THE FIRST PRIVATE EYEFUL?

Charles Champlin’s extensive Endpapers on women sleuths and women mystery writers (“Women Sleuths and the Rise of the Whydunit,” Book Review Oct. 29) unfortunately neglected to mention the first female private detective in international series fiction, Honey West.

Created by the writing team of Skip and Gloria Fickling (G. G. Fickling), the Honey West books have appeared in 14 languages and have sold more than 10 million copies. The Ficklings, who live in Laguna Beach, were honored by the Los Angeles Times with a front-page pictorial story in View a few years back.

Their television program “Honey West,” starring Anne Francis, was seen in 30 foreign countries and still is in syndication in America.

Not only was Gloria Fickling writing mystery fiction as far back as the ‘50s, she also was an associate editor for Look magazine and an award-winning writer for Fairchild Publications (Women’s Wear Daily); moreover, the Ficklings have won an Edgar Allan Poe award from the Mystery Writers of America, a Golden Globe, an Emmy nomination and first prize for the best mystery drama from PBS.

JEFFRY EVAN

LAGUNA BEACH