Veronica roth goodreads author shelved 81 times as strongfemalelead. So as the title suggests, im looking for some detective books with a female lead. The author, barbara neely, described herself as being schooled by the novels of toni morrison and although the main character is a maid, the choice of occupation is a commentary on race and roles. The first book in the series carries the same title as the series. These authors will captivate your imagination with strong female characters who. The genre i return to time and again when i want a break is the mystery series.
Precious ramotswe has been the leading and the only female detective around. Unlike most other mystery series, the detective here, professor hilary tamar of oxford. There are fourteen books in total that comprise this mystery series. And not only are these books by a female author, they are some of the best mystery books in the genre, period, regardless. Books with strong female characters if you think girl books are just about princesses, romance, gossipy schoolgirls, and vampires, think again. The rose gardner mystery series by denise grover swank is my all time favorite female sleuth series. She writes crime fiction mysteries with a strong female lead, detective liska.
Over the course of her new york times bestselling series, nancy athertons aunt dimity has become. The black female detective written by the black female author. Abigail adams, future first lady, detects in 1770s massachusetts in a series by barbara. Top 10 female detectives in fiction books the guardian. Here are 10 of our favorite mystery series for young female readers, though it must be noted that any book below could be read by any child. One breakthrough came in the form of blanche white, first appearing in blanche on the lam, in 1992. Martina has said that damaged will be the final kate burrows book in the series and so well finally find out how kate and patricks. Nancy first appeared in 1930 in a series of mystery novels written by various people under the pseudonym of carolyn keene.
If youre writing with a female hero in mind, read this post. These are a chronological series and all 22 volumes are available in ebook format for sony reader, kindle, and nook. Look, miss marple is great, but shes not the only little old lady detective in the world. Discover the best womens detective fiction in best sellers. We write about the six defining characteristics of strong female protagonists. So whether or not true detective returns for another season and solves its woman problems, here is a short list of crime novels many of them the start of series where theres a woman in charge. Apr 02, 2014 what are good detective shows on netflix and amazon. I dont know about you, but reading books in a series out of order makes my eyes bleed. A really solid series opener, featuring detective kay hunter shes definitely keeping the strong female detective fresh and alive. The detective falls in love with her and proposes marriage but she refuses to begin a relationship with him, traumatised as she is by her. Oct 02, 2017 now in 2017 martina is bringing her strong female detective out of retirement once again to work as a consultant on a serial killer case. The first book is entitled twentyeight and a half wishes. Shes written several series, each with an intrepid, if flawed, female lead.
It takes a woman a fast paced thriller of a story that draws you in from the start and will make your heart quicken. Elena and lila are two girls growing up in a poor neapolitan neighborhood in the 1950s. Below is a list of 10 outstanding female detectives in fiction, ranging from police officers to private investigators to avid readers roaming the. The best female detectives in fiction written by women. The girls maintain a strong bond of friendship over the years, despite following different paths. There is a tendency to confuse strength with acting like. In my opinion melinda is the epitome of a strong female lead.
Jul 01, 2016 the black female detective written by the black female author. I mean, i read my fair share of nancy drew books, of course. Popular female detective books goodreads share book. There seem to be a lot of posts about strong female protagonists on writing blogs, which made me think about how i would define these characters. Gabriella geovannigabriella giovanni mystery series by kristi belcamino. Detective sergeant mo connell was tough, principled and much putupon professionally by the. I like series with strong female protagonists, maybe because i. So grab a coffee, sit down, and find your next best read, especially if you are in the mood for something of a female perspective to the prose. Aug 28, 2018 looking for something new and exciting to read ive compiled a list of thrillers, including suspense, crime fiction, and mystery titles best of all. Aug 15, 2019 i have read so many that i loved, so i thought i would share ten of my favorites so you, too, may have a chance to enjoy the best detectives. In the latest book in the series quieter than killing marnie thinks there. Looking for good detective shows on netflix and amazon. And theres nothing better than a good ol fashioned thriller, particularly when they feature strong female protagonists.
