During my time at the library I found that many female readers enjoy murder mysteries. So I guess it’s not surprising that female protagonists are so common. Some are police detectives, some are private investigators, and some just seem to stumble into murders on their own (!). Here are some recommended authors.
The late Blaize Clement (1932 – 2011) has a series about a pet sitter in the Florida Keys, beginning with “Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter” in 2005. The likable Dixie Hemingway is a former policewoman who leaves the force after a sad personal tragedy. She feels better away from people, so taking care of the pets of wealthy neighbors becomes her perfect profession. Over the course of the (so far) ten books, Dixie begins a slow recovery, helped along by the dogs, cats, and other pets she nurtures. Don’t let me leave you with the impression that these books are downers; there is quite a lot of humor and optimism too. Blaize Clements’ son John has taken up the series, so there are more Hemingway’s to come.
Do you remember a set of light romances, mostly from the eighties, by Marion Chesney? I was surprised to discover that M.C. Beaton was her pen name. Under the Beaton name she wrote over thirty murder mysteries featuring the character Agatha Raisin, starting with “Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death” in 1992. These I would put into the “British cozy” category, taking place in the Cotswold villages and featuring lots of eccentric characters. Our heroine Agatha is bossy, grumpy, and unlucky in love, and she often manages to get in her own way. But since it’s a cozy, you know the cases come out right in the end.
Among the best-known female investigator series is what everyone calls the Alphabet Series by the wildly popular Sue Grafton (1940 – 2017). Her main character Kinsey Millhone lives in a fictional Southern California town modeled on Santa Barbara. Kinsey is a loner — independent, thorough, and no-nonsense, but with a softer heart than she’d like to admit. Kinsey narrates her own intricately-plotted stories. In almost every case she finds that the crimes of today are strongly tied to past histories of her victims and their acquaintances. Beginning with “A is for Alibi,” each title starts with a letter of the alphabet. Although writing up until her death, Grafton only finished through Y (“Y is for Yesterday”). Oddly enough, she only took Kinsey into the eighties all the way through.
Back to the British authors, I also recommend Ann Cleeves. Her Vera Stanhope police procedurals are the basis for the ITV series “Vera.” Cleeves makes you feel like you’re really there, right in the middle of any scene she describes. Vera Stanhope is such a relatable character; she’s middle aged, sharp as a tack, and relentless on a case. Indeed she only seems to come alive in the middle of an investigation, while she’s putting clues together and grudgingly mentoring the younger members of her team. The first book in the Stanhope series is “The Crow Trap.” There are nine in all, with another to be published sometime this year. PS, I also love the Shetland Series by Cleeves. These are great for their unique setting and characterizations. They feature investigator Jimmy Perez — oops, a man!)
And now for something completely different, the hilarious Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie is a Jersey girl working as a bail bonds investigator and bounty hunter. When I describe her as inept, I’m being generous. There are wacky plotlines centering on the petty criminals and mob figures in the seedy underbelly of Trenton. Stephanie and her equally inept partner (and former lady of the evening) Lula stumble around until either luck or one of two “heroes” comes to the rescue. You’ll meet the mysterious Ranger, who runs his own very efficient security business, and the long-suffering Joe, a cop who just wants Stephanie to marry him and leave her old life behind. Evanovich’s series has been translated into more than forty languages, so I suppose Stephanie is relatable to all of us on some level — or maybe we just like a good time.
As you can see even from these five examples, stories of female investigators run the gamut from funny to serious. It’s easy to find one series just right for you. Happy reading!
Kaye West retired from the Henry County Library System. She enjoys reading, taking daily walks, and spending time with friends. She lives in McDonough with her husband.
