Showing results by author "Andrew Forrester" in All Categories

Uncover the intrigue of the 1864 collection of stories Female Detective. Crafted by James Redding Ware, writing under the pseudonym Andrew Forrester, the book is a pioneering example of detective fiction featuring a female protagonist. The author skillfully poses as the editor of these so-called “memoirs” of an anonymous detective. Her identity is a mystery, with the introduction opening simply with, “Who am I? It can matter little who I am.” The motive behind this book is to validate and dignify her profession, which she believes is undeservedly scorned. The narrative ...

First published in 1864, decades before there were official female detectives or female police officers in Britain, The Female Detective features the original lady detective: the determined and resourceful Miss Gladden, known as “G”. She examines crime scenes incognito, tracks down killers, and solves mysteries employing all manner of skill, subterfuge, and charm to achieve her ends while attempting to conceal her own identity from others..

Mrs Gladden uses similar methods to her male counterparts - she enters scenes of crime incognito, tracking down killers while trying to conceal her own tracks and her identity from others. She does much physical detective work, examining scenes of crime, looking for clues and employing all manner of skill, subterfuge, observation and charm to achieve her ends. Characteristic of the casebooks of the time, Forrester's book features various cases narrated by Mrs Gladden, including murder, fraud and the sale of a baby.