Mary Mussi, née ''Edgar'' (27 December 19072 March 1991), was a British writer of over 50

romance novel A romance novel or romantic novel generally refers to a type of genre fiction novel which places its primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and usually has an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Pre ...

s as Mary Howard, who also wrote over 10

gothic romance Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

as Josephine Edgar. She is one of the two novelists to win three times the

Romantic Novel of the Year Award The Romantic Novel of the Year Award is an award for romance novels since 1960, presented by Romantic Novelists' Association, and since 2003, the novellas, also won the Love Story of the Year (now RoNA Rose Award). In 2018, awards were given to ...

by the

Romantic Novelists' Association The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) is the professional body that represents authors of romantic fiction in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1960 by Denise Robins (first president), Barbara Cartland (first vice-president), Vivian Stuart ...

Biography

Personal life

Born Mary Edgar on 27 December 1907 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England, United Kingdom, daughter of Jenny (Howard) and George Edgar, an author. She was educated privately. On 6 March 1934, she married Rudolph F. Mussi, they had one son, Max, and one daughter, Susan Jane. Mary Mussi died on 2 March 1991.

Writing career

Mussi started writing contemporary romance novels as Mary Howard in 1930, later she used the penname of Josephine Edgar to sign her gothic historical romances. She received three times the

by the

for her novels '' More Than Friendship'' (1960), ''

Countess Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility.L. G. Pine, Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty'' ...

'' (1979), and '' Mr Rodriguez'' (1980). She also won the Elinor Glyn award in 1961. She was a past chairwoman of Society of Women Writers and Journalists.

Bibliography

As Mary Howard

Single novels

*''Windier Skies'' (1930) *''Dark Morality'' (1932) *''Partners for Playtime'' (1938) *''It Was Romance'' (1939) *''Strangers in Love'' (1939) *''Far Blue Horizons'' (1940) *''The Untamed Heart'' (1940) *''Devil In My Heart'' (1941) *''Uncharted Romance'' (1941) *''Tomorrow's Hero'' (1941) *''Reef of Dreams'' (1942) *''Gay Is Life'' (1943) *''Have Courage My Heart'' (1943) *''Anna Heritage'' (1944) *''The Wise Forget'' (1944) *''Family Orchestra'' (1945) *''The Man from Singapore'' (1946) *''Weave Me Some Wings'' (1947) *''The Clouded Moon'' (1948) *''Strange Paths'' (1948) *''There Will I Follow'' (1949) *''First Star'' (1949) *''Star-crossed'' (1949) *''Bow to the Storm'' (1950) *''Sixpence in Her Shoe'' (1950) *''Two Loves Have I'' (1950) *''The Young Lady'' (1950) *''Promise of Delight'' (1952) *''The Gate Leads Nowhere'' (1953) *''Sew a Fine Seam'' (1954) aka ''The Cottager's Daughter'' *''Fool's Haven'' (1954) *''Before I Kissed'' (1955) *''The Grafton Girls'' (1956) *''A Lady Fell in Love'' (1956) *''Shadows in the Sun'' (1957) *''Man of Stone'' (1958) *''The Intruder'' (1959) *''More Than Friendship'' (1960) *''The House of Lies'' (1960) *''Surgeon's Dilemma'' (1961) *''The Pretenders'' (1962) *''The Big Man'' (1965) *''The Interloper'' (1967) *''The Repeating Pattern'' (1967) *''The Bachelor Girls'' (1968) *''The Pleasure Seekers'' (1970) aka ''The Charmed Circle'' *''The Crystal Villa'' (1970) *''Home to My Country'' (1971) *''A Right Grand Girl'' (1972) *''Soldiers and Lovers'' (1973) *''The Young Ones'' (1975) *''The Spanish Summer'' (1977) *''Mr. Rodriguez'' (1979) *''For Love Or Money'' (1984) *''Success Story'' (1984)

As Josephine Edgar

Single novels

*''My Sister Sophie'' (1964) *''The Dark Tower'' (1966) *''Time of Dreaming'' (1968) *''Dancer's Daughter'' (1969) *''The Devil's Innocents'' (1972) *''Stranger at the Gate'' (1973) *''The Lady of Wildersley'' (1975) *''Margaret Normanby'' (1982) *''Bright Young Things'' (1986) *''A Dark and Alien Rose'' (1991)

Viola's Story

#''Duchess'' (1976) #''

'' (1978)

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Mary 1907 births 1991 deaths English romantic fiction writers Writers from London Place of death missing RoNA Award winners 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English women writers Women romantic fiction writers English women novelists