This collection of essays investigates how contemporary female authors and critics subvert, challenge, and rewrite the traditional conventions of detective fiction to center women's experiences. The contributors, including academics and established crime writers, analyze the historical marginalization of women in the genre and propose new frameworks for reading and writing crime narratives. By examining specific authors and archetypes, the text argues that the detective novel serves as a potent site for exploring gender dynamics and social power structures.

This work provides a focused, scholarly examination of the Australian crime fiction landscape during the early 1990s. The collection serves as a specialized resource for those interested in the intersection of feminist theory and popular genre fiction.