Tales Out of School — Carolyn Wheat

In 1983, Carolyn Wheat burst on the mystery scene with her Edgar-nominated novel about Cass Jameson, one of the first female lawyers in a crime series. Wheat's work is filled with sympathy for the underdog. In Three Time Loser, Cass is torn between her feelings for an elderly woman and her job of giving the best defense for a young immigrant. In Crime Scene a young female cop is encouraged to cry out of pity for a murder victim, and in doing so solves the crime. Some of the 19 stories are lighter in tone, including a clever pastiche of Sherlock Holmes and a case involving cats and smuggling. Includes an introduction and prefaces by the author, and a Carolyn Wheat checklist.