Laura Ackroyd is an investigative reporter who solves crimes in
West Yorkshire with her boyfriend DCI Michael Thackery in a book series begun by
Patricia Hall (Maureen O’Connor) in 1994.
Hilda Adams is a nurse who takes jobs to investigate, in series by
Mary Roberts Rinehart, begun in 1914 with The Buckled Bag; played by
Joan Blondell in a
Warner Bros. film, Miss Pinkerton (1932). Rinehart then adopted this movie nickname for use in her Adams stories.[1]
Portia Constance Adams is a Canadian amateur detective who mysteriously inherits the
221B Baker Street townhouse in 1930 in a book series by Canadian
Angela Misri launched 2014.[2]
Adelia Aguilar is a medieval forensic specialist in a series by Diana Norman (writing as
Ariana Franklin) (2006–2010).
Bilqees "Bobby" Ahmed is a fictional Indian female detective from Hyderabad, as portrayed by
Vidya Balan in the 2014 Indian comedy film Bobby Jasoos.
Flavia Albia spin-off book series of
Lindsey Davis' successful series featuring private investigator
Marcus Didius Falco. Flavia Albia, his adopted daughter, has grown from a troubled teenager to a feisty widow and who is an investigator in her own right. The series begins in 89AD, shifting the background from the reign of jovial Vespasian to the darker time of his paranoid son Domitian.
Louisa May Alcott, not yet a
famous writer, takes to sleuthing in a series by
Jeanne Mackin (writing as 'Anna Maclean') begun in 2004.
Karen Andersen is a London PI who goes undercover to investigate Jihadi brides in a series by
Louise Burfitt-Dons starting with "The Missing Activist" in 2018
Mici Anhalt is an investigator for the NYC Crime Victims Compensation Board in three novels by
Lillian O'Donnell beginning with "Aftershock" in 1977.
Anne is the youngest and most likely to be frightened member of the group of kids in
Enid Blyton'sFamous Five series.
Callie Anson is an
Anglican cleric in novels by US-born and UK-based
Kate Charles begun in 2005, after having debuted in a 2002 short story.
Susanna, Lady Appleton is a 16th-century gentlewoman and
herbalist in a series by
Kathy Lynn Emerson begun in 1997.
Katherine Ardleigh is a sleuth in Victorian England in a series by
Susan Wittig Albert and Bill Albert (writing as 'Robin Paige') begun in 1994.
Jessie Arnold is a champion Alaskan dog sled racer who solves crimes with boyfriend Alex Jensen, a state trooper, in a series by
Sue Henry begun in 1991.
Carol Ashton is an Australian Detective Inspector in a series by
Claire McNab begun in 1988.
Lady Emily Ashton (later Lady Emily Hargreaves) is a Victorian aristocrat in a series by
Tasha Alexander begun in 2005.
Jane Austen, the novelist, is a sleuth in a series by
Stephanie Barron (a.k.a. Francine Mathews),[3] begun in 1996.
'Cat' Fortunati Austen is a Sicilian-American
Jersey Shore entertainment reporter, a cop's widow and baby sister to six brothers – five cops and one priest – in a series by
Jane Rubino begun in 1995.
B
Molly Morganthau Babbits is an amateur detective who picks up clues in her job as switchboard operator (The Girl at Central, 1915) and subsequently occasionally works as an undercover private eye for a team of lawyers in books by
Geraldine Bonner.
Kate Baeier is a journalist and private investigator in London in a series by
Gillian Slovo begun in 1984.
Hercule Barton (エルキュール・バートン Erukyūru Bāton?), named after Hercule Poirot, is one of four girl detectives at the Milky Holmes Detective Agency. Her special gift ("Toy") is superhuman strength. They work to combat people who use their gifts for evil in various products by the
Tantei Opera Milky Holmesmedia franchise.
Alma Bashears is an attorney called home to
Appalachia after her brother is arrested for murder, at the outset of the Appalachian Trilogy (published 1997–2003) by
Tess Collins.
Bast is a graphic artist by day, and an active urban Witch in her private life, who solves murders within the Pagan community in a series of three books by
Rosemary Edghill, beginning in 1994.
Lucille "Lucy" Bates is an Eastern city police officer (later sergeant) played by
Betty Thomas on the
NBC series Hill Street Blues from 1981 to 1987.
China Bayles is an herbalist and ex-lawyer in a series by
Susan Wittig Albert begun in 1992.
Madeline Bean is a Hollywood caterer who solves murders in a series by
Jerrilyn Farmer begun in 1998.
Amanda and Lutie Beagle are spinster sisters who inherit a detective agency in two books (1940 and 1941) by Torrey Chansler (writing as
Marjorie Torrey) better known as a children's author and illustrator.
Olivia Beaumann is an amateur sleuth in an Australian culinary series by
Goldie Alexander begun in 2002.
Jo Beckett is a ‘deadshrinker’ or forensic psychiatrist brought in to examine the lives of murder victims to look for reasons for their deaths, in a series of books by
Meg Gardiner begun in 2008.
Fredrika Bergman is a civilian working with a police unit in Sweden in this series by
Kristina Ohlsson. Books in the series are: Unwanted, Silenced, The Disappeared and Hostage.
Siri Bergman is a psychologist with problems of her own in this series by sisters
Camilla Grebe and Asa Traff. Set in Sweden, books in the series are: Some Kind of Peace and More Bitter Than Death.
Jill Bernhardt is a Deputy DA and one of the four women crime solvers in 'The Women's Murder Club' books by
James Patterson; played by
Laura Harris on the 2007–2008
ABC series Women's Murder Club.
Mirabelle Bevan is an ex-Secret Service agent turned debt collector who solves mysteries in a series set in 1950s Brighton by Scottish author
Sara Sheridan begun in 2012.
Verity Birdwood is a TV researcher who solves murders in six books by Australian
Jennifer Rowe (1987–1995).
Eleanor Raye "Ellie" Bishop a former analyst for the NSA and who is now a Probationary Agent with NCIS played by
Emily Wickersham on NCIS (2013–21)
Modesty Blaise retires from the underworld and puts her unusual skills to work assisting British Intelligence and others in a comic series (1963–2001), three films (1966, 1982, 2003), and a series of novels and short stories beginning in 1965.
Clare Blake is the Commander of a detective murder squad (played by
Amanda Burton) in the British TV series
The Commander on
ITV (2003–2008).
