Marilyn Wallace (1941–2006)
Author of Sisters in Crime
About the Author
Marilyn Wallace is a writer, editor and Chair of the 1999 Edgar Awards. A Case of Loyalties (1987) received the Macavity Award for best first novel. She has written a number of other books and edited the anthology Sisters in Crime since its inception in 1989. Her short stories have appeared in show more Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Woman's Eye. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Marilyn Wallace
Deadly Allies: Private Eye Writers of America/Sisters in Crime Collaborative Anthology (1992) — Editor & Contributor — 43 copies
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- Weiss Wallace, Marilyn
Bruce, Maggie (pseudonym) - Birthdate
- 1941-01-01
- Date of death
- 2006-07-29
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- New York, New York, USA
San Anselmo, California, USA - Occupations
- crime novelist
anthology editor
short story writer - Organizations
- Mystery Writers of America (chair, Edgard Awards, 1999)
- Short biography
- Marilyn Wallace wrote a number of novels under her own name and the pen name Maggie Bruce, and edited the Sisters in Crime anthology series from its inception in 1989. Her short stories appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Woman's Eye. She died of breast cancer in 2006.
Members
Reviews
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 23
- Also by
- 8
- Members
- 1,004
- Popularity
- #25,690
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 18
- ISBNs
- 56
- Languages
- 2
“Deadly Allies” brings together writers from the PWA and SinC in a collaborative volume of 20 short stories. The stories are presented in pairs – one from a PWA member and one from a SinC member – with each pair organized around a common theme. Each pair of stories is preceded by a brief introduction that explains the common thread that binds them. Likewise, each story is accompanied with an introduction that summarizes aspects of the writer’s life and career. In each pair of stories, reader’s are not told which author represents which organization, and gender turns out not to be a useful criterion (features that work against the collection’s stated rationale). Likewise, the prior publication history (if any) of the stories is not indicated (leaving one to wonder whether they were written specifically for this collection).
The result is an interesting juxtaposition of stories, that if anything, shows similarities rather than any differences that might be attributed to gender. The stories include contributions by major figures along with others known chiefly to those who follow the genre closely. Below is a list of the stories included, along with my personal ratings (on a scale of 1 to 5*). Stories that especially stood out, in my judgement, are Lia Matera’s “Easy Go,” Robert Randisi’s “Turnabout”, and Marilyn Wallace’s Reunion”.
Easy Go by Lia Matera – 4.5*
Summary Judgment by Jeremiah Healy –3*
A Little Missionary Work by Sue Grafton –2*
A Good Judge of Character by Susan Dunlap –2*
Sex and Violence by Nancy Pickard –2*
Mary, Mary, Shut the Door by Benjamin M. Schutz –3.5*
Role Model by Michael Collins –2*
Invitation by Sarah Andrews –1.5*
Nothing Ventured by Carolyn G. Hart –1*
Whatever Has to Be Done by Jan Grape –2.5*
Louise by Max Allan Collins – 3*
Strung Out by Sara Paretsky –2.5 *
Like Father, Like Daughter by Sandra Scoppettone – 3.5*
Turnabout by Robert J. Randisi – 4*
Before You Leap by John Lutz –2*
Hangnail by Margaret B. Maron –1*
Silk Strands by Julie Smith – 3*
Safe House by Loren D. Estleman – 3.5 *
Unfinished Business by Rob Kantner – 3*
Reunion by Marilyn Wallace – 4*… (more)