List of female detective/mystery writers

The following is a list of female writers in the detective and mystery genres.

A-C
• Megan Abbott (born 1971)

• Christine Adamo (born 1965)

• Deborah Adams

• Harriet Stratemeyer Adams (pseudonyms: Carolyn Keene, Franklin W. Dixon) (1892–1982)

• Jane Adams (born 1960)

• Carolina Garcia-Aguilera (born 1949)

• Joan Aiken (1924–2004)

• Catherine Aird (born 1930)

• Susan Wittig Albert (born 1940)

• Goldie Alexander (1936–2020)

• Shana Alexander (1925–2005)

• Tasha Alexander (born 1969)

• Margery Allingham (1904–1966)

• Karin Alvtegen (born 1965)

• Carmen Amato

• Lin Anderson

• Donna Andrews

• Sarah Andrews (died 2019)

• Charlotte Armstrong (1905–1969)

• Kate Atkinson (born 1951)

• Rosemary Aubert (born 1946)

• Bunty Avieson (born 1962)

• Marian Babson (pseudonym for Ruth Marian Stenstreem) (1929–2017)

• Deb Baker (born 1953)

• Jo Bannister (born 1951)

• Linda Barnes (born 1949)

• Nevada Barr (born 1952)

• Lynne Barrett

• Belinda Bauer (born 1962)

• Jean Bedford (born 1946)

• Josephine Bell (1897–1987)

• Margot Bennett (1912–1980)

• Mildred Benson (1905–2002)

• Laurien Berenson

• Carole Berry

• Lauren Beukes (born 1976)

• Claudia Bishop (pseudonym for Mary Stanton) (born 1947)

• Cara Black (born 1951)

• Suzanne Blanc (1915–1999)

• Eleanor Taylor Bland (1944–2010)

• Enid Blyton (1897–1968)

• Geraldine Bonner (1870–1930)

• Miriam Borgenicht (1915–1992)

• Roxanne Bouchard (born 1972)

• Gail Bowen (born 1942)

• Rhys Bowen (pseudonym for Janet Quin-Harkin) (born 1941)

• Leigh Brackett (1915–1978)

• P. J. Brackston (pseudonym for Paula Brackston)

• Christianna Brand (1907–1988)

• Lilian Jackson Braun (1913–2011)

• Rita Mae Brown (born 1944)

• Sandra Brown (born 1948)

• Alison Bruce (born 1962)

• Edna Buchanan (born 1939)

• Marie Buchanan (1922–2010)

• Fiona Buckley (born 1937)

• Jan Burke (born 1953)

• Gwendoline Butler (1922–2013)

• Janet Caird (1913–1992)

• Susanna Calkins (born 1971)

• Dana Cameron (born 1965)

• Karen Campbell (born 1967)

• Dorothy Cannell (born 1943)

• Bernice Carey (1911–February 22, 1990)

• Patricia Carlon (1927–2002)

• Margaret Carr (born 1935) (pseudonyms: Martin Carroll, Carole Kerr, Belle Jackson)

• Felicity Winifred Carter (1906–1995)

• Vera Caspary (1899–1987)

• Sarah Caudwell (1939–2000)

• Jessie Chandler (born 1968)

• Kate Charles (born 1950)

• Marion Chesney (pseudonym: M. C. Beaton) (1936–2019)

• Agatha Christie (1890–1976)

• Jill Churchill (born 1943)

• Carol Higgins Clark (born 1956)

• Mary Higgins Clark (1927–2020)

• Anna Clarke (1919–2004)

• Ann Cleeves (born 1954)

• Jane Cleland

• Judy Clemens

• Blaize Clement (1932–2011)

• Barbara Cleverly (born 1940)

• Liza Cody (born 1944)

• Margaret Coel (born 1937)

• Kate Collins

• Sheila Connolly (born 1950)

• Patricia Cornwell (born 1956)

• Frances Cowen (pseudonym: Eleanor Hyde) (1915–1992)

• Katherine Cowley

• Cleo Coyle

• Frances Crane (1896–1981)

• Deborah Crombie (born 1952)

• Amanda Cross (pseudonym for Carolyn Heilbrun) (1926–2003)

• Ursula Curtiss (1923–1984)

D-G
• Mary Daheim (1937–2022)

• Elizabeth Daly (1878–1867)

• Barbara D'Amato (born 1938)

• Jordan Dane (born 1953)

• Denise Danks

• Diane Mott Davidson (born 1949)

• Carol Anne Davis (born 1961)

• Dorothy Salisbury Davis (1916–2014)

• Lindsey Davis (born 1949)

• Mildred B. Davis

• Janet Dawson (born 1949)

• Marele Day (born 1947)

• Miriam Allen deFord (1888–1975)

• Vicki Delany (born 1951)

• Eileen Dewhurst (born 1929)

• Doris Miles Disney (1907–1976)