Eliza Blake is a TV anchor and sleuth is a series by
Mary Jane Clark begun in 1998.
Naomi Blake is a blind ex-policewoman who solves crimes with her policeman husband, Alex, in a British series by
Jane Adams begun in 2005.
Ursula Blanchard is a young widow and lady-in-waiting at the court of Queen Elizabeth I in a book series by
Valerie Anand (writing as Fiona Buckley) begun in 1998.
Torchy Blane is a spunky girl detective, played by Glenda Farrell, in a series of 1930s movies.
Vicky Bliss is an art historian in a book series by
Barbara Mertz beginning in 1973 with Borrower of the Night.
Molly Blume is an Orthodox Jewish true-crime reporter and author who appears in a series of books by
Rochelle Majer Krich (2002–2005).
Judy Bolton is a "girl-detective" in a series created by
Margaret Sutton in 1932. She has been called a "more complex and believable role model for girls." While never quite as popular as Nancy Drew, the series lasted through 1968 with 38 sequential titles/adventures.
Theolinda[4] "Dol" Bonner was a private detective in The Hand in the Glove and several
Nero Wolfe mysteries created by
Rex Stout (debuted in 1937). Her first name is really Theodolinda, from which the Dol comes. See "Nero Wolfe of West Thirty-Fifth Street" by William S. Baring-Gould, Viking 1969.
Loveday Brooke is an early "lady detective" created by
Catherine Louisa Pirkis (debuted 1894). In the
BBC Radio 4 adaptation of the story "The Redhill Sisterhood", she was played by Gayanne Potter and in "The Mystery of Redstone Manor" (an original story by Chris Harrald) on the
BBC Radio 4 series The Rivals she was played by
Honeysuckle Weeks.
Verity Browne is a left-wing journalist who sleuths with Lord Edward Corinth in a 10-book cosy series set in the period between WWI and WW2 by
David Roberts (2001–2009).
Anita Burgess is an operative with the Douglass Detective Agency in the novella Sign Of The Dragon by
C. M. Eddy, Jr. published by Mystery Magazine[6] in 1919.
Sarah Burke is a Tucson homicide detective in a police procedural series by
Elizabeth Gunn begun in 2008.
Mary Louise Burrows is a 15-year-old who sets out to prove her grandfather not guilty of treason, in Mary Louise (1916) by
L. Frank Baum (author of The Wizard of Oz) under the pseudonym
Edith Van Dyne. This was the first in a series of ten stories for adolescents known as
The Bluebird Books in which Mary Louise and her friend Josie O'Gormon take on tough challenges.
Amelia Butterworth is a nosy society spinster who assists Ebenezer Gryce of the New York Metropolitan Police Force in "That Affair Next Door" (1897) and three other novels by detective fiction pioneer
Anna Katharine Green.
C
Chamki Detective is Chamki's alter ego from Galli Galli Sim Sim,
India's version of Sesame Street. As Chamki Detective, she loves to find and solve interesting mysteries on the Galli.
Christine Cagney portrayed by (
Sharon Gless) is a
New York City police detective later promoted to Detective Sergeant and lieutenant on the
CBS series Cagney & Lacey 1982–1988. Reprised for 4 Cagney & Lacey made for TV movie’s in 1994, 1995 & 1996.
Jenny Cain is the director of a philanthropic foundation in a series by
Nancy Pickard begun 1984–1995.
Miranda Callendar is a detective on the
BBC OneJekyll 2007.
Anna Cameron is a Glasgow police sergeant in a series by Scottish
Karen Campbell begun 2008.
Carlotta Carlyle is a 6'1" former Boston city cop turned private detective in a series by
Linda Barnes (writer) begun 1987.
Caroline Carmichael is a
CIA intelligence analyst in a series of books by
Francine Mathews who held such a job herself for some years.
Mary Carner is a store detective in five books by
Zelda Popkin 1938–1942.
Sandra Carpenter (
Lucille Ball) is an American dancer in London who helps police investigate the death of a friend in film
Lured 1947.
CeCe Caruso is an LA based biographer of crime writers and film makers who becomes involved in mysteries in the course of her work, in a series by
Susan Kandel.
Jordan Cavanaugh portrayed by (
Jill Hennessy) is a forensic pathologist working for the
Boston Medical Examiner in the NBC series Crossing Jordan 2001–2007.
Lady Grace Cavendish is a 13-year-old girl at Queen Elizabeth I's court, in a series for children by
Patricia Finney, but with author credit given to 'Lady Grace'.
Laura Caxton is a Pennsylvania State Trooper turned vampire hunter in a
fantasy series by
David Wellington (debuted 2006).
Lois Cayley is an adventurous young woman in an early mystery novel by
Grant Allen (1899).
Corinna Chapman runs a bakery in
Melbourne and solves neighbourhood puzzles in a series commenced 2004 by Australian
Kerry Greenwood.
Nora Charles is a
Nob Hill heiress married to Nick Charles, a retired
Pinkerton detective. The pair solves a crime in The Thin Man by
Dashiell Hammett and in the successful movie of the book, starring
William Powell and
Myrna Loy. Five movie sequels to "The Thin Man" were made, followed by radio and television series. Witty banter between husband and wife was a hallmark of the book and films.
Annabeth Chase is a criminal prosecutor, played by
Jennifer Finnigan, in the television series Close to Home, broadcast on
CBS 2005–2007.
Lydia Chin is a private detective in New York City with partner Bill Smith in a series of books by American novelist
S. J. Rozan (debuted 1994).[5]
Denise Cleever is an undercover agent in a series of books by Australian crime novelist
Claire McNab (debuted 2000).
Nancy Clue is an amateur detective and lesbian parody of
Nancy Drew in a series of books by American crime novelist
Mabel Maney (debuted 1992).
Phyl Coe was a 'beautiful lady detective' in Philco's Mysteries of the Air, a radio program sponsored by Philco Radio Tubes in 1936. The next season the detective was changed to a man, Phil Coe.[1]
Nikki Collins is a debutante and detective story enthusiast, played by
Deanna Durbin, who sees a murder from a train in the comedic mystery film
Lady on a Train (1945).
Gail Connor is an attorney based in Miami, Florida who works cases with her lover Anthony Quintana. The series was written by
Barbara Parker and first appeared in 1994.
