Does anyone know of any female detective books I am in a detective crime book mood. ?
Does anyone know of any female detective books I am in a detective crime book mood. ?
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Does anyone know of any female detective books I am in a detective crime book mood. ?
Agatha Raisin @M.
Kathy Reichs books are the basis for the tv show Bones. The books are way better though and very different than the show. Forensic pathology inevitably includes investigations.
The same with Patricia Cornwell’s books involving Kay Scarpetta.
Jeffery Deaver’s books include a female police officer and a retired quadriplegic officer (movie was The Bone Collector) and some books are about a female detective based in California (Sleeping Doll). His character development and sophisticated antagonists are amazing.
Sue Graftons ABC murders. My favourite female detective. She wrote the books up to X so lots to read 😀
Cecelia Beaubouef Yeeey! Great! 😀
not a female but crime thriller author.. Sidney Sheldon and James Patterson..
Sandra Brown, Karen Slaughter, Martina Cole….
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. It’s a whole series of books by Alexander McCall Smith.
The Unexpected Mrs. Polifax by Dorothy Gilman is a good book about an older lady who decides to become a CIA agent. I loved it but still need to read the rest of the series.
Mrs. Pollifax is GREAT!
The Helen Grace series by m Aldridge – very good xx
How I could I forget Mrs. Pollifax? I collect those! They may be the most charming mystery/espionage series ever written.
Anything by j.d. Robb
Eve Dallas from the In Death series by J.D Robb is excellent. One of my favoirote heroines. She’s a smart,kick ass,take no names detective,who wont stop til she catches the bad guy ?
With help from Roark and Peabody…McNab, Feeney and Sommerset. Great books. Probably should read in order
It is better to read them in order,but I think I discovered them with Immitation and then went back and ordered the rest. I’ve read them ever since ?
Womens murder club by james patterson. Its a series and all the crime solving character are women.
You might want to try the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie starts out as a serving girl in a lord’s household, but is trying to educate herself. She is caught in the library, but rather than be angry, her employers take on her education as a personal project. The story spans World War I, and how she eventually hangs out her shingle as psychologist/investigator. The series needs to be read chronologically; currently, the stories are dealing with the rise of Hitler. One of the best series I’ve ever read!
Love the Maisie Dobbs books,too. Hope there will be another in the series soon.
The last one I heard about was Maisie taking on a secret mission for England in Nazi Germany. Forget the title offhand; haven’t had the money to buy it.
Have you tried the Clara Vine series by Jane Thynne? Not a detective,but a British agent in the heart of The Reich during WW2.
No. If you like British cozy mysteries, you need to check out the Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton.
@Traci I think it was titled In This Grave Hour.
Hope I can get it someday…
Traci West I’ll look for them. I also like the Daisy Dalrymple series by Carola Dunn. These are set in the 1920s/30s & should be read in order. You should be able to get her books as she is based in Oregon I think & they come out in the US first.
It’s good to meet another mystery buff! 🙂
Excellent stories 🙂
Not female but Famished by Megan O’ Flynn
Kinsey Milhone series by Sue Grafton. Kinsey is a private investigator. She has written one for each letter of the alphabet…A is for Alibi. She is almost finished. I think the next one will be X. The reason I find them so enjoyable is they take place in the 80s so it’s all clues and detection no computers and DNA.
Also Val mcdermid books are AMAZING! Xx
I do not recall the name of the sleuths but: Kathy Reichs, Aline Templeton, Elly Griffiths, Maureen West, Elizabeth Haynes, Lin Anderson, Carolyn Dunn, Dana Stabenow, Nicola Upson, Ann Cleeves (Vera Stanhope), Graham Masterton (Kate McGuire), Charles Todd (Bess Crawford), Tess Gerritson (Rizzoli & Isles), Alex Gray, Nevada Barr, M.C. Beaton (Agatha Raisin), Alan Bradley…those come to mind at any rate. (Big fan of Crime, and absolutely female sleuths)
Your list is amazing # Following
Solveig, have you read Rita Mae Brown books with Mary Minor Harristeen “Harry” as female sleuth? I enjoy them
Love Alan Bradley’s Flavia!
@Sandy Noted!
Gemma and Duncan books by Deborah Crombie. Ruth Galloway by Elly Griffiths.
Anything by Patricia Cornwell. Agatha Christie does well too with Miss Marples.
Sue Grafton
Women’s murder club books by James Patterson are great
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P.D. James
Carol O’Connell writes a series featuring an NYPD female detective, Kathleen Mallory.
Sara Blaedel writes a series featuring Louise Rick, commander of the Missing Persons Departnent somewhere in Denmark.
Both have kept me glued to the page, great suspense, strong main characters.
Up with Mallory!
Joy Ellis series 🙂
The trespasser by Tana French
The bell Elkin series … Laura something is the author. Brain fart, sorry !
Julia Keller?
Yes !!!!!
J D Robb anything she wrote.
The V.I. Warshawski series by Sara Paretsky
JD Robb’s In Death series
The series by Rita Mae Brown with Sneaky Pie the cat and her mistress, Harry Harristeen. They are adventures in mystery taking place in rural Virginia and the protagonist amateur sleuth is a strong and loving woman. Just picked up the most recent one at my local library. Give them a try.
