women readers of mysteries

[Anne Doran]

I would like to comment on a discussion that was taking place here a couple of days ago regarding women and mystery books.
I think the members were all of the male gender, but am not sure. As a longtime female reader of mysteries and crime fiction I would like to say that romance is definitely NOT what I look for in a book. I do much prefer stories with interesting female characters.
Having picked up a couple of unknown authors' books and found absolutely no women in the stories does make me lose interest quickly. Thanks for "listening".

[minervaK]

I dunno, I got the impression that Coffin was pretty adequate between the sheets... :P

[I. J. Parker]

Coffin? I remember a Coffin. British police officer? Don't remember any sheets though.

[Donna Moore]

I'm not big on romance either and so here are my suggestions for some authors who write books with great female protagonists - Megan Abbott, Christa Faust, Barbara Seranella, Zoe Sharp, Liza Cody, Robert Eversz, And I've just started a book with a female protagonist that looks as though it wil be excellent - Charlie Newton's CALUMET CITY.

[D K Gaston]

I like Sandra Brown, Erica Spindler, Iris Johansen, Faye Kellerman and Catherine Coulter. They usually write strong female characters into their story, while not dumbing down their male counterparts.

[I. J. Parker]

Catherine Coulter is only known to me as the author of fat bodice-ripper romance novels. She must be one of the romance writers who switched to crime.

[D K Gaston]

She does a FBI series featuring special agents Savich and Sherlock

There are eight or nine books so far.

[Anne Doran]

Which are fun and interesting !

[Dan Coleman]

And I've said this before here, in other words, but Faye Kellerman is like hot butter, too soft for me, more a sissy lit writer. When she and Jonathan write together, you can never miss when she's at the computer. I'm sure she's a wonderful, smart lady, a good wife and mother, but I've always felt--and not at all to be nasty--that she writes like a high school sophomore. Her husband is one of my top three favorites of all time, and her son ain't bad, either, a chip off the old block. But I get the feeling Faye never considered writing anything until long after being married to Jonathan, and figured to cash in, probably for fear of being left behind.

She's competent, just not a good novelist.

Sorry, Faye, if you're peeking.

[Karyn J. Powers]

Beg to differ.

[Anne Doran]

Not familiar with Erica Spindler but like the others you mentioned.

[D K Gaston]

I think you would enjoy her books. This is a list of some of her books:

Last Known Victim
Killer Takes All
See Jane Die
Breakneck
In Selence
Bone Cold
Cause for Alarm
Fortune
Red
Dead Run
Copycat

[Dan Coleman]

Good to hear. It does take a good balance of the sexes, without being mushy. I mean, there are romances with mysteries, and mysteries with romance, but if it's billed as a mystery, then any romance shouldn't detract from the story, plot, etc.