The goal of FemaleSleuths.com is to help connect readers with great female protagonists in mystery novels. Any books reviewed on this site are recommended reads — there’s enough negativity in the world without bashing someone’s creative efforts, y’know? Writing is hard, and I appreciate anyone doing this heart work and then being brave enough to share it with all of us.
Mysteries are broadly categorized as cozy, traditional or noir. Here’s what that means to me:
- Cozy – An amateur sleuth figures out who killed an unpopular person off the page with the help of their quirky friends and/or pets. No violence or gore. Typically set in a small town or tourist area. Pure escapism.
- Traditional – A private investigator or member of law enforcement uses their experience to nab a wily suspect who leads them on a dangerous and complex chase. Often set in more urban areas, and justice is not guaranteed.
- Noir – A tough PI or experienced detective comes up against the worst society can offer and seldom escapes without some injury, physically or emotionally. Difficult themes, including child abuse or worse. Justice? We’ll see.
Not all books fit neatly into one category or other but you get the idea. There’s also a Heads Up section in reviews to alert readers to potential triggers.
In addition, books reviewed are categorized by time period: historical, contemporary or futuristic settings. And there’s also categories for senior sleuths, sleuths of color and LGBTQ+ sleuths, as these are, to my delight, increasingly popular parts of this genre. You can also choose by amateur sleuths, private investigators or law enforcement.
Where do I get my books?
My local public library is usually my first stop, followed by local bookstores and then, if necessary, Bookshop.org. Because I get so many books from the library, I often am reading what are considered “backlist” books — meaning they’ve been out for awhile and are usually available.
Why only female protagonists?
I have nothing against men; I’m happily married to one. And I’m a big fan of Easy Rawlins, Guido Brunetti and Benoît Courrèges, aka Bruno. But I’ve been particularly drawn to strong women tackling life’s puzzles since I was a girl so that’s my focus here. You can read more about why in My GOAT Female Sleuths … So Far There’s Four.
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