Bertha Cool is a private investigator in the Cool and Lam series by American
A. A. Fair 1939–1970;
Jane Darwell in a lost 1955 TV show based on 1939 debut The Bigger They Come;
Benay Venuta in pilot based loosely on Turn On The Heat 1958, perhaps never aired.
Alexandra Cooper is a Manhattan prosecutor in a series by American
Linda Fairstein begun 1996.
Beka (Rebekah) Cooper is a King's Provost Guard who can talk to spirits, polices the fantasy kingdom
Tortall in the
Provost's Dog trilogy by
Tamora Pierce 2006–2011.
Iris Cooper is a flapper-era college student in Oregon who solves crimes with journalist Jack Clancy in three books 1984–1989 by
K. K. Beck (also writes Jane Da Silva series).
Miranda Corbie is a private investigator in San Francisco, California in the 1940s in a series by American
Kelli Stanley begun 2010.
Meg Corey is an amateur sleuth whose adventures start after she inherits a colonial house and apple orchard in a series by
Sheila Connolly begun 2008.
Maureen Coughlin is a former Staten Island native who becomes a police officer in New Orleans in a series by Bill Loehfelm begun 2006.
Miranda "Randy" Craig is an amateur sleuth who solves mysteries related to academe in
Edmonton in a series by
Janice MacDonald begun 1994.
Bess Crawford is the daughter of military man and a battlefield nurse in World War I in a series by
Charles Todd begun 2009.
Lady
Lara Croft is an English archaeologist explorer who finds missing artifacts and fights danger in
Tomb Raider games begun 1996 and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider films begun 2001.
Stella Crown a biker and dairy farmer in Pennsylvania solves mysteries in a series by
Judy Clemens.
Florence Cusack is a young lady detective in stories by
L. T. Meade and
Robert Eustace 1899–1900; played by Elizabeth Conboy in the
BBC Radio 4 adaptation of the story "Mr. Bovey's Unexpected Will".
D
Daisy Dalrymple is a journalist, married to a Detective Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard, in a historical mystery series commenced 1994 by
Carola Dunn.
Jean and Louise Dana, The Dana Girls, are adventurous orphaned sisters living in a boarding school, in a series 1934–1979 by the
Stratemeyer Syndicate most famous for creating the
Nancy Drew mysteries.
Kathryn Dance is an agent with the California Bureau of Investigation and an expert in body language, in
Monterey, California, in two novels 2006 and 2007 by
Jeffery Deaver.
Jane Da Silva is an expatriate lounge singer and widow who returns to Seattle after her uncle leaves her money on the condition that she solves hopeless cases, in a book series started 1993 by
K. K. Beck who also wrote the Iris Cooper and Jack Clancy series.
Dorcas Dene is a young lady detective who works with a private investigator to support her mother and husband in two series of short stories by George R Sims, 1897 and 1898.
Hailey Dean is a prosecutor in the novel The Eleventh Victim by American television commentator
Nancy Grace (debuted 2009).
Kate Delafield is a lesbian LAPD homicide detective in an occasionally romantic eight-book series by
Katherine V. Forrest (debuted 1984).
Evan Delaney is a lawyer turned freelance journalist in a series by
Meg Gardiner commenced 2002 with "China Lake".
Sarah Booth Delaney is a modern, impoverished, southern belle in a series by
Carolyn Haines, commenced 1999 with Them Bones.
Jade del Cameron, an American rancher's daughter who has served as an ambulance driver in WWI, is the protagonist of
Suzanne Arruda's historical mystery series set in 1920s Africa.
Flavia de Luce is the curious, brilliantly scientific, morbid youngest daughter of motherless three girls in Buckshaw manor, who gets caught up in murders near the 1950s English village of Bishop's Lacey, aged 11 when
Alan Bradley began a proposed six-book series with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie in 2009.
Sister Mary Teresa (Emtee) Dempsey detects in a series by
Ralph McInerney, author of the
Father Dowling mysteries, writing as 'Monica Quill', begun 1981.
Bo Dennis, portrayed by (
Anna Silk) a bisexual succubus that helps fight crime between the light and dark on the Canadian Sci-Fi/Fantasy television series
Lost Girl, 2010–2016.
Denver Doll called the "Detective Queen" is a dime novel hero by
Edward Lytton Wheeler beginning in 1882 in Beadle's Dime Novels.
Anna Detroyer a Native American detective based in Miami, Florida, who investigates
urban fantasy cases, created by
Lela E. Buis.
Claire De Witt is a pot smoking PI who uses dreams and omens to find the truth in New Orleans, by
Sara Gran, the start of a new series begun 2011.
Eve Diamond is an LA Times reporter in a book series by
Denise Hamilton begun 2001.
Mary DiNunzio is a Philadelphia area attorney in the all female Rosato law firm[7] headed by her mentor Bennie Rosato.
Trixie Dixon, girl detective, is the fearless, hot and sassy partner—in banter and in business—of
Black Jack Justice, created by
Decoder Ring Theatre writer Gregg Taylor. "When it comes to detective work, Jack and Trixie agree on the facts. Clients cry, clients lie, clients dicker over the bill. But if they can cut to the happy ending without cutting each other's throats, it'll be a miracle!"[8]
Maisie Dobbs takes over a London private investigation agency after her mentor retires, familiar with psychology from his training and her nursing in WWI 1910–1929 for the
Maisie Dobbs (novel) series by
Jacqueline Winspear begun in 2003.
Piper Donovan is a wedding caterer is a series by
Mary Jane Clark.
Erica Falck is a biographer who teams up with her police detective husband in this Swedish series by
Camilla Lackberg. Books in the series are: The Ice Princess, The Preacher, The Stonecutter, The Gallows Bird, The Hidden Child, The Drowning, The Lost Boy and Buried Angels.
Kate Fansler is a literature professor and amateur sleuth in a series of books 1964–2002 by
Amanda Cross.
Brodie Farrell is a "finder" of lost objects in a
series of books by British crime novelist
Jo Bannister (debuted 2001).
Clare Fergusson is an ex-army helicopter pilot and Episcopalian minister who solves crimes in a series by
Julia Spencer-Fleming, commenced 2002.
Sister Fidelma is a lawyer and religieuse in 7th-century Ireland in a series of books by "
Peter Tremayne" (debuted 1994).
