Dorothy Uhnak

Dorothy Uhnak (1930–2006) was the bestselling, award-winning author of nine novels and one work of nonfiction. Policewoman, a memoir about her life as a New York City transit police detective, was written while Uhnak was still in uniform. The Bait (1968), her first novel, won the Edgar Award for Best First Mystery Novel. She went on to hit the bestseller lists with novels including Law and Order (1973) and The Investigation (1977). Uhnak has been credited with paving the way for authors such as Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, Patricia Cornwell, and many others who write crime novels and police procedurals with strong heroines. Her books have been translated into fifteen languages.