Madison Kelly

Created by Elizabeth Breck San Diego private investigator MADISON KELLY works mostly insurance fraud cases, but she's at a personal and professional crossroads of sorts right now, letting things slide, not taking any new cases and spending way more time than she should on the internet, tweeting about Crawlspace, a true crime podcast that she's become addicted … Continue reading Madison Kelly

Honey West

  Created by G.G. FicklingPseudonym of Gloria and Forest Fickling Move over, Kinsey. Step aside, Sharon. Someone get the smelling salts for V.I. Here comes the shocking truth. The first really successful female private eye in her own series of novels was a bimbo! Or at least frequently clothing-challenged and none-too-swift. Evidence? This exclamation from … Continue reading Honey West

Meg Gillis

Created by C.J. Songer Although the end was a little rushed and maybe a trifle too cute, I really enjoyed reading C.J. Songer's debut novel Bait (1998), particularly the stream-of-paranoia tone of the ragged-but-right narrator, MEG GILLIS. She's an ex-policewoman who's had plenty of bumps and bruises along the way (her husband, Charlie, also a cop, … Continue reading Meg Gillis

Butch Fatale

Created by Christa Faust "In pulp novels, the private dick always keeps a gat in his desk drawer. I keep my iron in a gunsafe keyed to my fingerprint, but I do keep a strap-on in my desk drawer. You know, for emergencies..." -- Butch clues us in... Okay, folks: let's just assume a few … Continue reading Butch Fatale

Ed Clive

Created by Leigh Brackett (1915-1978) She was wearing a white raincoat with the hood thrown back. There were raindrops caught in her soft black hair, but the drops in her thick lashes never came out of a Los Angeles sky. Her arms went around him, tight. He kissed her. "Hello, tramp." EDMOND CLIVE's your classic, … Continue reading Ed Clive

Leigh Brackett

(1915-1978) "Hawks liked my dialogue and called my agent.  He was somewhat shaken when he discovered that it was Miss and not Mister Brackett, but he rallied bravely and signed me on anyway..." -- Leigh Brackett "In walked a rather attractive girl who looked like she had just come in from a tennis match.  She … Continue reading Leigh Brackett

Gloria Demasco

Created by Lucha Corpi (1945--) GLORIA DEMASCO is a petite Chicana, born in Oakland, California. She came from a working class family, and was trained as a speech therapist. She's a young widow (she was married to a Puerto Rican, Nuerriqueño) with a daughter. She's very involved in local politics, both as an activist and a … Continue reading Gloria Demasco

Addison Holmes

Created by Liliana Hart "His muscles had muscles, and I was pretty sure it wasn't his gun pressing into my belly." -- Whiskey Sour A little bit of Shell Scott, a whole lotta Stephanie Plum... ADDISON HOLMES is so very, very bored with teaching history in nowheresville Whiskey Bayou, Georgia, until she lands a job at … Continue reading Addison Holmes

Gloria Morris

Created by G.R. Browda "Gloria doesn't care from legal." -- Bannon tries to explain Gloria Look out! GLORIA MORRIS is a smart, literate San Francisco private eye; an easy-on-the-eyes B-girl with a good rep and an "explosive sense of honor," with a fondness for Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain and "frisky ladies." I'm not quite … Continue reading Gloria Morris

Sam Jones

Created by Lauren Henderson Punky, irreverent SAM JONES, young sculptor and occasional aerobics instructor, not to mention accidental private investigator, bouncing around the London art scene. She's feisty, tough, sarcastic, and a thoroughly modern millie dipped in hipster chic. As one would-be, teacup-rattling social critic on DorothyL pointed out "I don't think Lauren's character is … Continue reading Sam Jones