Flavia Nubia is an African girl, and former slave, in ancient Rome in
The Roman Mysteries book series debuted 2001 by Caroline Lawrence and the
BBC television series first broadcast 2007.
Meredith "Merry" Folger is a
Nantucket police officer appearing from 1994 in a series of novels by
Francine Mathews.
Marianne Folkesson is a civil servant whose job it is to take care of the belongings of people who die without any next of kin. She appears in the standalone novel Shadow by author
Karin Alvtegen. Set in Sweden.
Maggie Forbes is a police Inspector in London, played by
Jill Gascoine in The Gentle Touch, a British TV series 1980–1984, as well as its follow-up C.A.T.S. Eyes, 1985–1987.
Ellie Foreman is a documentary filmmaker in Chicago in a series debuted 2002 by
Libby Fischer Hellmann.
Malin Fors is a 30-something divorced mother of a teenage daughter, and an ambitious detective inspector, in Linköping, Sweden in a series commenced 2007 by
Mons Kallentoft.
Sarah Fortune is a solicitor and freelance unpaid sex therapist who unravels mysteries that she finds around her in a series commenced 1989 by
Frances Fyfield.
Angela Gennaro is a private detective with partner Patrick Kenzie in Boston, MA in a series of books by American novelist
Dennis Lehane (debuted 1994).[10]
Georgina (usually called "George") is a tomboyish, courageous and hot-tempered member of the group of kids in
Enid Blyton'sFamous Five series.
Carol Ann Gibson is an attorney in
Washington D.C. who becomes involved in investigations in a series of four books by
Penny Mickelbury, commenced 1998.
Mrs Gladden is the protagonist in
Andrew Forrester Jr's The Female Detective (1864).
Cordelia Glauca (コーデリア・グラウカ Kōderia Gurauka?) is a girl detective who can see and her things others cannot, working with the Milky Holmes Detective Agency to combat evil doers in various products of the
Tantei Opera Milky Holmesmedia franchise.
Gabriele "Gaby" Glockner (called "Pfote" by her friends) is the only female member of the detective group in the series TKKG. She is animal-loving, smart and the owner of the group's mascot, the
cocker spaniel Oskar.
Gladys 'Gladdy' Gold is an ex-librarian and murder mystery fan, retired to Florida, who takes up sleuthing in a book series by
Rita Lakin commenced 2005.
Rachel Gold is a St. Louis-turned-Chicago defense attorney, series begins 1993.
Emily Hanson is a geologist and amateur investigator in a series of books by American geologist and crime novelist
Sarah Andrews begun 1994.
Sigrid Harald is a police lieutenant in New York City in a
series of books by American crime writer
Margaret Maron begun 1981.
Myrtle Hardcastle is a 12-year-old amateur sleuth and aspiring detective in 1890s Victorian England in the series of novels by
Elizabeth C. Bunce, first appearing in Premeditated Myrtle in 2020. She solves murder mysteries partnering with her governess Ada Judson and cat Peony.
Stella Hardesty is a middle-aged woman in rural Missouri who runs a sewing shop and helps women with abusive husbands and boyfriends, having killed her own husband a few years before by Sophie Littlefield begun 2009.
Benni Harper is a folk art museum curator and amateur detective in San Celina, California in a book series by American writer
Earlene Fowler begun 1994.[12]
Nikki Harper is a realtor in Hollywood who becomes an amateur sleuth to help a friend in trouble, in The Bad Always Die Twice by
Cheryl Crane.
Enola Holmes is the 14-year-old sister of
Sherlock and
Mycroft Holmes and has run away from boarding school to make a living as a finder of missing persons in as book series for children grades 6–9 by
Nancy Springer begun 2007. She is also the protagonist of the 2020 Netflix film,
Enola Holmes
Elfie Hopkins played by
Jaime Winstone is an aspiring teen detective who isn't afraid to fight violence with violence in the 2012 film of the same name.
Lili Hoshizawa is an energetic 13 year old who uses horoscopes and astrology to solve crimes, and sometimes transforms into 'Detective Spica', in the manga
Zodiac P.I. 2001–2003.[11]
Robin Hudson is a "third-string correspondent" and amateur investigator in a
series of books by Canadian journalist and crime novelist
Sparkle Hayter 1994–2002.
Irene Huss is a police detective in novels by Swedish writer
Helene Tursten 1998–2007. Books in the series are: Detective Inspector Huss, The Torso, The Glass Devil, Night Rounds, The Golden Calf, The Fire Dance and The Beige Man
I
Sonya Iverson is a NYC news producer in a
series of books by Australian fashion journalist
Elsa Klensch begun 2004.
Bonnie Indermill is a NYC office temp series by
Carole Berry begun 1987.
Dr. Maura Isles is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Chief Medical Examiner and a forensic expert working at the Boston Police Department in books by
Tess Gerritsen begun The Apprentice 2002; played by
Sasha Alexander on TV Rizzoli & Isles 2010–2016.
Smilla Qaaviqaaq Jaspersen is an isolated woman, who doesn't accept the police conclusion that a neighbour boy's death is accidental and investigates it herself, in Danish author
Peter Hoeg's Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow (1992).
Mrs Jeffries is a housekeeper to Scotland Yard Inspector Witherspoon in Victorian England who leads the staff to solve his cases in a series by
Emily Brightwell begun 1993.
Jane Jeffry is a Chicago widow with three children who solves murders in a series by
Jill Churchill begun 1989.
Lena Jones is a private investigator and former policewoman in western U.S. in a series by
Betty Webb begun 2001.
Jimm Juree is a Thai crime reporter forced to return to a rural area to look after her mother and the rest of her family, in a series by
Colin Cotterill begun 2011.
Charlotte Justice is an African-American Los Angeles Police Department Detective in a series by African-American
Paula L. Woods begun 1999.
Julia Kalas is a poorly reformed criminal sent to central Texas by Federal Witness Protection in Nine Days and South of Nowhere by
Minerva Koenig. The series debuted in 2013.
Sarah Keate, a nurse by profession, is the only recurring sleuth created by longtime, prolific mystery novelist Mignon G. Eberhart. (Susan Dare, a fictional mystery author who appears in a collection of Eberhart short stories, is generally not considered a "recurring" character.) Keate is featured in Eberhart's first five novels, beginning in 1929, and also appears in some 1930s Hollywood films. In the mid-1930s, Eberhart shifted her focus to standalone mysteries, and she brought back Keate only twice in the remaining 55 years of her career.
