Unpunished: A Mystery - Hardcover

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1558611703 ISBN 13: 9781558611702

Publisher: The Feminist Press at CUNY, 1998

Synopsis

   Written in the late 1920s and never before published, this mystery by the author of such early feminist classics as The Yellow Wall-Paper is a major literary find. Gilman's first and only detective novel recounts the murder of a pernicious attorney who has been shot, stabbed, bludgeoned, strangled and poisoned. The husband-and-wife detective team present a model of true partnership, while the unfolding details of the case offer poignant evidence of the injustice that poor and powerless women can suffer at the hands of a brutal man. Gilman weaves her case for women's freedom and empowerment into a mystery rich in twists and turns, colorful characters, red herrings, suspense and wry humor.

About this title

Review:

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's newly discovered last major novel spoofs detective novels and challenges the hidden shame of domestic abuse years before it was a public issue. Wade Vaughn, a sadistic attorney, is murdered by five different methods--and leaves behind a long list of potential perpetrators. Detective team Jim and Bessie Hunt pick their way through their investigation, turning up a surprise heroine, disabled Jacqueline "Jack" Warner, whose journal--Gilman-style (The Yellow Wall-Paper)--reveals not only Vaughn's final moments but also the abuse that has been hidden in his family despite the deaths of two of its female members. A historical landmark, a mystery, a comedy, and a social statement, all in one!

About the Author:

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) was a feminist writer, lecturer, and activist, and is best known for The Yellow Wall-Paper. Her many other works include the science fiction trilogy Herland and Women and Economics.

About this edition

• Publisher: The Feminist Press at CUNY
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1558611703
• ISBN 13: 9781558611702
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192
• Editor: Golden Catherine