Women’s murder club by James Patterson, currently about 16 books in the series ?
Mo Hayder Very Good read
Nancy Drew!!!
If you don’t mind a “young” book… The Westing Game.
Jack Daniels series by Jack Kilborn/J.A. Konrath
Kathy Reichs books are what the show Bones was based on
Kay Scarpetta series from Patricia Cornwell. She’s a medical examiner but they are really good.
Camilla Läckberg wrote a serie of books where Erica Falck (a writer married to a policeman) investigates. It’s very good and you have the great landscapes of Sweden as a plus! On a more classic genre you have Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, or some P.D.James books.
greywalker oe thirst is good sorta along the lines
J. D. Robb.
Sue Grafton
Blake Pierce, all of his books are awesome! Cannot put them down! I’m hooked!
Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series!!! Love Kinsey Millhone! I am up to P now.
It may have already been said, but the Miss Marple stories by Agatha Christie
She’s the best. So underrated
Tess Gerritsen’s books ❤
YES! The Rizzoli and Isles books are everything I ever wanted in a chic detective novel!
Same here ❤❤
most cozy mysteries ( granted, they’re amateurs but it counts)
J. D. Robb’s in Death series about Eve Dallas. James Patterson’s Women’s Murder club series. Read them in order.
Faye Kellerman
ABC series by Sue Grafton, Scarpetta series by Patricia cornwell, women’s murder club series by James Patterson.
These are great series.
If you do Scarpetta series, I recommend her earlier ones.
I think you’re right, Meagan. Her new ones start sounding just a little exaggerated. Ms. Cornwell might be letting her success go, ever so slightly, to her head.
I’ve only read the first few, sad to hear they’ve gone downhill
To specify, one of the main villains from–I forget which title it was–is essentially a werewolf without the full moon. He has hypertrichosis–hair all over face and body–and I felt Cornwell presented him as pure evil to the point that it stretched credibility. I like villains who have at least a little depth and dimension.
I remember that one, @Jamie! I really started to dislike them around #10 or #11. Wasn’t a fan of her change of tense and point of view and really disliked where she took the Scarpetta – Marino dynamic. I think she got a bit wordy too. I made it to #14 before giving them up. I kept thinking the next one would be better and just felt they declined instead.
Karin Slaughter
I love Karin Slaughter.
Lucy Kincaid novels by Allison Brennan have been my go to series for awhile.
I love that series!
Iris Johansen’s Eve Duncan series is also terrific
I love that series too!!
My wife has a whole box of Iris J books. Maybe I will peek !
@Ralph they are great reads.
T Y For you ladies – I like Clive cussler, he has 3 different heroes, but, they are also mysteries and adventure.
make that 4 series of heroes
The Eve Duncan novels feature not only a forensic sculptor as the protagonist but a female CIA agent as her foil. It’s a great combination.
Oh, also, Margaret Mizushima’s Timber Creek novels are FANTASTIC and the woman detectives partner is a lovable K-9 named Robo!
Patricia Cornwell books
Ann rule true murders Ann Rice (might be reverse but they are good)
@Louise series frist book red ribbion loved it
Ariana Franklin with her series on her middle age medical detective woman
Sounds interesting!
Ann Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope series.
Maisie Dobbs. The series starts at the beginning of WWI, and the most recent is at the beginning of WWII.
Bess Crawford series is also good.
Most of the cozy mysteries are female leads.
Stephanie Evanonich series.
I didn’t even think of Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich. Excellent and hilarious!
Kathy Reich
Justice series by M A Comley and Sally Parker series by same author
Savannah Reid mystery series (she owns her own PI business)
I’m totally adding some of these on GoodReads.
Cody Mcfadyen -Smoky Barrett series
If you want a fun read, try the Stephanie Plum books by Evanovich. I’ve never physically read them BUT, rather, I listen to them via audible while I knit.
I can certainly recommend ‘The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency’ (Alexander McCall Smith) – really, really good stories….and a bit different to the norm. 🙂
Agatha Cristi
I like Ngaio Marsh’s Inspector Alleyn series because of the presence of his artist wife Troy–in a way she becomes a protagonist through the progression of the series. And there don’t seem to be many detectives who are happily married, so it’s a nice change.
On the funny side go with Janet Evanovich. Something a little darker try Sandra Brown.
Sweetness At the Bottom of the Pie and the other Flavia de Luce books by Alan Bradley. 🙂
They are also great audiobooks!
The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R King.
Mary Higgins Clark has some awesome books.
Get onto Google and search for the Under Suspicion Series by Mary Higgins Clark. Amazing books! All of them had me gripped from the first page.
I See You, Clare Mackintosh. It’s new, and it’s GOOD.
Ann Cleeve’s Vera Stanhope series.
Patterson’s Girl’s Murder Club are good. Also Kathy Riech. She wrote the books that Bones is based on.
Also, J.D Robb Dallas series.
Emma Jane Holloway her series for The Bakersfield Affair was a good read. (Also the story is based on Sherlock Holmes niece.)
