Academia has approached the mystery/detective novel as a work defined within two primary categories, that is traditional and hard-boiled. Researches have delineated each category as being primary of British origin and the latter of the American literary tapestry. Throughout this category, the genre has been popularized as being male dominated, both in film, the small screen as well as the novel. However, the female professional detective has surprisingly been a part of the literary landscape hundreds of years ago. These female characters of intelligence have both male and female authors to thank for their creation. In an article discussing the origins and development of female detectives in this genre, Joseph Rosenblum illustrates in great detail that the female detective was strong and quite capable of taking the lead in solving cases in a murder mystery.

What has been overlooked, some may argue has seen a resurgence in popular media (primarily television) and the novel itself. However, there is an interesting note that Rosenblum highlights from an early female author "… that most women detectives in fiction were too young, too beautiful, too interested in marriage, and too often prone to walk into physically dangerous situations and interfere with men trying to solve crimes." As the article progresses, the author notes a transformation at the opposite end of the mystery/detective spectrum. Now the female detective lead is self-sufficient and inclines to the modern definition of feminism. It appears that to counter what was earlier perceived as a weakness of a woman, femininity, a systemic literary rebuff of any traditional role is a form of progress (feminism). It is this author's understanding that most write based on the mores and societal expectations of their time or with the intention of exceeding the bounds of the status quo. Whether the mystery/detective author decides on either path, the novel is a tool of entertainment, even if its contents are considered by the reader and critic alike as 'thought-provoking'.

So how does an author balance writing about a female detective in a different era from which the author actually lives? Fiction author Patricia M. Muhammad has written three mystery/detective novels. None of which is an era that she has lived or was the cusp of having experienced. As with most historical fiction, the author conducts some level of research. Yet for fiction the characters are imagined. The most imaginative form of writing is to enclose the characters within the historical reality, influencing the form of that which the author has created as being once of an authentic, tangible form. Thus, part of building the fictional setting is to pull from the real world, even if it is from the context that the author has never experienced. Muhammad uses the presumed role of the devoted housewife to weave a literary landscape. Still befitting within this role she incorporates the scene of the crime, a baking competition. An interesting point she makes about the protagonist, the female 'coloured' detective, is that she is no baker. This emphasizes one aspect of Wilhemina Dankworth, a devoted wife indeed, but one who is aptly focused on resolving murder cases. It characterizes of the main character what the author reflects, an environment in which the author has no place, yet each much navigate this new surrounding in order to investigate and solve the murder cases. However, the author is careful to ensure that she is feminine, dedicated to her loving Anglo-Brit husband and mindful of her etiquette—even when confronted with murders that seemingly have no ordinary origin.

Sweet As Murder is a mystery/detective romance novel set in a small town in 1950s Georgia. It is currently on sale as an ebook at the following online retailers:

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About the Author: Patricia M. Muhammad is a multi-genre fiction author who has written 22 novels. Sweet As Murder is her third mystery/detective romance novel.

Connect with Patricia:
Social Media: @pmmuhammadbooks
Press: [email protected]