Sarah Kelling is a
Beacon Hill, Boston amateur in The Family Vault (Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery #1) by
Charlotte MacLeod begun 1979.
Irene Kelly is a reporter in Goodnight Irene by
Jan Burke, begun 1992.
Kitty Keene is a former chorus girl in Kitty Keene, Inc. a radio show first broadcast 1937 in Chicago. Played successively by: Beverly Younger, Gail Henshaw and
Fran Carlon.
Kylie Kendall lesbian, former Australian bartender, inherits a private LA detective agency in The Wombat Strategy 2004 by
Claire McNab,[14] also known for Claire Ashton and Denise Cleever series.
Maeve Kerrigan is an Irish police detective on the London Metropolitan Police force in a series by
Jane Casey. The series debuted in 2010.
Joanne Kilbourn is a Saskatchewan political advisor, later political science prof and commentator by
Gail Bowen begun 1990. Six of the books were made into movies for television, by
Shaftesbury Films and
CTV.
Sammy Keyes is the protagonist of the mystery series Sammy Keyes, by Wendelin Van Draanen.
Samantha Kinsey is young owner of a mystery bookshop, and amateur sleuth, played by
Kellie Martin, in
Mystery Woman, a US series of made for TV movies debuted 2003.
Jacqueline Kirby is a librarian, then romance novelist, in four books by
Barbara Mertz published 1971, 1974, 1984 and 1989.
Magdalene La Batarde is a whoremistress in 12th century London in books by
Roberta Gellis also writer of historical romances.
Mary Beth Lacey (
Tyne Daly) is a New York City police detective on
CBS series Cagney & Lacey 1982–1988.
Raquel Laing is an Inspector with the SFPD Cold Case Unit In
Laurie R. King's Back to the Garden (2022). The presence of Al Hawkin provides a link to King's
Kate Martinelli series.
Skip Langdon is a former debutante turned New Orleans police officer in a series by
Julie Smith (novelist), begun New Orleans Mourning 1990.
Adrienne Lesniak is a New York City detective played by
Justine Miceli on the
ABC series NYPD Blue 1994–1996.
Catherine LeVendeur is a novice in a convent in 12th Century France who appears in a series of historical mystery novels by
Sharan Newman.
Ingrid Levin-Hill is 13 year-old who is mixed up in mysteries in her home town of Echo Falls, in a book series for children aged 10+ debuted 2006 by
Peter Abrahams.
Marie Lightfoot is a Florida true-crime author in three books by
Nancy Pickard 2000–2002.
Gemma Lincoln runs a Sydney Australia security firm in a series by
Gabrielle Lord begun 1999.
Sarah Linden see Sarah Lund.
Ann Lindell is a Swedish police inspector in series by
Kjell Eriksson begun 1993.
Erin Lindsay is a detective in the Chicago Police Department's Intelligence Unit on Chicago P.D. (2014–present)
Carol Lipton (
Diane Keaton) is a middle-aged Manhattan resident who drags her husband Larry and friends into investigating the supposed death of a neighbour in
Woody Allen's
Manhattan Murder Mystery 1993.
Dr Eve Lockhart is a forensic pathologist assigned to a cold case squad in the British TV series
Waking the Dead, subsequently the lead character in
The Body Farm, a spin-off series.
Sarah Lund is a police Detective Inspector, played by
Sofie Gråbøl, in a 2007 Danish television series The Killing (Forbrydelsen) in which each episode covers a day in the investigation of a murder. A second Danish series was broadcast in 2009. The series was re-made in English for AMC and broadcast in 2011 with Mireille Enos playing the lead detective, renamed Sarah Linden, with the story transposed to Seattle.
Lucy Lutz is a LAPD detective played by various actors in the
WitchCraft Horror Series, She appears in the seventh, ninth, eleventh, fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth movies of the series as a supporting character and is the lead in the tenth movie.
Charlene Mack is an African-American, lesbian private investigator from Detroit. The Charlie Mack Motown Mystery Series by
Cheryl A. Head debuted in 2016.
Mackenzie is a private detective who becomes part of the "Great Detective Society", in the Touch Detective series of video games, developed by BeeWorks.
Rory Mackenzie is an attorney who returns to her hometown of Ransom River, California, and finds herself in hostage drama in a thriller by
Meg Gardiner, who also writes two series featuring Jo Beckett, and Evan Delaney.
Catherine Macleod is an investigative reporter in the western United States in a series debuted 2008 by
Margaret Coel.
Rhona MacLeod is a forensic scientist in a
series of books by Scottish crime novelist
Lin Anderson (debuted 2003).
Sharon McCone is a California private detective in a series of books by American crime novelist
Marcia Muller (debuted 1977).
Ali McCormick is a
detectivesergeant, played by
Julie Stewart, leading a task force of Canadian homicide detectives investigating unsolved cases in the
CTV series Cold Squad (aired 1998–2005).
Connie McDowell is a New York City detective played by
Charlotte Ross on the
ABC series NYPD Blue from 1998 to 2004.
Sally McMillan solved crimes with husband police commissioner 'Stewart McMillan' in the TV series McMillan & Wife which starred
Rock Hudson and
Susan St James and aired 1971–1977.
Maxine McNab is a widow in her 60s, travelling in her Winnebago with her miniature dachsund, Stretch, in books by
Sue Henry.
Elizabeth McPherson is a detective in a series of books by American crime novelist
Sharyn McCrumb (debuted 1984).
Stoner McTavish is a lesbian travel agent in
Boston, Massachusetts in droll humored mystery books with a bit of the macabre, 1985–1997 by
Sarah Dreher (1937–2012).
'Madame Liu-Tsong is a Chinese art dealer and detective, in
The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong. The television series ran for one season in 1951 and starred Asian actress
Anna May Wong. The show, produced by Dumont, is perhaps the first TV detective show featuring a woman, and it certainly was the first American TV show to star an Asian American in the leading role. Sadly, all copies of the show were destroyed.
Maddie Magellan is a pushy and impatient reporter and crime writer who starts investigations which magician Jonathan Creek resolves, in the BBC series
Jonathan Creek 1997–2009. Maddie is played by
Caroline Quentin.
