Created by Melodie Johnson Howe "If you've missed the old Nero Wolfe, try this superb switch as two females replace Nero and Archie." That's the recommendation of The Hartford Courant (see? I read 'em all!), and for once, this is a backcover blurb that pretty much nailed it. The two females in question in that … Continue reading Claire Conrad & Maggie Hill
Tag: Female Eyes
Kelly Pruett
Created by Mary Keliikoa "Portland, Oregon has as many parts as the human anatomy. Like the body, some are more attractive than others." Add Portland, Oregon's KELLY PRUETT to the small but ever-growing pool of Mom P.I.s. In a genre where so many protagonists are apparently incapable of reproduction, despite active (or even hyper-active) sex … Continue reading Kelly Pruett
Riley Reeves
Created by Michael Pool Thirty-something East Texas P.I. RILEY REEVES is a piece of work. She's got a complicated personal history that includes a dead older brother whom she idolized, two dead parents and a busted marriage she still feels guilty about. Her only living relative is her other brother, Chip, an ex-con, alcoholic shit … Continue reading Riley Reeves
Ashley Smeeton
Created by Anna Dowdall The author calls them "Gothic cozy mysteries" but there's a welcome dash of simmering noir in her well-received books about young, half-Abenaki, Montreal detective ASHLEY SMEETON. The books are full of the usual suspects: betrayed fiancées, beautiful young heiresses, long-lost relatives, isolated estates, creaky old houses and more than enough dark secrets … Continue reading Ashley Smeeton
Kate Shugak
Created by Dana Stabenbow (1952 --) When this long-running series started, KATE SHUGAK was an investigator for the Anchorage, Alaska D.A.'s office. She became a P.I eight or so books into the series, after she was badly injured during a fight with a child molester, resulting in the murder of her lover and a scar … Continue reading Kate Shugak
Charity Deacon
Created by P.A. Wilson "I'm a P.I. I know that sounds cool and dangerous, but mostly it's just seedy. Every now and then I feel like just chucking it all in, but then someone asks me for my help and I get back in the groove. When I'm in the groove, I follow wandering spouses, … Continue reading Charity Deacon
Billie Bly
Created by Don Weston A series of breezy, lightweight, straight-to-Kindle novels about BILLIE BLY, an ex-cop turned tough eye from Portland who comes with a complicated backstory (Boyfriends! Brothers! Exploding garbage!), a startling lack of social skills, and her very own psychic to help her sort it all out. After living in Portland, Oregon for … Continue reading Billie Bly
Sam Ireland
Created by Jay Stringer SAM IRELAND, no stranger to booze or cigarettes, is a private investigator who keeps the wolves from the door by doing a little part-time work as bike messenger, peddling her ass up and down the mean streets of Glasgow. She's trying to keep her elderly father's one-man detective agency, Ireland Investigations, … Continue reading Sam Ireland
Mavis Seidlitz
Created by Carter Brown Pseudonym of Alan Geoffrey Yates; other pseudonyms include Peter Carter Brown, Peter Carter-Brown, Raymond Glenning, Sinclair MacKellar, Dennis Sinclair and Paul Valdez (1923-85) "Ravishingly beautiful" MAVIS SEIDLITZ is "the torrid blonde private eye who plays hard and fast with men...money...and murder." “... a curvy blonde who’s heavy on sex, light on … Continue reading Mavis Seidlitz
Jenny Gordon & C.J. Gunn
Created by Jan Grape Originally from Houston, private eye JENNY GORDON and her partner and pal C.J. GUNN (also known as "Cinnamon") are more than just a "coupla good ol' girls." They're also one of the few female duos in the genre in the nineties, appearing in a string of always-entertaining short stories sprinkled throughout … Continue reading Jenny Gordon & C.J. Gunn