Whether the main hero is a male or female, there are certain elements of a good fictional detective story that are the same for any great tale. To me, a great fiction story has a main character that has flaws and quirks. He or she must have a code that they live by. It may not be a conventional code but they live by their own set of rules. Another thing a great detective story should have is an interesting setting. It all comes down to how the writer describes the surroundings in the story. The use of rich descriptive words helps the reader get into the story and be in the story. We want to feel something for the characters, to be able to root for the good guy, Finally, the good guys should always win in the end. The main reason that we read a book or listen to a story is to be entertained, to come out of ourselves for just a little while.
Some writers seem to be able to tell their tales with comparative ease while others drag you through a long convoluted story that never quite lives up to all the hype. I like stories with female leads mostly because I am female. I don’t think there are enough good female stories out there. Some of the ones that I love the most are written by such authors as J.D. Robb (a.k.a. Nora Roberts), Sara Paretsky, J.A. Jance, Dorothy Gilman, Elizabeth Peters, Sue Grafton, Nevada Barr and strangely enough James Patterson (who writes the Women’s Murder Club).
All of their detective stories can be found on the AStore Page. Now J.D. Robb writes about a New York Detective in future New York City. Sara Paretsky writes about a female Private Detective in Chicago. J.A. Jance writes about a female Sheriff of Bisbee, Arizona. Dorothy Gilman writes about a geriatric female Spy who travels around the world having adventures beginning at age 65 or so. Elizabeth Peters writes about a female archaeologist in the early 1900s that solves murders throughout Egypt. Sue Grafton writes about a female private investigator in a Santa Teresa, California. Nevada Barr writes about a Park Ranger that goes from National Park to National Park who ends of solving murders. James Patterson writes a series called the Women’s Murder Club which has 4 women friends who get together in San Francisco, California including a Homicide Detective, a Reporter, a District Attorney and the Chief Medical Examiner. Each of these writers has created a great female lead character with quirks, a code they live by and are good at their jobs. They solve crimes, right wrongs and in the end, the good guys always win.
