Product Description

If you've been searching for a comprehensive readers' advisory guide for mystery and detective fiction, look no further. With more than 2,500 titles and more than 200 authors, this book will provide you with an excellent overview and a thorough understanding of the genre, from topics of interest, a history of mystery fiction, and subgenres, to hints for advising readers, and a discussion of collection development and preservation techniques. Even with no prior knowledge about the genre, with this guide you will find it easy to answer questions raised by readers. And if you're an avid reader of mystery and detective fiction, you will love this book as you explore titles and gain an even deeper insight into the genre. Books can be searched by author, title, character, subject, and location. An indispensable resource for library professionals, educators, and mystery fans!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1320443 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 624 pages

From Booklist
This addition to the Genreflecting Advisory Series is "intended to help readers' advisors, librarians, and others develop a greater understanding of the mystery genre so they can make reading recommendations and successfully answer questions raised by readers who enjoy reading mysteries." The book is divided into two parts. In part 1, "Introduction to Mystery Fiction," Niebuhr devotes considerable space to background material: discussion of readers'-advisory service in general and the appeal of mystery fiction in particular, and how to build and manage a mystery collection, followed by a history of the genre beginning in 1845. Part 2, "The Literature," annotates more than 2,500 titles by more than 200 authors.

Niebuhr take a fairly purist view of mystery, omitting crime, intrigue, thrillers, suspense, adventure novels, and true crime. This leaves "mystery detective novels where a fictional character tries to solve a puzzle concerning a crime to the administration of justice." Chapters correspond to three types of detectives--amateur, public, and private--with several variations, such as lawyer detectives and ex-cop detectives. For each different type, as appropriate, Niebuhr identifies those writers who are "historical founding members," "golden agers," and "modern practitioners." Under each writer, titles are grouped by detective and arranged in chronological order by publication date. This grouping by detective is useful because it corresponds to the way mysteries tend to be chosen and read. Each title entry includes publisher, date, and a brief annotation. An appendix lists print and electronic resources, organizations, and publishers. The volume concludes with author, title, character, subject, and location indexes. Niebuhr's type-of-detective approach is a useful way of classifying the factors that appeal to mystery readers, and the indexes offer alternative pointers to titles that readers might like.

Among guides to mystery fiction, this one stands out as being thorough and current. Essential for public libraries. REVWR
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
“[a]dvises how to become familiar with the mystery genre in order to become a reader's advisor and how to build a mystery fiction collection, and describes mystery fiction during the 19th and 20th centuries....lists more than 2,500 titles, arranged by broad categories of Amateur, Public, and Private Detectives, then by such subcategories as eccentric detectives, lone wolf police, and lawyer detectives. Where possible, plot summaries are supplied, and for series by an author (e.g., V.I. Warshawsky mysteries), all titles are listed....In a crowded field, Niebuhr's source is a worthwhile addition. Recommended. All libraries.”–Choice

“[A] worthy book for those seeking an introduction to the genre ...”–Crime and Detective Stories

“In a reference aimed at readers' advisory librarians, Niebuhr covers considerable ground in knowledgeable, readable, and generally accurate fashion.”–Mystery Scene

“Sub-genres, tag lines and icons informing the browser of the relative level of violence, sexuality, and general theme matter of individual titles, and more, set Make Mine a Mystery apart into a class of its own as a distinctive and first-rate resource for librarians and dedicated mystery readers.”–Midwest Book Review

“Niebuhr's type-of-detective approach is a useful way of classifying the factors that appeal to mystery readers, and the indexes offer alternative pointers to titles that readers might like....Among guides to mystery fiction, this one stands out as being thorough and current. Essential for public libraries.”–Booklist

“This is a very useful volume, both for the librarian working in a readers' advisory capacity and for the mystery reader searching for new books.”–Reference Reviews

About the Author
GARY WARREN NIEBUHR is Library Director, Greendale Public Library, Greendale, Wisconsin.

Customer Reviews

Capsule descriptions of hundreds of popular mystery
Compiled by Gary Warren Niebuhr, Make Mine A Mystery: A Reader's Guide To Mystery And Detective Fiction is an impressive, 605-page reference offering summaries and capsule descriptions of hundreds of popular mystery and detective fiction titles. Sub-genres, tag lines and icons informing the browser of the relative level of violence, sexuality, and general theme matter of individual titles, and more, set Make Mine A Mystery apart into a class of its own as a distinctive and first-rate resource for librarians and dedicated mystery readers searching for the appropriate and quality stories of mystery and suspense.