This is my tribute to women mystery authors and the female sleuths they have brought to life: the cops, the p.i.'s, the lawyers, and the busybodies.

Understand that I'm a reader, not a critic. I read for entertainment, so I'm not going to tell you why these books are good. Find out for yourself. There's a special section at the end for mysteries with a sense of humor.

How did I get into this? It was one of those hindsighted "good things come in three's" coincidences. A videotape of "V. I. Warshawski". (It wasn't a great movie but it showed potential.) A dedication to Marcia Muller in one of Bill Pronzini's Nameless Detective books. (So what if she's his wife?) And what SF reader could resist Sharyn McCrumb's title "Bimbos of the Death Star"?

So here is my list. One entry per author. In alphabetical order. Those I've listed may or may not be each author's best book, but they are the books that impressed me the most. Or I read first. I've read most or all of the books written by all of these authors, and have not been disappointed by any. There are many other authors I could add (and probably will add in time), and others I have yet to discover. (I take recommendations!) So if you like a good mystery yarn and haven't yet discovered these authors, give them a try!

Special honors for HUMOR

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