Maggie Sefton’s knitting series
Charlene Harris writes a couple.
The “Dirty” series by Liliana Hart. I read all 5 books in 10 days. Couldn’t put them down!
Rizzoli and Isles series i think by Tess Gerritsen
Books are better i think but i also liked the show
Can’t stand the show. I’ve read most of the books and really liked them.
One of my favorite book series
Yessss. Those are awesome books. I couldn’t get into the TV series though. I’m still busy building my collection. Best is Vanish (I think that’s what it’s called)
Diane Mott Davidson
I agree
Woman’s murder club series- by James Patterson!!
Didn’t care too much for that series.
Alphabet series by Sue Grafton. Book 24 is only .99 on amazon atm.
Sue Grafton
“A is for Alibi”
Donna Fraser Bailey the “Y” will be published in August.
I also loved, “Kinsey and Me”
Have read them all. Excellent series.
Absolutely. Sue Grafton gets my vote, too. I’ve read them all and can’t wait for X and Y.
X is in my local stores.
“Y” is coming out in August.
Read “A” and almost didn’t read her again. But, I gave her another try and she got better and better.
@Gloria I know, but I never buy hardcover books unless they’re on sale. I’m waiting for them to come to my local library and/or to come out in paperback (or in Kindle).
author Janet Evanovich not sure of the spelling
Yes, her Stephanie Plum books are wonderful. And your spelling, @Jill, is perfect.
Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series
Robert B. Parker has the Sunny Randall series.
If you’re after something a bit different that isnt set in modern day try Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher series. It was even made into a BBC show.
#1 Ladies Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith. so much fun.
I was just coming on here to say this!!
Who Killed My Daughter by Lois Duncan (true story/memoir)
Yeah the Stephanie plum books are a fun read.. Janet evanovich or the women’s murder club James Patterson
Dana Stabenow (Kate Shugak) and Nevada Barr (Anna Pigeon: park ranger) are absolute must reads. They aren’t detectives in profession but they solve murders.
My Mom was a fan of Nevada Barr, passed some on to me, enjoyed.
I’ve read all the Nevada Barr books. In the first one I read, she was wearing her steel toed boots (possibly Redwings), long gray streaked hair pulled back into a braid, and leaning on a shovel. She was on a fire line. Can’t remember which book it was, but she had me hooked right there. I was working as a surveyor, had long gray streaked hair in a braid and wore Redwing boots. We were about the same age, too. I loved learning about the National Parks.
She’s not perfect. She’s not afraid to get dirty. I can relate to her.
J D Robb’s In Death series
Books by Tana French. So good, set in Ireland.
I’ve read two of her books. Slow paced, but good.
Sara Paretsky.
Ah, yes…V I Warshawski.
You might like the book “sharp objects
The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. They are sort of quirky, but they are fun to read. The first one in the series is One for the Money. I think there are 14 or 15 book in the series (maybe more).
I’ve just read 21
Oh, I just thought of another-Phryne Fisher in Miss Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood. Takes place in Australia after WW1. Miss Fisher is a force. Smart, Funny, Kick Ass!
Detective as in cop or private investigator? or more like Murder, She Wrote?
Spellman files by Lisa Lutz
http://www.jamespatterson.com/womens-murder-club#.WToNxGiGPIU
Catherine Coulter FBI series with sherlock
Also JD Robb.
A sci fi mystery series set in the future a female murder detective and her romantic partner are the main characters.
Nancy drew!
LOVED Nancy Drew when i was growing up! She was the best!
Agreed
Lol same, grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys ?
Tracey Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni. I accidentally read the 4th one first then went back to the first. I thought they were really good.
The number 1 Ladies Dective Agency series by Alexandar McCall Smith. I randomly bought most of the series on a whim having never heard of him before but so far the books are good.
In Death series by JD Robb
Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series
Womens Murder Club. James patterson
Miss. Marple
Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. ❤️
Kerry Greenwood’s Phyrne Fisher mysteries. Absolutely fabulous, based in 1920’s Melbourne Australia. Fun and enjoyable books 🙂
There’s been a tv series done and I love being able to recognise certain places/landmarks.
A great comedic female detective series has been written by Janet Evanovich. The heroine is called Stephanie Plum, who in the first book “One for the Money” talks her way into becoming a broken bonds retrieval agent. No skills, but a great brain. Very funny, but also ‘sleuthy’.
Please read Joy Ellis Nikki Galena books (in order) also the murder on the plains series, can’t remember the author. Another female protagonist I love is Jessica Daniels. The Detective’s Daughter series is great
I’m reading this right now. Female FBI agent undercover story. I’m 4 chapters in and hooked.
Midwinter Sacrifice (Malin Fors series Book 1) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005FVNKTW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_-VPozbHTQASMM I loved this series
I really love patricia cornwell the scarpetta serues and Jeffery deaver is good too.
.
A is For Alibi
The woman’s murder club.. so far ,James Patterson has 16 titles
Agatha Christie books
Confessions by James Patterson
The Stephanie Plum books are great fun to read, by Janet Evonavitch(sp?)
Nancy Drew
Agatha Christie