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The authors behind The Lipstick Chronicles (Susan McBride, Sarah Strohmeyer, Harley Jane Kozak, Nancy Martin’s) take a look at the idea of a girl ghetto in crime fiction. The discussion features Laura Lippman, David Montgomery, Sarah Weinman, and Harlan Coben, each of whom addresses the idea that women are pushed to the edges of this genre. Their conclusions tend to say no, with qualifiers.

The responses are interesting, but we found that one recurring theme didn’t get explored fully (given the format and the fact that the Lipsticks couldn’t have predicted this, it’s understandable): the idea that people write what they write, and why. To quote Sarah Weinman:

And also by extension, more serious questions have to be asked which is likely more controversial: do the people who gravitate towards cozies or more genre fare possess less talent and potential than those who attempt bigger themes? And why do people choose the paths which lead them to write the books they do?

We would add a layer to her question: do these authors possess a more narrow world-view? Yes, there’s clearly an audience for knitting mysteries, but is this just an extension of a domestic perspective? And there’s nothing wrong with a domestic perspective — what happens in our homes can be very intriguing and filled with conflict. We’ll be curious to see if this question is explored in the Chronicles.

Also, our kudos for asking Harlan Coben about the kids. It’s good to hear a male author talk about balancing home responsibilities with writing. So often, it seems that real life doesn’t exist for some writers, while women have to explain that they work their writing in between soccer practice and piano lessons.

• The Lipstick Chronicles — the entire series is (currently) on the home page for easy access