"The Flame and the Flower," the debut romance novel by Kathleen Woodiwiss, was published in 1972. It is a historical romance, set in the 19th century, involving the exploits of Heather Simmons. This romance is notable in that it was the first to detail graphic encounters between the protagonists that involved both violence and sexuality. Before "The Flame and the Flower," romance novel heroines were chaste and often retained their virginity.
Georgette Heyer was a romance novelist who created an entire subgenre of historical romance called Regency England romance. Stories in this subgenre take place between 1811 and 1820. The majority of Heyer's novels were written before the 1970s, but her final novels were published in the early 1970s. "Charity Girl" was published in 1970, and "Lady of Quality" was published in 1972. Both were Regency England novels issued by Bodley Head in London and Dutton in New York. These were the last works of one of the most prolific romance novelists in the 1900s.
Agatha Christie was a prolific mystery writer whose first novel, "The Mysterious Affair at Syles," was published in 1920 and introduced retired Belgian police officer Hercule Poirot, an enduring literary character. Poirot was the protagonist in two of Christie's novels published in the 1970s: "Elephants Can Remember" and "Curtain." Another recurring character, female detective Miss Marple, appeared in two of her 1970s novels -- "Nemesis" and "Sleeping Murder," her last published novel. Christie also published "Postern of Fate" in 1973. Although it was not the last of her novels to be published, it was the last one she wrote.
Mysteries were as popular for children as they were with adults. One young sleuth who was popular throughout the 1970s was Encyclopedia Brown. He was the creation of author Donald J. Sobol, born in 1924. The Encyclopedia Brown stories, which take place in Idaville, Florida, concern the title character, his friend Sally, and the villain that reoccurs in many of the stories, Bugs Meany. Seven Encyclopedia Brown stories were published in the 1970s, beginning in 1970 and continuing with one story every subsequent year through 1977. An additional 14 stories appeared after that, up until 2010.