Women Detectives Info Blog

I think all of us who read and enjoyed detective fiction wonder what it would be like to be a private investigator in real life. I was researching on the web and came across this website called the Professional Investigator’s Magazine. They have a link to each state’s website that states what the requirements are to become a private investigator in that state. You may have to poke around on the sites until you find the information that you require as the editor just linked to the main page of the licensing department. Surprisingly there are a couple of states that do no have formal licensing requirements. Those states are Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Another website I found was a little bit more informative in that it lists by state the agency that is responsible for licensing private investigators but also lists the states private investigator’s associations with links to their websites at as well as a link to a directory of that state’s private investigators: http://www.einvestigator.com/links/license.htm. You will need to review the requirements in the state you live in. Most will require that you intern with another private investigator so looking through the listing of private investigator companies in the directories will give you a starting point to find a mentor.

Wiki has a great listing of female writers and female detectives in fiction. First you should view the listing of female writers of detective fiction by clicking here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_detective/mystery_writers The listing is arranged alphabetically and is quite long. There are some great information about the writers and a listing of the titles of their books. Some writers have more information than others of course. If you would like to add information on your favorite writer you might want to join the wiki community and add whatever you can that will help keep other readers informed.

They also have a listing of female detective characters. This list has female detective characters from novels, short stories, television, films and video games: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_detective_characters. Sadly, there are not a lot of pages linked to each of these characters and wiki really could use some help beefing up those pages. So, if you see your favorite character on the list and it doesn’t have a link with more information then gather your data on your character and type it in so that we can all enjoy it. Wiki is a great resource created by all of us for all of us.

We have been doing some rearranging here at the Women Detectives Blog. We have added some new products to our bookstore that you might find pretty interesting. Not only have we bookmarked our favorite authors books but we have added non-fiction books and accessories for the private or public detective in you. If you are a writer or someone who would like to become a public or private investigator you should read some of these books and get some of this equipment. From handcuffs to handgun holsters, from lock picks to video recording sunglasses, and books about private investigations to crime scene forensics. These are by no means a complete list of what may be needed but it is a pretty comprehensive list. Look through the different categories and tell us what you think!

When you are doing research for a detective or mystery book you need to have information about police procedures, forensic techniques, equipment available for surveillance as well as knowledge about guns, poisons and human behavior. If you want to become a police officer or private investigator in real life you will need to know the same things. Information in books are a way to start but is by no means a substitute for experience. Buying the equipment and practicing the techniques in the books will put you on the path to becoming a professional in the field. Besides some of the things are just plain cool.

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 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 Bookstore 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 archeologist 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.

We have been adding more and more things to the blog. We have added some pages with some great information as well as a bookstore of stories we will be talking about in future posts. This blog is for those who love women detective’s fiction as well as getting information of women detectives in real life. Most of us have some kind of fantasy of becoming a detective. Why not explore the possibilities in real life as well as fiction. Now a days we have some great writers who feature female detectives of all kinds. These authors feature different women becoming detectives with local police forces, government agencies and in private areas as well. Who hasn’t read Sue Grafton’s female detective Kinsey Milhone or James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club police detective Lindsay Boxer.

Checking over the various websites of my favorite authors I have to say that Sue Grafton’s Website is a spectacular example of PI efficiency. Check it out at: http://www.suegrafton.com/index.htm
It is way cool with the graphics, the layout and the information for an avid fan or a new comer as well.
James Patterson on the otherhand, writes about more than one character. His website space for the Women’s Murder Club is informative but just a straight website. http://www.jamespatterson.com/books_womens_murder_club.html There is some interesting tidbits about the characters that is always nice to read about.

Patricia Cornwell is another author that I like to read who has several characters she writes about but my favorite is the Medical Examiner, Kay Scarpetta, who is a brilliant detective in her own right. Her website is pretty great as well. Cool graphics and informative information keep her fans engaged. Her stories are great to read again and again. I like the earlier stories of this character better that the last few. Check out her site at: http://www.patriciacornwell.com/

Cheers and Keep on Reading

Welcome all those who love fiction with Women Detectives as the main character.  There are several different types of women detectives in fiction.  This Blog is for those of us who read, write or know a woman detective. We see them on TV, read about them in books and some of us will research them for books, tv or maybe even to become one.  There are women detectives on the police force and their are women detectives in the private sector.  We will be exploring all of them.  If you are a writer of women detective fiction feel free to submit your stories for review.  We hope to encourage more people to include more women detectives in mystery fiction as well as real life.  We may end of concentrating in more one area or another but for now we will leave it open to all areas.

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