Gianna Maglione is a lesbian police detective in charge of a Washington D.C. hate crimes unit in a series by
Penny Mickelbury commenced 1994.
Katie Maguire is an Irish police detective who gains a reputation for catching Cork's killers, often at great personal cost in a series by
Graham Masterton commenced 2003.
Lady Harriet Makepeace is policewoman in an elite unit of London's Metropolitan Police, working with a male partner from a very different background in the NYPD, in the British television series
Dempsey and Makepeace, aired 1984–86, and played by
Glynis Barber.
Casey Maldonado and her companion the Grim Reaper investigate murders in a series by
Judy Clemens.
Kathleen Mallory is a police sergeant with a dark past in New York City in a series of books by novelist
Carol O'Connell (debuted 1994).[12]
Munch Mancini is an auto mechanic and amateur sleuth with a dark past in Los Angeles, California in a series of books published 1995–2005 by deceased novelist
Barbara Seranella (1956–2007).[12]
Cat Marsala is a freelance investigative reporter in Chicago in a series by
Barbara D'Amato commenced 1990.
Lizzy Martin is a doctor's daughter in Victorian England who becomes a
lady's companion after her father dies with large debts. She investigates crimes with the help of policeman Ben Ross, in a series commenced 2006 by
Ann Granger.
Rina Martin is a former actress, who played a PI on television, in a series by
Jane Adams, debuted 2007.
Saz Martin is a private investigator who starts her business with government funding for the unemployed, in a series started 1994 by
Stella Duffy.
Kate Martinelli is a police officer in San Francisco, California in a
series of books by American crime novelist
Laurie R King (debuted 1993).
Jo Martinez is a NYPD homicide detective on the 2014–2015 US TV show Forever.
Rebecka Martinsson is a lawyer in Sweden in this series of psychological thrillers by
Asa Larsson. Books in the series are: Sun Storm (also published as The Savage Altar), The Blood Spilt, The Black Path, Until Thy Wrath Be Past and The Second Deadly Sin.
Sister Mary Helen is an elderly crime solving nun in San Francisco, debuted 1984 in a series by
Sister Carol Anne O'Marie (1933–2009), a nun in the order of St Joseph of Carondelet.
Daphne Matthews is a forensic psychologist in a
series of books by American suspense novelist
Ridley Pearson (debuted 1988).
Carlotta Milburn is a
Long Island socialite who, with her husband Tony, must solve a mystery which happened the night before in a wild party, in a mystery comedy film of 1935,
Remember Last Night? featuring
Constance Cummings.
Kinsey Millhone is a private investigator and former policewoman Santa Teresa, California in the "
alphabet mystery" series of books by American crime novelist
Sue Grafton (debuted 1982).
Perveen Mistry is a Parsi lawyer and detective in British India in the book series by
Sujata Massey
Mirette is a 10-year-old girl who travels the world and takes part in investigations in the Mirette Investigates book and animated television series.[17]
Anna Mironova (Aleksandra Nikiforova) is a young Russian spiritualist sought by locals and the recently deceased to solve crimes, leading her to cross paths with the town's police inspectors, in the late 19th century period television series Detective Anna 2016–2017.[18]
Tess Monaghan is a private investigator and former journalist in
Baltimore in a series of books by American journalist and crime novelist
Laura Lippman (debuted 1997).
Victoria Moretti is deputy sheriff to Walt Longmire, Wyoming sheriff, in a book series commenced 2004 by
Craig Johnson, and in the TV series played by
Katee Sackhoff.
Margaret Moss is an actress turned private detective in this Swedish series by
Kjersti Scheen. The only book translated to English so far is Final Curtain.
Nora Mulcahaney is a NYC police detective appearing in 17 books by
Lillian O'Donnell, beginning in 1972.
Kate Mulcay is a reporter in
Atlanta, Georgia in books by reporter
Celestine Sibley. Kate first appeared in 1958 in The Malignant Heart, as Katy Kincaid, along with her future husband, policeman Lieutenant Mulcay. Her character returned to solve mysteries in five books published 1991–1997.
Molly Murphy is a private detective in 19th century New York City in a series of books by English crime novelist "
Rhys Bowen" (debuted in 2001).
Ruby Murphy is a museum worker and accidental investigator in a series of books by American poet and crime novelist
Maggie Estep (debuted in 2003).
N
Grace Nakimura is an assistant and eventually investigator for titular protagonist
Gabriel Knight in adventure game series created by
Jane Jensen from 1993.
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Newton is the title character of the Korean
manhwaLizzie Newton: Victorian Mysteries. In the 1864 London universe of Sherlock Holmes, she is a mystery writer under the male pseudonym of Logica Docens. She solves actual mysteries aided by Edwin White, her steward, fiancé and former barrister.
Thursday Next is a Literatec, literary detective in an alternate England by
Jasper Fforde in series begun 2001.
Pam North is wife of publisher Jerry and solves murders with him, in: newspaper vignettes and short stories written in the 1930s; a Broadway play and a film in the early 1940s; novels 1940–1963; and TV dramas 1946 and 1952–1954.
Richard Lockridge created newspaper pieces and short stories, and co-wrote novels with wife Frances. The
Mr. and Mrs. North series had solvable puzzles, a humorous domestic environment, New York locale, and socio-political commentary.
O
Brandy O'Bannon is a reporter in a series set in
Florida by
Ann Turner Cook, commenced 2001.
Ariadne Oliver is a detective novelist who attempts to assist and guide
Hercule Poirot in some of
Agatha Christie's novels, but who usually gets things thoroughly wrong. A lot of her books are parodies of Agatha's own work.
Christie Opara is a police detective in New York City in a trilogy of books by American crime novelist and former police detective
Dorothy Uhnak (debuted 1968; last book 1970).
Mrs. Pargeter is a widow with a shadowy past who solves uncanny mysteries in a
series of books by English crime novelist
Simon Brett begun 1986. Pargeter is the real surname of
Cadfael creator
Ellis Peters.
Emily Pollifax is an elderly widow who volunteers for the CIA and has to solve mysteries to get out of trouble in series by
Dorothy Gilman begun 1966.[20] Played by
Rosalind Russell in Mrs Pollifax - Spy 1971; by
Angela Lansbury in The Unexpected Mrs Pollifax 1999.[21]
Eugenia Potter in recipe-based three books by
Nancy Pickard 1992–2001.
