Women in Mystery

[Lu]

Who's your favorite heroine in a mystery novel?

[Lynne]

I read a LOT of mysteries, but I have to say Sharon McCone (series by Marcia Muller) is my favorite.

Lynne

[Lindsay]

Lindsay Boxer

[Rosemary]

Maisie Dobbs in Jacqueline Winspear's series, and of course, Amelia Peabody in the Elizabeth Peters Egyptology mysteries.

[John]

Helma Zukas, librarian sleuth/protagonist, in the Miss Zukas series by Jo Dereske. She's "a trip-and-a-half" as they say!

[Stephanie]

i love lindsey boxer and eve dallas.

[*Nan*]

Right now I am loving Eve Dallas. I would say she is my favorite.

[Sean]

Mary Russel in "The Beekeeper's Apprentice." A teenaged girl with a mind on par with Sherlock Holmes. What more can you ask for?

[Sarah]

Grace McBride from the Monkeewrench series by PJ Tracy--she's smart, tough, and tortured.

[Heather]

I love the Monkeewrench series too! Great description of Grace McBride.

[Doina]

hmmm, tough to choose just one. since some of my favorites have been mentioned, i will go for one that has not appeared yet. agatha christie's miss marple. :)

[Jody]

Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series is wonderful. Phryne is a young, titled (but from a poverty-stricken childhood) flapper with a gun and attitude, set in 1920's Melbourne, Australia.

[Doina]

Have to add a couple of new heroines to my previous comment: Lindsay Boxer and Kinsey Millhone. I just recently started both series where those two are the main characters, and I have to say that I really enjoyed them so far.

[Beth]

I like Donna Andrews' blacksmith heroine, Meg Langslow, Alexander McCall Smith's Botswanian heroine, Precious Ramotswe, in the Number 1 Ladies Detective Series, and Kathy Brandt's underwater forensic diver, Hannah Sampson. I like heroines with spunk and an outlook on life that lets them see the humor in situations--sort of like my own heroine, Claire Hanover, who one of my critique partners likens to Lucy on the old Lucille Ball show.
--
Beth Groundwater, www.bethgroundwater.com
A REAL BASKET CASE, Five Star Publishing, March, 2007

[Drew]

One of my recent favorites has to be Mary Russell from the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mystery series by Laurie King. Mary is intelligent, hard-headed, thoughtful, rash, AND the one person who can match Sherlock Holmes step for step.

[Jessica]

I'm very fond of Temperance Brennan in Kathy Reichs' books. Also like Barbara Havers in Elizabeth George's books, mostly because she's such a mess that she seems real to me.

And Stephanie Plum cracks me up every time.

[J.R.]

I'd have to say Elizabeth George's Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. She's feisty, opinionated and doesn't give a damn about appearances.
Then, too, I have a tender spot for rookie officer Flora Vastine in my own Sticks Hetrick series.

[Lawriter]

Probably Alexa Scully in White Sister: http://www.cannell.com/locations.php?...

[Becca]

Sharon McCone (Marcia Muller--author)
Kinsey Millhone (Sue Grafton--author)
Agatha Raisin (M. C. Beaton--author)
Isabel Dalhousie (Alexander McCall Smith--author)
Regan Reilly (Carol Higgins Clark--author)
Claire Malloy (Joan Hess--author)
Henrie O (Carolyn Hart--author)
Lori Shepherd and Aunt Dimity (Nancy Atherton--author)
Annie Darling (Carolyn Hart--author)
Alvirah Meehan (Mary Higgins Clark--author)
Miss Juia (Ann B. Ross--author)
Aggie Sloan-Wilcox (Emilie Richards--author)
Jemima Shore (Antonia Fraser--author)

I used to love the V I Warshawski series by Sara Paretsky, but I lost interest during the dry spells when she would write non-series books.

[Pamela]

In no particular order:

Kate Martinelli
Mary Russell
V.I. Warshawski
Goldie Baer (I'm addicted to the recipes).
Irene Adler (Delightful series and I want her costumes)
Miss Marple (My first favorite)
Barbara Havers
Kinsey Milhone
Jenny Cain (Nancy Pickard)
Marie Lightfoot (Nancy Pickard)

NOTE: I am very fond of Mary Willis Walker's Molly Cates---does anyone know what happened to this writer? I have not seen a book by her in years, in this series or any other.

[Lillian]

MMMM... I have several favourites but I will list only a few.

Kate Martinelli -author - Laurie King
Kate Shuglak - author -Dana Stabenow

[Amy]

Okay, love a lot, but here's who come to mind tonight:

Benni Harper (Earlene Fowler)
Miss Marple (of course)
Eve Dallas
Annie Darling

All time faves:
Charlotte Pitt (Anne Perry)
Vicki Bliss and Amelia Peabody (Elizabeth Peters)


Also, I love the girls of mystery: Nancy Drew, Nan and Flossie Bobbsey (from the Bobbsey twins) and Linda Craig (from Ann Sheldon)!

[[deleted user]]

Throughout the years, I have loved so many female characters, but I'd say that Kinsey Millhone wins hands-down for consistency. Just finished "T is for Trespass" (almost as good as "G is for Gumshoe") and I'm trying to find a way to convince Sue Grafton to write a new series using numbers. Only 6 more Kinseys to go? Say it aint so!

[Libbie]

I am very fond of Lady Julia Grey. She is the heroine of Deanna Raybourn's Silent in the Grave and Silent in the Sanctuary.
Those of you who enjoy mystery novels set in England, 1880's will love this relatively new author and her leading lady!

[Judub]

I just started Deanna Raybourn's Silent in the Grave. I am really enjoying it. :)

[Andrea]

Mary Russell
Maise Dobbs
Thursday Next (Jasper Fforde)

Any of the heroines of the "Black-____" series by Constance & Gwenyth Little. (Titles include The Black Gloves, The Black Thumb, Black-headed Pins, The Great Black Kanba.) These are stand-alone books written from 1938 to 1953 and recently brought back into print by the Rue Morgue Press. The heroines are the sort who speak their mind and may need help getting out of the scrapes they get themselves into, but they usually solve the mystery and get the guy in the end without compromising who they are. Lively, fun and humorous.

If you haven't run across the Rue Morgue Press and you like cosies or good English mysteries, they are doing a great job of finding the best out of print mysteries and bringing them back into print. Nice trade paper back editions with fun cover art. They sell not only their press releases but other of their favorite mysteries, which are sometimes hard to find in the big bookstores. Their monthly newsletter provides some great reviews.

[Catamorandi]

My favorite,and probably one of the funniest heroines, is Arly Hanks from the Maggody series by Joan Hess. She is hysterical. Actually the whole town is.