Best Female Crime Fighters in Series Fiction

Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and the lesser known Miss Maud Silver, the creation of British novelist Patricia Wentworth, represented the crime fighting fairer sex of serial fiction almost exclusively until the 1960s. Today, the membership in the female crime fighters club is extensive and varied. Here are a dozen of the best sleuths in the crime fiction genre who just happen to be women.

Anna Pigeon, National Park Service Ranger. Written by Nevada Barr, a former park ranger herself, the Anna Pigeon mysteries guide the reader not only through a maze of murder and mayhem but also the National Park System. (16 books)

Kinsey Milhone, Private Investigator is an ex-cop and sometime insurance investigator who is more than a little relationship challenged. Orphaned at the tender age of five, Kinsey is unrelenting in her independence yet fiercely loyal to her friends. In each of the Alphabet Mysteries, Sue Grafton's hardboiled lady detective shows she has knack for ending up on the complicated side of every issue. (21 books)

Kay Scarpetta, Medical Examiner, FBI Consultant. Created in 1990 by Patricia Cornwall, Scarpetta is a no nonsense ME with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. Her crime solving technique hinges on her medical training as well as her sense of what should be. (18 books)

Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter. Based in Trenton, NJ, writer Janet Evanovich presents a bigger-than-life goof up who just happens to bring in the bad guys. Together big hair obsessed Stephanie and her best friend, ex-prostitute and extreme dresser, Lula bring a twist to the world of bail enforcement. (16 books)

Lt. Eve Dallas, NYPD Homicide Detective. Protagonist in the In Death series, Eve lives and works in New York City of 50 years in the future. A horrific childhood combined with the some of the worst crimes imaginable makes her a pretty anti-social gal but doesn't stop her from finding the love of her life. Created by Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb. (30 books)

Dr. Temperance Brennan, Forensic Anthropologist. Other than sharing a name, there is little comparison between Kathy Reichs' hard-edged, complex character and the TV version played by Emily Deschanel in the series, Bones. Reichs' Tempe is a divorced, recovering alcoholic with a passion for justice. (13 books)

Jane Rizzoli, Boston PD Homicide Detective. Italian-American, working-class, hard hitting and gorgeous, Jane Rizzoli investigates her cases with bull-dog tenacity. Rizzoli is one half of Tess Gerritsen's crime fighting duo. Cool tempered, upper echelon, Maura Isle, medical examiner works her forensic magic to support Rizzoli's more intuitive approach to solving crime. (7 books)

Dr. Sara Linton, Medical Examiner, Pediatrician lives and works in a fictional county in Georgia. Never taking the easy road, Sara is both the town pediatrician and the County Medical Examiner. Karin Slaughter's treatment of some of the most shocking crimes, many of which are committed against women and children, is first rate and so are Sara's crime solving skills. (7 books)

Tess Monaghan, PI, Ex Baltimore Star Reporter. Like her protagonist, Laura Lippman was a newspaper reporter, which is one reason that Tess is such a believable character. Let go from her gig as a reporter, after a few false starts Tess Monaghan becomes an adept private investigator. (10 books)

Alexandra Cooper, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney, Sex Crimes Unit. As an New York City Assistant District Attorney Alex Cooper prosecutes those who presume to harm women and children and does so with a passion. Cooper is the fictional double of author Linda Fairstein, who was a prosecutor for than 30 years. (12 books)

V.I. Warshawski, Private Investigator, Former Public Defender. Paretsky's tough girl is a singular slob at home but that doesn't translate to her work. Highly effective at her job, Vic's process is more Sam Spade than Sherlock Holmes. She is a straight forward, full speed ahead, blue collar gal and she doesn't hesitate to get scrappy with the bad guys. Written by Sara Paretsky. (14 books)

Carlotta Carlyle, Private Detective & Sometimes Cab Driver. Mystery writer Linda Barnes' Amazonian red head, Carlotta Carlyle is a blend of intelligence, humor, and cunning with a tough-as-nails exterior. No stranger to the seamier side of Boston, Carlotta takes on everything from illegal immigration to kidnapping and blackmail to organized crime. (12 books)

Sources: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article6707754.ece; http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/booklists/sleuths.html;