Top Ten-ish Favorite Heroines From Mystery Series

This is a weekly event, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, where bloggers relate their "top ten" of a certain topic.  This week's topic - Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books.  Shockingly enough, I have selected my favorite heroines or protagonists or lead characters or whatever you want to call them from mystery or crime series.  All of these are from series that I have read virtually every book.  And I love them all.  Various reasons.  They are in random order for I could not possibly rate them from 1 to 10 (or rather 12, as I cheated).  I'll also share the first book in the series, just in case you'd like to try it.  Once a library staff member who shoved books into hands and said "Read this!", always a...you get it.

1. Kate Shugak - Native Alaskan ex-investigator for the DA's office in Anchorage.  Written by Dana Stabenow.  Kate lives on her homestead in the Alaskan wilderness with her fabulous dog/wolf Mutt.  Do not mess with these two ladies.  Seriously.  The first book is A Cold Day For Murder.

2. Gemma James - Detective Sergeant at Scotland Yard as the series begins.  Written by Deborah Crombie.  Gemma is the DS for Superintendent Duncan Kincaid.  She is really something else, intuitive, kind, a really good detective.  Such an asset to this series and her relationship with Duncan and the other characters is wonderful.  Don't miss this series.  The first book is A Share In Death.

3. Ruth Galloway - Holds a doctorate in forensic archeology.  Written by Elly Griffiths.  Ruth is the single mother of wee Kate, age 2.  Loves archaeological digs and solving mysteries that lurk in dark and dank places.  I've already talked about Ruth several times.  I am her biggest fan.  The first book is The Crossing Places.

4. Deborah Knott - District court judge in Colleton County, North Carolina.  Written by Margaret Maron.  Deborah is the daughter of one of the biggest bootlegger's in her state's history.  Has 11 brothers and too many relatives to count.  And stumbles over bodies.  A lot.  I've read this series for over 20 years and love each and every book.  The first book is The Bootlegger's Daughter.

5. Amelia Peabody - Self-taught Egyptologist in the Victorian era.  Written by the great and sadly late Elizabeth Peters.  Amelia has a irascible archaeologist husband named Emerson, a wonderful and naughty son named Ramses and lots of friends and co-workers.  She and her family have many adventures in Egypt of the late 19th and early 20th century.  A really witty series that begins with the classic Crocodile On A Sandbank.  I can't recommend the first book highly enough.

6. Eve Dallas - Homicide Lieutenant in New York City of the mid-21st century (2058 to begin).  Written by J. D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts).  Eve is smart, prickly, impatient, and she always solves the crime.  The futuristic bits are logical mostly, considering the first book was written 20 years ago.  There are now 40 books in this series.  Oh, and there is Rourke, billionaire Irish businessman/former criminal.  Eve gets him too.  Wow!  The first book is Naked in Death.

7. Daisy Dalrymple - Journalist in 1920's England.  Written by Carola Dunn.  And you may also address Daisy as The Honorable, as she is quite well born, if not flush with cash.  She uses her connections to begin a career writing articles about country manor houses.  It's just that people keep getting killed and Daisy is usually on the spot.  A series that may seem light, but has some wonderful info about the time period and England in general between the wars.  The first book is Death At Wentwater Court.

8. Lacey Flint - Detective Constable in London with an interesting back story.  Written by Sharon (S.J.) Bolton.  Lacey has many secrets and she has her own reasons for becoming a police officer.  There are now 4 books in this series and hopefully, there will be a lot more.  The first book was pretty much unputdownable for me.  It's called Now You See Me.

9. Mrs. Emily Pollifax - Senior citizen and spy for the CIA.  Written by the wonderful and unfortunately late Dorothy Gilman.  Mrs. Pollifax is a hoot.  After feeling like her life in retirement lacks a little something, she travels to CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, asking for an application to become an agent.  And she is mistakenly sent on a mission.  Chaos ensues and Emily the Secret Agent is born.  This series is such a delight.  Don't miss it.  Funny as all get out.  The first one is The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax.

10. Kate Burkholder - Chief of Police in Painter's Mill, Ohio.  Written by Linda Castillo.  Kate was raised in an Amish family, but due to an event in her early teens, leaves home and eventually becomes a police officer.  She later returns as the Chief of Police.  She's smart and hardworking and very lonely.  She's estranged from her family.  And there are a lot of creepy crimes in Painter's Mill.  The first book is Sworn To Silence.

Extras:

11. Alafair Tucker - Farm and ranch wife and mother of 10 in early 20th century Oklahoma.  Written by Donis Casey.  Alafair is a busy woman.  Ten kids and lots of work to do.  She is practical and loving and really very smart about crime.  This series is a good window into life in the Midwest of the early 1900's.  Great descriptions and recipes.  And the characters are top notch, especially Alafair and the whole Tucker clan.  The first book is The Old Buzzard Had It Coming.

12. Lisbeth Salander - The famous "girl with the dragon tattoo", investigator and hacker extraordinaire,  Written by the late Stieg Larsson.  I've always been so sad that there were only 3 books in this series or trilogy as it came to be.  Lisbeth is a very odd person.  Rather amoral in our eyes, but not in hers.  Amazing investigative skills and do not hurt someone she is fond of or loves (as much as she can).  Truly.  Do. Not. Do. It.  The first book, as if you couldn't guess, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

OK, I'll stop now.  I could go on, but I won't.  There are lots of good books here.  Don't you want to get to know some of these heroines?  Sure you do!