Who is your favorite detective? What qualities do you look for in a detective character in mystery novels? Are men better than women at detecting? These are just some of the questions we are asking our readers here today. When you read your favorite mystery writer’s novels do you think about the characteristics of your favorite players? And, if so, what would you say is the most compelling feature or quality they portray?
Think about these questions and we hope you will answer them in the comments below. We are not trying to push anyone’s agenda here or even sway anyone away from their favorite characters. We just want to honestly know what types of traits you find most appealing in your favorite mystery books. For myself, I prefer stories with strong women characters in them. They should know themselves, have a strong moral compass, and maybe even a strict code of conduct. We may not agree with all of the personnel rules but if they have them I hope that they keep them throughout the storyline. I also look for characters who are intelligent. The flaky blond characters portrayed in a lot of mysteries do not appeal to me at all. And, of course, they should react to situations in the plot like a “real” person would act in a similar situation. There can be a lot of twists and turns but if they are constantly acting “Out of Character” and doing things that seem too far-fetched then I lose interest.
Some of my favorite characters have been Eve Dallas by J.D. Robb, Eve Duncan by Iris Johansen, Sheriff Joanna Brady by J.A. Jance and even Kinsey Milhone by Sue Grafton. Each of the characters is portrayed as “real women” with believable problems, emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. Their authors consistently write great storylines for each of these main characters that we can relate to. I’m sure I am forgetting a few more that I like and we look forward to your suggestions.
Now as to the question, Are men better than women at detecting? Well, of course not. A true detective, whether they are an amateur or professional sleuth only needs a couple of qualities to be a great detective. First, is that they have an overabundance of curiosity. Second, they have normal to above-average intelligence. And, finally, they are persistent and patient. For me, both men and women can possess all these qualities the rest is just experience. The more experience you have at doing anything the better at it you will become.
For those who are writing memorable female detectives (private and public) get in touch and share your character’s resume – CONTACT ME
