The beloved juvenile writer's anonymous and pseudonymous sensation stories were first discovered decades ago by the literary sleuthing of Madeleine Stern and Leona Rostenberg. Now Stern, a recognized Alcott scholar, has selected four thrillers that illuminate Alcott's feminist convictions. These engaging potboilers feature the power struggle between the sexes and colorful, passionate heroines who, ranging from thwarted and abused victims to triumphant conquerors, will beguile a new audience of modern readers.