Created by one of our favorite underrated mystery writers, tish. The moonbow was shatteringmere bits of color in the blackness, a sort of bridge between heaven and earthreminding her that even on the darkest nights there was a glimmer of home, of promise, however hazy. Popular strong female lead books goodreads share book. Celebrate national womens history month with these 29 great books. The enchanted forest chronicles series by patricia c. My brilliant friend is a rich and heartwarming account on female friendships. Daisy wellsis an english boarding school girl during the 1930s in a book series by robin stevens is the president of the wells and wong detective society she established with her friend hazel wong. Jennifer ferrin, frederick weller, paul reubens, sharon stone. The best of netflixs featuring a strong female lead. The best female detectives in fiction written by women penguin. The 30 best female detectives and amateur sleuths in mystery fiction. The black female detective in mystery literature its.
Ill take konrath over other writers that prefer to not cross the line any day of the week. Watch out for nancy athertons latest, aunt dimity and the kings ransom, coming in july 2018 from viking. Jan 21, 2015 shes written several series, each with an intrepid, if flawed, female lead. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon kindle store best sellers. Since that initial series nancy has been revamped various times for everything from seventies tv series to madefortv movies and modern book series. Four talented, driven, and passionate women join forces to solve crime in james patterson and maxine paetros addictive womens murder club series. Robb, too far gone by allison brennan, breaking point by allison brennan, make them p. Books with strong female characters common sense media. Mar 23, 2015 29 awesome books with strong female protagonists. Please only add firstinseries books from series where the protagonist is a female detective or. Now in 2017 martina is bringing her strong female detective out of retirement once again to work as a consultant on a serial killer case.
We started this list because we love mysteries and always look for good detective shows to watch on netflix. Feb 19, 2016 the best way to distract yourself from this crazy world of ours isyou guessed it. Jun 27, 2017 addictive mystery series that will pull you in from book one and never let go. Daisy wellsis an english boarding school girl during the 1930s in a book series by robin stevens is the president of the wells and wong detective. Explore our list of women detectives fiction books at barnes.
When the body of a snatched schoolgirl is found in an abandoned biosciences building, the case is first treated as a kidnapping gone wrong. Shirley holmes is the greatgrandniece of sherlock holmes and a. From helen mirren to thandie newton, strong women sleuths. The charlotte and thomas pitt novels by anne perry feature a strong female character who is born into minor aristocracy but rebels against her upbringing and marries a workingclass police inspector. When i saw that this weeks topic for best book ever was strong female leads one book immediately came to mind.
And theres nothing better than a good ol fashioned thriller. Created by scottish author alexander mccall smith, precious ramotswe is one of the very few black female detectives in literature. Five favorite british mystery series by women writers. The girl with the dragon tattoo by stieg larsson, a is for alibi by sue grafton, the no. Now in 2017 martina is bringing her strong female detective out of. Navigate to the global search form search landmark. This riot recommendation on female detectives in fiction is sponsored by other press. The book the kalahari typing school for men is the fourth book in the no. Female detectives were bringing new twists to the classic tropes. I just finished the 11th book in the series last night. British tvs 9 most powerful female detectives crimereads. Harriet deborah vane, later lady peter wimsey, is a fictional character in the works of british writer dorothy l. Books by series coming soon new releases this months biggest new books.
In other words, if you decide to check out a title on this list and fall in love with it, there are more books to consume in the same series. She is the first female private investigator from botswana and founder of a detective agency. The alphabet series by sue grafton is the very best female detective series ever written. The books are very popular and have been printed all over the world. Strong female character 2 strong female lead 2 surname as series title 2 teenager 2. The best of netflixs featuring a strong female lead categories. In honor of marleys inspiring cause, and her commitment to promoting the importance of books featuring black female lead characters, weve rounded up 15 of our favorite such books including those were donating to marleys book drive for readers of all ages. Theres a new female detective heading to bbc america, with preys detective sergeant susan reinhardt. The delightful, bestselling series will see its eighteenth book released in early november but you can dive in anyplace in the series.
