Your Privacy is Important to us

We encourage you to review our Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy.

By continuing, you agree to the Terms listed here. In case you want to opt out, please click "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link in the footer of this page.

Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information

We won't sell or share your personal information to inform the ads you see. You may still see interest-based ads if your information is sold or shared by other companies or was sold or shared previously.

Continue on TOI App
Open App
Login for better experience!
Login Now
Welcome! to timesofindia.com
TOI INDTOI USTOI GCC
TOI+
  • Home
  • Live
  • TOI Games
  • Top Headlines
  • India
  • City News
  • Photos
  • Business
  • Real Estate
  • Entertainment
  • Movie Reviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Podcasts
  • Elections
  • Web Series
  • Sports
  • TV
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Events
  • World
  • Music
  • Astrology
  • Videos
  • Tech
  • Auto
  • Education
  • Log Out
Follow Us On
Open App
  • ETIMES
  • CINEMA
  • VIDEOS
  • TV
  • LIFESTYLE
  • VISUAL STORIES
  • MUSIC
  • TRAVEL
  • FOOD
  • TRENDING
  • EVENTS
  • THEATRE
  • PHOTOS
  • MOVIE REVIEWS
  • MOVIE LISTINGS
  • HEALTH
  • RELATIONSHIP
  • WEB SERIES
  • BOX OFFICE

10 unforgettable female detectives

TNN | Last updated on - Jul 22, 2017, 16:24 IST
Comments
Share
1/11

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.
(Image: Pexels)
2/11

Miss Marple (Agatha Christie)

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.
(Image: Wikipedia)
3/11

Nancy Drew (Edward Stratemeyer)

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.
(Image: Wikipedia)
4/11

Kinsey Millhone (Sue Grafton)

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.
(Image: Wikipedia)
5/11

Modesty Blaise (Peter O’Donnell)

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.
(Image: Wikipedia)
6/11

Barbara Havers (Elizabeth George)

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.
(Image: Wikipedia)
7/11

Lisbeth Salander (Steig Larsson)

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.
(Image: Wikipedia)
8/11

Sharon McCone (Marcia Muller)

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.
(Image: Grand Central Publishing)
9/11

Precious Ramotswe(Alexander McCall Smith)

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.
(Image: Wikipedia)
10/11

Mrs. Adela Bradley(Gladys Mitchell)

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’.
(Image: Vintage)
11/11

Bertha Cool (Erle Stanley Gardner)

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.
(Image: Wikipedia)

Start a Conversation

Post comment
Featured In lifestyle
  • 7 everyday etiquettes every parent should teach their children from an early age
  • From Zomato deliveries to a top Delhi B-school: Haryana man’s comeback story is going viral
  • Chinese proverb of the day: “You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you can prevent their...”
  • Maya Angelou's wise words: 10 powerful quotes on love and life
  • Optical illusion personality test: Lion, gorilla, tree or birds? What you see first reveals if you are logical, deep thinker, bold, or adaptable
  • Could excessive screen time be quietly damaging your brain? Neurologists explain the hidden risk of cognitive decline
  • Quote of the day for kids by Dr. Seuss: "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can..."
  • Love quote of the day by Jane Austen: “A woman is not to marry a man merely because..."
  • Spanish proverb of the day: “Better to love an old man who knows what is love, and not love a lad, who…” — what this proverb reveals about attraction versus understanding
Photostories
  • 7 everyday etiquettes every parent should teach their children from an early age
  • Mrunal Thakur just made mint green the main character of festive fashion this year
  • Harmanpreet Kaur traded blue jersey energy for elegant desi glam at the Padma Awards 2026
  • Top 2026 romance teen dramas that are book adaptations: From 'Off Campus' to 'Love Hypothesis'
  • Why does your hair feel so rough and frizzy in summer? 7 very common habits that are damaging it
  • What's inside the world's top 10 airports? See what's got travellers' attention
  • Love quote of the day by Jane Austen: “A woman is not to marry a man merely because..."
  • Hospital anxiety? These 5 words often make it worse
  • 5 common reasons for hair thinning in women and 5 natural ways to fix it at home
Explore more Stories
  • 5
    Harmanpreet Kaur traded blue jersey energy for elegant desi glam at the Padma Awards 2026
  • 11
    What's inside the world's top 10 airports? See what's got travellers' attention
  • 5
    Mrunal Thakur just made mint green the main character of festive fashion this year
  • 5
    Why Mira Kapoor’s acupuncture beauty routine is going viral
  • 5
    Ranveer Singh’s stylish appearance at Chamundeshwari temple amid the ‘Don 3’ controversy has fans reading between the lines
Up Next
  • ETimes
  • /
  • Life & Style
  • /
  • Books
  • /
  • Photo Stories
  • /
  • 10 unforgettable female detectives
About UsTerms Of UsePrivacy PolicyCookie Policy

Copyright © May 27, 2026, 03.24AM IST Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service