Eleanor Taylor Bland
Encyclopedia
Eleanor Taylor Bland was an African American writer of crime fiction. She was the creator of Lincoln Prairie, Illinois (based on Waukegan, Illinois
) police detective Marti McAllister.
in North Chicago, Illinois
, with her husband, Anthony Bland, who was serving in the US Navy. Taylor was her father's name, not her maiden name. She and her husband remained together for 31 years, before parting. Although she was diagnosed with Gardner syndrome in the 1970s and given a short time to live, she managed to overcome the disease. In later years, however, she fought several bouts with cancer. Bland received a BA from the University of Southern Illinois in 1981, and from 1981 to 1999 worked as an accountant. She had two children and several grandchildren, and resided in Waukegan, Illinois
, during the later years of her life.
Bland died of Gardner's syndrome
on June 2, 2010, at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.
Several novels featuring Marti MacAlister followed. Marti works in collaboration with a male partner, Polish American Vik Jessenovik, and their contrasting styles have been described as city-reared, streetwise, spunky and intuitive and Baptist (Marti) versus meticulous and small-town-minded Roman Catholic (Vik). Family and community life, and social issues, are also strong elements in the novels. In a survey of women detectives in crime fiction, Maureen Reddy points out that almost all African American women writers create detectives who have children and a family life. Bland herself once commented that "the most significant contribution that we have made, collectively, to mystery fiction is the development of the extended family; the permanence of spouses and significant others, most of whom don't die in the first three chapters; children who are complex, wanted and loved; and even pets."
Editor
Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan is a city and county seat of Lake County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. The 2010 population was 89,078. It is the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population...
) police detective Marti McAllister.
Biography
Eleanor Taylor Bland was born in Boston, Massachusetts. But after marrying at age 14, she moved to the Naval Station Great LakesNaval Station Great Lakes
Naval Station Great Lakes is the home of the United States Navy's only boot camp, located near the city of North Chicago, Illinois, in Lake County. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Command, Training Support Center and Navy Recruiting District Chicago...
in North Chicago, Illinois
North Chicago, Illinois
North Chicago is an outer suburb/exurb of the Chicago metropolitan area and is an incorporated city in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 35,918 at the 2000 census....
, with her husband, Anthony Bland, who was serving in the US Navy. Taylor was her father's name, not her maiden name. She and her husband remained together for 31 years, before parting. Although she was diagnosed with Gardner syndrome in the 1970s and given a short time to live, she managed to overcome the disease. In later years, however, she fought several bouts with cancer. Bland received a BA from the University of Southern Illinois in 1981, and from 1981 to 1999 worked as an accountant. She had two children and several grandchildren, and resided in Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan is a city and county seat of Lake County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. The 2010 population was 89,078. It is the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population...
, during the later years of her life.
Bland died of Gardner's syndrome
Gardner's syndrome
Gardner syndrome, also known as familial colorectal polyposis, is an autosomal dominant form of polyposis characterized by the presence of multiple polyps in the colon together with tumors outside the colon...
on June 2, 2010, at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.
Works
Her first novel, Dead Time (1992), introduced her sleuth, African American police detective Marti MacAlister, recently transferred from Chicago to the small town of Lincoln Prairie, Illinois. However, her second book, Slow Burn, was actually the first one written but no publisher wanted it.Several novels featuring Marti MacAlister followed. Marti works in collaboration with a male partner, Polish American Vik Jessenovik, and their contrasting styles have been described as city-reared, streetwise, spunky and intuitive and Baptist (Marti) versus meticulous and small-town-minded Roman Catholic (Vik). Family and community life, and social issues, are also strong elements in the novels. In a survey of women detectives in crime fiction, Maureen Reddy points out that almost all African American women writers create detectives who have children and a family life. Bland herself once commented that "the most significant contribution that we have made, collectively, to mystery fiction is the development of the extended family; the permanence of spouses and significant others, most of whom don't die in the first three chapters; children who are complex, wanted and loved; and even pets."
Books
- Dead Time (1992)
- Slow Burn (1993)
- Gone Quiet (1994)
- Done Wrong (1995)
- Keep Still (1996)
- See No Evil (1998)
- Tell No Tales (1999)
- Scream in Silence (2000)
- Whispers in the Dark (2001)
- Windy City Dying (2002)
- Fatal Remains (2003)
- A Cold and Silent Dying (2004)
- A Dark and Deadly Deception (2005)
- Suddenly a Stranger (2007)
Editor
- Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African American Authors (2004)
See also
- Police ProceduralPolice proceduralThe police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
- Crime fictionCrime fictionCrime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
- Mystery (fiction)
- DetectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
- List of female detective/mystery writers
- List of female detective characters