1. Surplus Women

After the First World War, there was a great flowering of female independence as more women chose to live single lives. This change, and the backlash to it, is all there to be found in the murder mysteries of the period, if you just dig a little below the surface. From self-contained, professional women like Mary Whittaker in Dorothy L Sayers’ Unnatural Death to dear, fluffy Miss Marple, there are a multitude of single women’s lives to discover.

But let’s go back to the beginning. This particular story starts with the surplus women.

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Shedunnit is written, hosted and produced by Caroline Crampton


Artwork by Rebecca Hendin


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detective,mystery,sleuth,agatha christie,miss marple,dorothy l sayers,first world war,history,women's history,