Beatrix Potter, the children's author, is a solver of mysteries in a series by
Susan Wittig Albert.
Eleanor 'Nell' Pratt is an amateur sleuth in a cozy series set in the world of museums by
Sheila Connolly begun 2010.
Amy Prentiss was a young female Chief of Detectives in the San Francisco Police Department, in a short-lived TV series of the same name, screened 1974–75 as part of NBC Mystery Movie.
Josie Prescott is an antiques appraiser in a series by
Jane Cleland begun 2000.
Sandra Pullman, played by
Amanda Redman, is a Detective Superintendent in charge of UCOS (Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad) in BBC New Tricks begun 2005.[22]
Lucy Pym is a
popular psychologist who puzzles out a crime in a physical training college for girls in Lucy Pym Disposes 1946 by
Josephine Tey,[23] more famous for her series on Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant.
Miss Fisher is an Australian detective in the series 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' set in the 1949 Melbourne.
Q
Faye Quick is a 1943 Manhattan secretary who takes over a detective agency when her boss is drafted, in This Dame for Hire by
Sandra Scoppettone, published 2005.[24]
Sarah and Meg Quilliam are sisters, owner and chef of an Inn in Hemlock Falls in a cozy series by
Claudia Bishop begun 1993.
Nina Quinn is a landscaper in a series by
Heather Webber that begun in 2004.
Imogen Quy is a nurse at St Agatha's College, Oxford in a series by
Jill Paton Walsh.[25]
R
Agatha Raisin is an impatient and nosy retired London PR agent who starts her own detective agency in Carsley, Cotswald, an English village. The book series begun 1992 by English author MC Beaton (
Marion Chesney), also the author of
Hamish Macbeth series. Agatha is played by
Penelope Keith in some BBC radio adaptations and
Ashley Jensen in the television adaptation for
Sky1.
Gwen Ramadge is a private investigator in books by
Lillian O'Donnell.
Sonie "Sunny" Randall is a private investigator in a
series of books by American crime novelist
Robert B. Parker begun 1999.
Sheila Ray is a private investigator in a series of novels and stories by Indian English novelist
Ashok K. Banker begun 1992 and credited as the first Indian PI in fiction.
Anne Rodway is a poor needlewoman who investigates the death of her friend from a blow to the head, in a story in diary form by
Wilkie Collins first published in Dickens'
Household Words in 1856.
Bennie Rosato is an attorney in an all-female law firm in
Lisa Scottoline's series of
legal thrillers set in Philadelphia. Benny is the lead character in the first book Legal Tender, and in Think Twice and Dead Ringer; other lawyers in the firm lead in the other books, including Mary DiNunzio and Judy Carrier.
Lillian Rose is an aspiring actress and mannequin at Sinclair's department store in 1909 London where she and her group of friends solve various mysteries in a series of books by
Katherine Woodfine.
Ruby Rothman is a rabbi's widow in Eternal, Texas, who solves crimes in a series by Sharon Kahn, begun 1998.
Wollie Shelley is a small business owner and greeting card designer mixed up in FBI and other cases for a 'Dating' themed series by
Harley Jane Kozak, begun 2004.
Sherlock "Sheryl" Shellingford (シャーロック・シェリンフォード Shārokku Sherinfōdo) is a detective with the gift of telekinesis in the Milky Holmes Detective Agency – staffed by four girls – in the
Tantei Opera Milky Holmes media franchise.
Jun Shibata is a quirky and gifted police detective, played by
Miki Nakatani, who deals with unsolved cases in the TV drama and film
Keizoku.
Rei Shimura is an antiques expert and amateur detective in a series of books by English-American novelist
Sujata Massey (debuted 1997).
Vera Stanhope is a police Detective Chief Inspector in a book series commenced 1999 by
Ann Cleeves and in the
ITV series
Vera adapted from the books, first broadcast May 2011.
Michaela Stone is a New York City detective in
Manifest.
Rosika Storey is a flapper era private investigator in a series of magazine articles published 1922 to 1935 by Canadian writer
Hulbert Footner.
Violet Strange is a debutante and amateur detective in a series of stories by American poet and novelist
Anna Katharine Green begun 1878;
Teresa Gallagher in
BBC Radio 4 adaptation of "The Golden Slipper".
Lady Rose Summer is an independent-minded Edwardian debutante from a wealthy family in a series by
Marion Chesney begun 2003.
Anita Sundstrom is a Swedish police detective in this series by
Torquil MacLeod. Books in the series are: Meet Me in Malmo, Murder in Malmo, Missing in Malmo and Midnight in Malmo.
Nell Sweeney is a governess in Boston after the Civil War, in a series by
P B Ryan begun 2003.
Hannah Swensen is the owner of The Cookie Jar with "slay-dar", radar for murder, in Lake Eden, Minnesota for the
Joanne Fluke murder-romance-recipe mysteries begun 2003.
Casey Shraeger is a New York City police played by
Amber Tamblyn on the ABC series The Unusuals 2009.
T
Laetitia Talbot is an archeologist in 1920s Europe in a book series by
Barbara Cleverly.
Sophie Taylor-Cavendish is a shopgirl who works in fictional department store Sinclair's in 1909 London, where with the help with her friends she solves various mysteries in the book series by
Katherine Woodfine.
Alison Temple ('Alison Wonderland') is a private detective who joins an all-female detective agency in
London in two books by British novelist
Helen Smith.
Jane Tennison is a Detective Chief Inspector at
Scotland Yard played by
Helen Mirren in the
ITVPrime Suspect series, aired between 1991 and 2006. In the 2011 American television remake (broadcast on
NBC), she is a New York City police detective played by
Maria Bello.
Laura Thyme played by
Pam Ferris, is Rosemary Boxer's (
Felicity Kendal) partner in their landscaping business and their many investigations in the TV show
Rosemary & Thyme. The daughter of a farmer and a home gardener; she was a Woman Police Constable (WPC) in North Kensington and a member of "The CADS" (The Coppers' Amateur Dramatic Society) until she had children (Matthew, a policeman and Helena, a sculptor). After twenty-seven years of marriage, her policeman husband abandoned her for a younger woman he met at work.
Aud Torvingen is a Norwegian ex-cop who lives in the US. This three book (so far) series by Nicola Griffith began in 1998
Kay Tracey is a Nancy Drew—like 16-year-old girl detective in a series published 1934–1942 under the name Frances K Judd, a house pseudonym of the
Stratemeyer Syndicate. The books were revised and re-issued several times after initial publication, most recently in the 1980s.