• Joanne Dobson (born 1942)

• Thea Dorn (born 1970)

• Carole Nelson Douglas (born 1944)

• Eileen Dreyer

• June Drummond (1923–2011)

• Stella Duffy (born 1963)

• Sarah Dunant (born 1950)

• Sandy Frances Duncan (born 1942)

• Susan Dunlap (born 1943)

• Carola Dunn (born 1946)

• Mignon G. Eberhart (1899-1996)

• Kerstin Ekman (born 1933)

• Amelia Ellis (born 1977)

• Kathy Lynn Emerson

• Maggie Estep (1963–2014)

• Janet Evanovich (born 1943)

• Elizabeth Eyre (pseudonym for Jill Staynes and Margaret Storey)

• Linda Fairstein (born 1947)

• Diane Fanning (born 1950)

• Jerrilyn Farmer

• Elizabeth Fenwick and E. P. Fenwick (pseudonyms for Elizabeth Fenwick Way)

• Mary Fitt (pseudonym for Kathleen Freeman) (1897–1959)

• Joanne Fluke (born 1943)

• Gillian Flynn (born 1971)

• Elena Forbes

• Karin Fossum (born 1954)

• Earlene Fowler (born 1954)

• Barbara Fradkin

• Ariana Franklin (pseudonym for Diana Norman) (1933–2011)

• Miles Franklin (1879–1954)

• Anthea Fraser (born 1930)

• Antonia Fraser (born 1932)

• Margaret Frazer (pseudonym for Gail Frazer and Mary Monica Pulver Kuhfeld) (1946–2013)

• Celia Fremlin (1914–2009)

• Tana French (born 1973)

• Inger Frimansson (born 1944)

• Gayleen Froese (born 1972)

• Frances Fyfield (born 1948)

• Gillian Galbraith

• Menna Gallie (1920–1990)

• Carolina Garcia-Aguilera (born 1949)

• Lisa Gardner

• Anne George (1927–2001)

• Elizabeth George (born 1949)

• Tess Gerritsen (born 1953)

• Alison Gordon (1943–2015)

• Dolores Gordon-Smith (born 1958)

• Nancy Grace (born 1959)

• Sue Grafton (1940–2017)

• Caroline Graham (born 1931)

• Sara Gran (born 1971)

• Ann Granger (born 1939)

• Alex Gray (born 1950)

• Anna Katharine Green (1846–1935)

• Kerry Greenwood (born 1954)

• Martha Grimes (born 1931)

• Beth Groundwater

• Elizabeth Gunn

H-L
• Jane Haddam (1951–2019)

• Jean Hager (born 1932)

• Patricia Hall (pseudonym for Maureen O'Connor) (born 1940)

• Lyn Hamilton (1944–2009)

• Petra Hammesfahr (born 1951)

• Sophie Hannah (born 1971)

• Karen Harper (1945–2020)

• Charlaine Harris (born 1951)

• Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (born 1948)

• Ellen Hart (born 1949)

• Carolyn Hart (born 1936)

• Frances Noyes Hart (1890–1943)

• L. C. Hayden

• Mo Hayder (1962–2021)

• Sylvia Haymon (1918−1995)

• Sparkle Hayter (born 1958)

• Libby Fischer Hellmann

• Sue Henry (1940–2020)

• Joan Hess (1949–2017)

• Georgette Heyer (1902–1974)

• Patricia Highsmith (1921–1995)

• Susan Hill (born 1942)

• Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (1889–1955)

• Isabelle Holland (1920–2002)

• Liz Holliday

• Hazel Holt (1928–2015)

• Wendy Hornsby (born 1947)

• Linda Howard (born 1950)

• Dorothy B. Hughes (1904–1993)

• Julie Hyzy

• Shirley Jackson (1916–1965)

• P. D. James (born 1920–2014)

• J. A. Jance (born 1944)

• Charlotte Jay (1919–1996)

• Maureen Jennings (born 1939)

• Linda O. Johnston

• Alison Joseph (born 1958)

• Morag Joss (born 1955)

• Mari Jungstedt (born 1962)

• Susan Kandel

• Faye Kellerman (born 1952)

• Karen Kijewski (born 1943)

• Laurie R. King (born 1952)

• Natsuo Kirino (born 1951)

• Elsa Klensch (1933–2022)

• Harley Jane Kozak (born 1957)

• Rochelle Majer Krich (born 1947)

• Lynda La Plante (born 1946)

• Camilla Läckberg (born 1974)

• Lori L. Lake (born 1960)

• Maria Lang (1914–1991)

• Virginia Lanier (1930–2003)

• Åsa Larsson (born 1966)

• Emma Lathen (pseudonym for Mary Jane Latsis and Martha Henissart) (1927–1997)

• Donna Leon (born 1942)

• Constance Lindsay Taylor (1907–2000)

• Elizabeth Linington (1921–1988)

• