Mystery Novels with Female Detectives
For those who are looking for stories that revolve around strong female detectives here is a list of 7 novels that may interest you...
#1 Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia
Black queer female detective story
Harlem Renaissance historical fiction mystery
frame/ setting: 1920s opulence mixed with ominous suspense
characterization: action based story, not about personal growth of the characters
pacing: fast paced mystery
storyline: focused on historical realities, and exterior events
"In the heart of Harlem, young black women like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead. As each new victim appears, Louise’s neighborhood becomes more on edge. After an altercation with a police officer gets Louise arrested, she is given an ultimatum; help the police solve the case, or end up in a jail cell. Louise has no choice but to look into these murders, but in doing so, has put herself in the path of a murderous mastermind," (Penguin Random House).
#2 The Maid by Nita Prose
Neurodivergent Female detective
frame/ setting: clever cozy crime mystery
characterization: character based, the protagonists inner world is the main draw of the story
storyline: Intriguing look into the life of a neurodivergent woman turned amateur detective
"Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for her job as a hotel maid. But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find him dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black — but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?" (Penguin Random House).
#3 The Verifiers by Jane Pek
Asian female detective story
frame/ setting: Humour mystery in a modern setting
characterization: focused on external interactions between main character and secondary characters
storyline: a light hearted mystery with an exploration into immigrant family traditions and expectations
"Claudia Lin is an amateur sleuth in the 21st century. Claudia just landed her dream job working for Veracity, a referrals-only online dating site. Her job is to verify that people really are who they say they are. But when one of her clients disappears, Claudia breaks protocol to investigate and winds up in over her head," (Penguin Random House).
#4 Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Older Adult amateur detective
Asian female detective story
frame/ setting: Humor and heartwarming story entwined with a modern suspenseful who-done-it mystery
characterization: events focused book with switching points of view
storyline: intriguing clever mystery mixed with emotional and humorous situations that create a found family.
"Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn’t know what comes over her, but after calling the cops, she swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer," (Penguin Random House).
#5 A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
Gender swap Sherlock Holmes retelling
Historical fiction mystery story
frame/ setting: suspenseful and horrifying by showcasing women's voiceless in the Victorian Era
characterization: events based historical retelling with intermingled developing romance
storyline: An examination of Victorian gender roles meets a gender bent re-telling of the famous Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
"With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper-class society. So, when the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old — a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind," (Penguin Random House).
#6 Jackal by Erin E. Adams
Combined modern mystery, supernatural entity, and horror story
frame/ setting: tense and ominous tone in an unwelcoming atmosphere of a southern American town
characterization: character based novel where the main character returns to their hometown and confronts their inner trauma.
pacing: slow paced mystery horror
storyline: A supernatural mystery meets a discourse into the racism, classism, and prejudice present in the American south.
"Liz Rocher is coming home for her best friend’s wedding. But on the day of the wedding, the couple’s daughter, Caroline, disappears. As a frantic search begins, with the police combing the trees for Caroline, Liz is the only one who notices a pattern: A summer night. A missing girl. A party in the woods. She’s seen this before. As Liz starts to dig through the town’s history, she uncovers a horrifying secret about the place she once called home. Children have been going missing in these woods for years. All of them Black. All of them girls. With the evil in the forest creeping closer, Liz knows what she must do: find Caroline, or be entirely consumed by the darkness," (Penguin Random House).
#7 Fire Keeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Indigenous (Ojibwe) Canadian female undercover police informant
frame/ setting: suspense and romance
characterization: begins as a character focused novel but switches to focus on the action as the mystery unfolds
pacing: slow to start, and but quickly turns into a faster pace
storyline: a coming-of-age romance meets a discussion into the realities of life for Indigenous communities across Ontario who suffer from higher rates of substance abuse and addiction.
"Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team.
Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug. Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.
Now, as the deceptions―and deaths―keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known, (Amazon Books)."
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