The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective
Secrets and Lies in the Golden Age of Crime
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Pan Macmillan
Published:20th Feb '20
Should be back in stock very soon
This book chronicles the intriguing life of Maud West, a groundbreaking female detective, blending her personal stories with rich social history.
In The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective, readers are taken on a captivating journey through the life of Maud West, a pioneering figure in the world of private investigation. Operating her detective agency in London for over three decades, Maud began her career in 1905, serving the elite and navigating the complexities of a male-dominated society. Her remarkable exploits made headlines globally, yet behind her public persona lay a woman concealing critical aspects of her identity to survive in a class-obsessed environment. This duality raises intriguing questions about her true self and the challenges she faced as a female detective during the Golden Age of Crime.
Susannah Stapleton, the author and historical researcher, meticulously intertwines Maud West's personal narratives with extensive social history, revealing the unreliable nature of Maud's own accounts. The book explores not only the intriguing cases Maud took on but also the societal constraints that shaped her life and career. As readers delve deeper into Maud's 'casebook,' they are introduced to a colorful cast of characters, from notorious criminals to celebrated authors, all of whom played a role in the rich tapestry of her experiences.
Ultimately, The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective serves as both a tribute to a woman who defied the norms of her time and a fascinating glimpse into the hidden world of early 20th-century crime. This exploration of Maud's life not only entertains but also invites reflection on the broader implications of gender and identity in a rapidly changing society.
Terrific ... A brilliant literary sleuth tracks down a real one, uncovering a flabbergasting hidden life along the way. -- Lissa Evans, author of Old Baggage and Crooked Heart
Deliciously entertaining, meticulous and affectionate ... Criminally good. I loved it. -- Mel McGrath, author of Give Me the Child and The Guilty Party
A powerhouse of a book ... The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective is, as one suspects Maud herself was, sweet, and wonderful company, and absolutely determined to discover the truth. -- Judith Flanders, author of The Invention of Murder and the Sam Clair mysteries
Maud West is a gloriously English eccentric - think Miranda Hart meets Margaret Rutherford - brought to vigorous life by present day sleuth Susannah Stapleton. -- Sean O'Connor, author of Handsome Brute
Susannah Stapleton’s dogged sleuthing of Maud’s own complicated, messy, spunky life reveals the wider story of a little-explored sliver of life between the wars. I loved it. -- Kate Colquhoun, author of Mr Briggs' Hat and Did She Kill Him?
If you are inclined to regard the “Golden Age” detective stories as obviously a fantasy form — and never more fantastic than when the sleuth is a woman, Susannah Stapleton’s book will astound you. “Maud West” was a real woman detective, but her story blurs the margin between possible truth and impossible invention till your head spins. If you are susceptible to Miss Marple and Harriet Vane you must read The Adventures of Maud West. You will never know the difference between fact and fiction again. -- Jill Paton Walsh, author of the Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane novels
Compulsively absorbing . . . delightfully well written, with both sympathy and empathy; it is jaunty, engaging and witty without being arch. A triumph. -- Lucy Lethbridge * Literary Review *
[A] charming light-hearted investigation into the life of Maud West, a lady detective. A sort of “Miss Marple on the trail of Miss Marple” . . . frank and funny. -- Ysenda Maxtone-Graham * The Times Review *
Intriguing * Woman’s Weekly *
Impressive . . . more fascinating than any fictional detective story * Choice *
Susannah Stapleton’s erudite but hugely entertaining debut is a true-life detective story about a true-life detective . . . [an] exhilarating eye-opener of a book * Spectator *
Highly entertaining * The District Messenger, The Newsletter of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London *
Although Stapleton does not engage in much literal leg-work – she is able to do a lot of her research in her pyjamas – this account of her pursuit of the will-o’-the-wisp-like Maud through the maze of online archives and registries is utterly enthralling, often even thrilling * Daily Telegraph *
Shot at in Paris, blackmailed in Bloomsbury: the self-promoting cases, and many faces, of a fearless female sleuth . . . breezy * Guardian *
This romp through the life of one of Britain’s first female detectives sets out to solve one central mystery: who was Maud West? Her story is told in tantalising detail by Susannah Stapleton * 5 stars, Mail on Sunday *
Fascinating * Sunday Times *
A gripping read * Daily Mirror *
Meet a fantasizing, sharpshooting, cross-dressing, self-advertising female star of the early twentieth century . . . It's all about women, this book. -- Libby Purves * TLS *
A glorious, gripping read, constructed just like the detective stories Stapleton so admires, with clues, cliffhangers, blind alleys and revelations aplenty, uncovering the many truths about Maud and her exceptional life. -- Charlotte Heathcote * The Sunday Express *
ISBN: 9781509867325
Dimensions: 197mm x 130mm x 26mm
Weight: 268g
320 pages