by modern African American mystery writers, focusing on sleuths, the social locations of crime, victims and offenders, the notion of "doing justice," and the role of African American cultural vernacular in mystery fiction. A final section focuses on readers and reading, examining African American mystery writers' access to the marketplace and the issue of the "double audience" raised by earlier writers.

Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Author: Frankie y. Bailey
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: McFarland & Company
Published: 12/01/2008
Pages: 277
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.02w x 0.64d
ISBN: 9780786433391


Award: Agatha Awards - Nominee
Award: Edgar Allan Poe Awards - Nominee
Award: Macavity Award - Winner
Award: Anthony Awards - Nominee