Little is known of Mary Fortune, Australia's first female writer of crime fiction. She kept her identity secret by writing under the names of Waif Wander of W.W. Arriving in Australia with her young son, she supported herself by writing about life on the goldfields and in the cities. Lucy Sussex's detective work has revealed something of the life of this remarkable woman, but her writing is her best testimony. Its verve and quality recreate for the modern reader the harshness of life, while reflecting many issues still relevant in contemporary society.