10 unforgettable female detectives

Crime fiction has an unparalleled thrill to it. The detectives are a reflection of the society and culture the writer comes from or is living in, making them relatable and endearing. Some brilliant writers identified the potential of a gritty and intelligent female protagonist with an air of formidability to her. Here are some influential female detectives, knee deep in action.
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The legendary crime novelist, Agatha Christie created Miss Jane Marple. Appearing for the first time in The Tuesday Night Club in 1927, she became an instant success in crime fiction with appearances in 12 novels and 20 short stories. Under the guise of an old spinster living in the English village of St. Mary Mead with an unassuming visage, is a keen observer with amazing deduction skills. Her miraculous ability to gather information from local gossip for her investigation is awe-inspiring.
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Created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer in 1930, Nancy Drew- the young amateur detective, became an attraction for children hooking them to crime fiction. A lot of Nancy Drew stories have been ghost-written under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene. She was a literary reflection of American culture, changing in values and ways over the years.
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Kinsey Millhone, was created by Sue Grafton for her "alphabet mysteries" series of novels in Santa Teresa, California, 1950. Brought up by a no nonsense, Aunt Gin, she has a strong sense of independence and self-sufficiency, aversion to cooking, a lack of interest in fashion and an affinity for books. Disoriented orphaned childhood and adolescence rebellion, gives way to disciplinary problems. She studies to be an investigator and lives life on her terms.
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Peter O’Donnell in 1963 created a daring and desirable heroine for a comic strip, Modesty Blaise. Her captivating charms, criminal history and obsession for adventure and peril makes her a resounding success as an investigator. Featured in 12 novels and some short stories, she is nothing short of a female James Bond.
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A sergeant in Scotland Yard, Barbara Havers is a creation of American mystery writer, Elizabeth George. Assistant to Inspector Lynley, she is among poignant character for the series. Her erratic teenager attitude towards authorities which lands her in trouble, her commitment towards her parents and her scruff and low key dressing sense make her endearing to the reader.
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Swedish author Steig Larsson outshone everyone by creating Lisbeth Salander. A world renowned hacker and private investigator, she made her first appearance in The Girl with Dragon Tattoo, published after the author died. On the surface, she appears as a socially challenged punk but underneath the façade is a fiercely intelligent, tough and fiery warrior with a photographic memory. Her troubled childhood makes her indifferent to people and pain, thereby adding to her invincibility.
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Sharon McCone was the brainchild of Marcia Muller. In 1977 with the novel Edwin of the Iron Shoes, she became live to the world of literature. An investigator at All Souls, an agency she has been the lead character in 31 novels and a couple of short stories. The first independent female detective of the modern literature she has inspired many creations in her wake.
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Precious Ramotswe conceived by Alexander McCall Smith, a Scottish author, is one of the very few Black female detectives in literature. Featured in more than 15 books, starting with The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series in 1998. A resilient protagonist, she is the first female private investigator from Botswana and founder of a detective agency.
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Gladys Mitchell’s imagination gave birth to Dr. Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley, popularly known as Mrs. Bradley. Mrs. Bradley is an unattractive but charming, fiftyish, witty and candid woman who first appeared in Speedy Death in 1929. An ideal English eccentric, she has mastered darts, billiards, snooker and knife-throwing; and tries experiments in toxicology, Freud and British folklore. 66 book appearances earn her the title of ‘Mrs. Crocodile’.
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Bertha Cool, an atypical widow turned into a professional private detective is a fruit of Erle Stanley Gardner’s imagination. A hardcore, rational and strong woman, she started a detective agency after her husband’s demise taking as partner streetwise disbarred lawyer, Donald Lam. Unsentimental and assertive, she doesn’t shy off physical fights. She appeared in 29 novels with last appearance in 1970.
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