ADD A DOUBLE-DOUBLE DIP OF WOMAN P.I.s

Are you interviewing new woman P.I.s to add to your reading list? Here are two authors, and as a bonus, one of them has two series.

Laura Lippman, a long-time reporter herself, created Tess Monaghan, who covered the news at a Baltimore newspaper until it went belly up. Tess then transferred her skills to a new career as a private investigator. There’s a spectacular sense of place in this series, along with a window into the world of precinct level politics, where Tess’ father and uncle are foot soldiers. The tone is smart and wry.  Writing and pacing are first-rate.  The author creates rounded characters using just a few deft brushstrokes.

Thanks to GalGumshoe follower  Susanne Weigand in Germany for suggesting Lippman!

Sandra Scoppettone (her website appears to be defunct, but you can visit her blog) is the author of two series with woman P.I.s.

One features Faye Quick, a girl from the secretarial pool, who in 1943 takes over a detective agency when her boss is drafted. Every page overflows with jargon of the era, and whether you like that or not will influence how you like the books.

Scoppettone’s other series is built around Lauren Laurano, a former FBI agent who now lives and works out of New York’s Greenwich Village. She’s got lots of electronic savvy, she’s street smart and she’s a lesbian. I have not read any of this series, which I came across at my local library.

M. Ruth Myers is the author of the Maggie Sullivan mysteries and other novels.

Filed under: Authors Tagged: female P.I. novels, M. Ruth Myers, woman P.I. novels, woman private eye novels, woman sleuth