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Lois Cayley is an adventurous young woman in an early mystery novel by Grant Allen (1899). Catherine Chandler is a NYPD detective played by Kristin Kreuk in Beauty & the Beast. Corinna Chapman runs a bakery in Melbourne and solves neighbourhood puzzles in a series commenced 2004 by Australian Kerry Greenwood.
- Olivia Benson: ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ (1999 to Present) Topping my list with stellar sleuthing skills and an exceptional solve rate is none other than Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) of “Law & Order: SVU.”
- Mary Beth Lacey and Christine Cagney: ‘Cagney & Lacey’ (1982 to 1988) Throwing it back to a 1980s series, we have “Cagney & Lacey.” The pair of New York City police detectives, played by Tyne Daly as Lacey and (mostly) Sharon Gless as Cagney, beat the bad guys and combat patriarchal vibes.
- Emily Prentiss: ‘Criminal Minds’ (2005 to 2020, 2022 to Present) “Criminal Minds” is one of my favorite series of all time across all genres. Various FBI agents have led the esteemed Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) during the series and its spinoff, “Criminal Minds: Evolution,” but only one leading lady deserves a top-three spot on this list.
- Lilly Rush: ‘Cold Case’ (2003 to 2010) Slotting in near the top of my sleuth scale, Detective Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) and her knack for uncovering the truth in long-unsolved murder cases is unmatched.
- Veronica Mars, Upn/The Cw/Hulu
- Vera, ITV
- Agatha Raisin, Sky One/Acorn TV
- Agatha Christie’s Marple, ITV
- Stumptown, ABC
- Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Netflix
- Nancy Drew, The CW
- Murder, She Wrote, CBS
- Frankie Drake Mysteries, CBC
- Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, ABC
You just can’t talk about female detectives without talking about Veronica Mars, the token crime-solver for the millennial generation. Set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, the series follows the eponymous Veronica Mars, a high school (and then college) student who works as a private investigator, mentored by her own detective father. E...
Verais a British crime drama that has premiered 11 seasons thus far, with talks of a possible American adaptation as well. The series is based on crime writer Ann Cleeves’ novels surrounding the titular character, Vera Stanhope. As the almost retired Detective Chief Inspector of the fictional Northumberland & City Police, Vera is a dedicated member...
Beginning in 1992, romance and mystery novelist M.C. Beaton wrote many crime mystery novels surrounding one character: Agatha Raisin. It was these novels that inspired the comedy-crime series, Agatha Raisin! The titular character is a former public relations professional based out of London, but she seeks out a new life in the village of Carsley. S...
Agatha Christie is known as a novelist in the detective mystery genre, most particularly for her work surrounding the fictional (male) detective, Hercule Poirot. However, Christie also has a series of stories that introduce Miss Jane Marple, an “elderlyspinster” whose analytical thinking and analogies to village life in England were what helped her...
Oregonians will recognize the title of this crime drama from ABC as Stumptown is the nickname for the city of Portland, where the series is set. Stumptownfollows former marine Dex Parios, a “sharp-witted” veteran with experience in military intelligence while stationed in Afghanistan. Now that she’s back in civilian life, she struggles to hold down...
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has always gone beyond just the films, and Netflix’s Marvel’s Jessica Jonesis one of many series that further expands that universe. The eponymous Jessica Jones was a former superhero whose powers included strength and, to a degree, flight. Though she still has those powers, she has left the world of superheroes becaus...
Nancy Drew is yet another household name when it comes to female detectives – arguably even more so than Veronica Mars, because the Nancy Drew name spans generations. The character first appeared in the titular series of novels in the 1930s, and The CW’s Nancy Drew is the third book adaptationalready. Here, Nancy Drew is both the heroine and the na...
We take things back in time a little with Murder, She Wrote, a detective fiction drama that ran during the 1980s and 90s. The series follows Jessica Fletcher, a retired English teacherwho has also gained fame as a mystery writer. Despite this, she has remained in her small town of Cabot Cove, Maine, and assists the local law enforcement with solvin...
The Canadian crime mystery series Frankie Drake Mysteries may have aired just very recently, but it’s actually a noir drama set in Toronto during the 1920s! Additionally, not only is the lead character and detective female but her entire team is, too! The titular Frankie Drake is the first female private detective in Toronto, and she runs an all-fe...
We’re staying in the 1920s with this one, though we are heading Down Under; Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is an Australian crime and mystery dramaset on the streets of Melbourne! It follows Phryne Fisher, an independent and glamorous private detective who will stop at nothing to solve any crime – with the occasional albeit reluctant help of Detect...
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Unforgettable: Created by John Bellucci, Ed Redlich. With Poppy Montgomery, Dylan Walsh, James Hiroyuki Liao, Jane Curtin. Carrie Wells, a former police detective, has a rare ability to remember virtually everything she experiences including detailed visual recall.
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- TV-14
- Georgia May
- Broadchurch (2013) Created by Chris Chibnall. Starring David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker. Crime, Drama, Mystery. 24 episodes (3 seasons) 8.4 on IMDb.
- Happy Valley (2014) Created by Sally Wainwright. Starring Sarah Lancashire, Siobhan Finneran, James Norton. Crime, Drama, Thriller. 18 episodes (3 seasons)
- Mare of Easttown (2021) Created by Brad Ingelsby. Starring Kate Winslet, Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart. Crime, Drama, Mystery. 7 episodes (1 season) 8.4 on IMDb.
- Sharp Objects (2018) Created by Marti Noxon. Starring Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina. Crime, Drama, Mystery. 8 episodes (1 season) 8.1 on IMDb. Technically, Camille Preaker (played by Amy Adams) is a journalist, not a cop.
Apr 16, 2021 · 6. Scott and Bailey. Lesley Sharp and Suranne Jones star in the British series Scott and Bailey, which first aired in 2011. Jane Scott (Sharp) and Rachel Bailey (Jones) do their crime fighting in the Greater Manchester area of England. Scott is married, has children and thinks things through before acting.
Feb 6, 2020 · Angie Dickinson, Police Woman (1974-78) The phrase “police woman” sounded bizarre to people in 1974, but Dickinson, now 88, made her tough yet feminine crime buster, Sgt. “Pepper” Anderson, a big hit and changed the sexist way America thinks. Yes, Pepper solved crimes by impersonating women trapped in traditional roles: nurse, teacher ...