Nancy drew is one of the most famous girl detectives, and for good reason. Each title on this list not only features a strong female protagonist, but it also happens to be the first book in a series. Aug 07, 2017 we asked you to tell us your favorite female detectives in fiction and you responded. Vicki barr, flight stewardess, is the heroine in a series of 16 mystery books for girls, published 19471964, by helen wells and julie campbell tatham. Enter netflixs featuring a strong female lead categories, which do much of the difficult work by sorting through endless films and tv shows starring toothy white dudes, burning them in. The best female detective books hachette book group. There are plenty of great books featuring strong female main characters in compelling stories that are sure to appeal to boys as well as girls. Elsewhere, the seach will be visibly opened after this button is selected. Top ten fictional female crimefighters autostraddle. Each book listed is the first in the series, so you know where to start. Temperance brennan is arguably best known from the hit fox series, bones, an adaptation of kathy reichss mystery series. A whodunit based on the murder of popular childrens book author and illustrator olivia lake.
One of the first series to investigate the investigators. Millennium series author david lagercrantz calls jenny rogneby the new queen of nordic noir. So if you look for excellent characterization and astute psychological evaluation in your crime books, minas your girl. Deborah knott is a judge and daughter of a north carolina bootlegger in a series of books by american crime novelist margaret maron debuted 1992. Sayers 18931957 vane, a mystery writer, initially meets lord peter wimsey while she is on trial for poisoning her lover strong poison. So read our list of the best mystery books for women written by female authors.
Mar 28, 2018 detective inspector roisin connor first appears in series 7, paired with the cantankerous detective superintendent mike walker, who could pick a fight with the sky just for being blue. Strong female in mysterysuspense books lead ask metafilter. Discover the most enthralling mystery and thriller novels featuring women sleuths. The version of the books i read as a little girl was the revised 1959 versions, bound in yellow with hand drawn covers. It is a coming of age series about a sheltered and abused young woman who has visions. But detective kay hunter isnt convinced, especially when a man is found dead with the ransom money still in his possession. Alanna of trebond is so determined to become the first female knight errant in the kingdom of tortall that she switches places with her twin brother before he reaches.
Temperance brennan is arguably best known from the hit fox series. The best female detectives in fiction written by women y is for yesterday. Martina has said that damaged will be the final kate burrows book in the series and so well finally find out how kate and patricks story ends. The 6 defining characteristics of strong female protagonists. What are good detective shows on netflix and amazon. I have read so many that i loved, so i thought i would share ten of my favorites so you, too, may have a chance to enjoy the best detectives. Bailey weggins is a true crime writer for magazines in a book series debuted 2004, by magazine editor kate white. Some of the best mysteries i was reading had women cracking the cases. Look no further, here is our list of the 30 best mystery shows on netflix and amazon. As gillian anderson returns in the role of detective superintendent stella gibson in season 2 of the crime drama the fall, we take a look at other female. Anne holts top 10 female detectives books the guardian.
But this is one of those detective series that doesnt take itself very seriously, the very opposite of one like prime suspect. A crime novel from the point of view of a female detective is much. But i also wanted to follow in the footsteps of other writers who have taken. An irresistible introduction to everyones favorite bestselling cozy mystery series. Jan 30, 2020 interesting and fast moving, the criticism i would give this series is the lead actresses are a bit too frivolous and light hearted while going about their crime solving duties. Police procedurals have come a long way since the advent of television. She also happens to be a particularly cunning and observant detective and one of our personal favorites, so wve allowed for alexander mccall smith to be the one honorary male writer on this list. Since then, many authors have introduced female detectives, both professional and amateur, to an awaiting public.
Apr 10, 2010 the charlotte and thomas pitt novels by anne perry feature a strong female character who is born into minor aristocracy but rebels against her upbringing and marries a workingclass police inspector. The series is very wellresearched and provides an interesting look into womens roles in victorian society throughout all social classes. Interesting and fast moving, the criticism i would give this series is the lead actresses are a bit too frivolous and light hearted while going about their crime solving duties. Discover the greatest female detectives of all time. Before she played the queen, helen mirren took on the role of detective chief inspector jane tennison in the series prime suspect. Phryne fisherphryne fisher series by kerry greenwood. The best way to distract yourself from this crazy world of ours isyou guessed it. Five crime novels where women are the true detectives. Harriet vane is the only daughter of a country doctor. Cia agent gaia moore from the book series fearless by. Harriet, a mystery writer who fell under suspicion for her fiances death in strong poison, has become. Edgar awardwinning editor otto penzlers new anthology brings together the most cunning, resourceful.