Melanie Travis is a school teacher and amateur dog-show detective in a
series of books by American crime novelist
Laurien Berenson (debuted 1995).
Anna Travis is a Detective Inspector in a series of books 2004–2009 by English writer
Lynda La Plante adapted for television as Above Suspicion which screened from 2009 with
Kelly Reilly playing Travis.
Michael Tree ('Ms. Tree') takes on her husband's investigation business after he is murdered, in a comic book series 1981–1993 by
Max Allan Collins and in his 2007 novel, Deadly Beloved.
Elizabeth Tucker is a baker in contemporary
Salem, Massachusetts, in the paranormal-themed "Unmentionables" cosy series begun 2010 by
Janet Evanovich.
Frances "Frankie" Tully is a detective played by Vanessa Gray on the 2008
Nine Network series The Strip.
V
Claudia Valentine is a Sydney PI in a series by Australian
Marele Day begun 1988.
Mary Vance (
Joan Blondell) inherits her uncle's detective agency and works with a police detective (
Dick Powell). in Miss Pinkerton, Inc. a radio program from 1941.[1]
Tessa Vance is a young female homicide detective in two books by Australian
Jennifer Rowe; played by
Lucy Bell in Australian TV series Murder Call 1997–2000.
Emma Victor is a lesbian San Francisco PI in series by
Mary Wings, begun 1986.
Johanna Vik is a former FBI profiler returned home to Norway, working with Adam Stubo in a series by Norwegian
Anne Holt begun 2006.
W
Hilda Wade is a nurse who solves crimes with a medical theme in stories by
Grant Allen (early 20th century).
Stella Warwick is a young widow who travels to New Guinea to learn more about her husband's death, in the 1952
Edgar Award winning novel
Beat Not the Bones by
Charlotte Jay.
Bailey Weggins is a true crime writer for magazines in a book series debuted 2004, by magazine editor
Kate White.
Laurène Weiss (
Suliane Brahim) is the police chief investigating a spree of mysterious murders and disappearances in the remote wilderness surrounding the fictional French town of Villefranche, from the television series
Black Spot (Zone Blanche) 2017–.
Daisy Wellsis an English boarding school girl during the 1930s in a book series by
Robin Stevens is the president of the Wells and Wong detective society she established with her friend Hazel Wong.
Maria Wern is a police detective in Sweden in this series by
Anna Jansson. Books translated to English are: Killer's Island and Strange Bird.
Helen West is a driven prosecutor with a keen sense of justice in a book series 1988–1996 by
Frances Fyfield, twice adapted for television, with Helen played firstly by
Juliet Stevenson[26] and then by
Amanda Burton.[27]
Honey West is a private detective in a series of eleven books by "G. G. Fickling" (debuted 1957); played by
Anne Francis on the 1965–1966
ABC series Honey West.
Blanche White is a domestic worker who investigates mysteries in a series commenced 1992 by
Barbara Neely.
Lace White is a sleuth created by Jeannette Covert Nolan, appearing in a handful of mysteries from the 1930s to the 1950s. White is an unusual character, a low-key retired schoolmarm who is also a special criminal investigator with credentials issued by the governor of Indiana.
Jane Whitefield is a detective in a
series of books by American mystery novelist
Thomas Perry (debuted 1995).
Hanne Wilhemsen is a Norwegian police inspector and closeted lesbian in a book series debuted 1993 by Norwegian
Anne Holt. Books in the series are: Blind Goddess, Blessed are Those Who Thirst, 1222, Death of the Demon, What is Mine, What Never Happens, Fear Not, and Death in Oslo.
Lila Wilkins is a former reporter, employed by literary agency, in Buried in a Book (2012), the first book in a proposed series by Lucy Arlington.
Hannah Wolfe is a private investigator in a
trilogy of novels – Birth Marks, Fatlands, and Under My Skin – by English novelist
Sarah Dunant (debuted 1991).
Hazel Wong (real name: Wong Fung Ying) is a Chinese schoolgirl who attends an English boarding school in the book series Murder Most Unladylike by
Robin Stevens where as vice-president and Secretary of a Detective Society she solves various murder mysteries with the help of her friend the Honourable Daisy Wells.
April Woo is a Chinese-American New York police detective in a book series by
Leslie Glass (author) including Burning Time, Hanging Time, etc.
Persephone Wright, the protagonist of the
Suffrajitsu graphic novel series, moonlights as a detective in The Isle of Dogs, a novella by Michael Lussier.
Sheil B. Wright created by Ann Morven is a dunce at deduction but well versed in human folly. These whodunits blend chills and chuckles (2012) The Right Royal Bastard, Murder Piping Hot, The Seventh Petal, and The Killing of Hamlet.
Xie Yaohuan (谢瑶环) is a fictional member of the court of the
EmpressWu Zetian who originally appeared in
Tian Han's Xie Yaohuan eponymous 1961 Peking opera
allegorically condemning the
Great Leap Forward, where she was ultimately forced to sacrifice herself as a matter of principle.[28] The character was subsequently rebooted as the heroine of The Shadow of Empress Wu (Riyue Lingkong), broadcast from 2007 to 2008 on
CCTV, and of Imperial Tang Female Inspector (Da Tang Nü Xun An), first broadcast on
Dragon TV in 2011. In all three, she is tasked with investigating various problems and uncovering provincial malfeasance for the imperial court.
Y
Bubbles Yablonsky is a high-energy beautician and rookie journalist who supplies beauty product recipes in screwball mysteries by
Sarah Strohmeyer begun 2001
Rachel Young is an FBI Special Agent and Dr. Jacob Hood's handler in The Eleventh Hour (2008–09)
Nero Yuzurizaki (譲崎 ネロ Yuzurizaki Nero?) is a girl detective with the gift of controlling machines through use of a piece of metal – and is an operative of the Milky Holmes Detective Agency in various products by the
Tantei Opera Milky Holmes media franchise.
Z
Charlie Zailer is a policewoman in psychological crime novels by
Sophie Hannah, debuted 2006 with Little Face. Charlie was played by
Olivia Williams in a 2011 two part television drama, Case Sensitive, based on Hannah's 2008 novel The Point of Rescue.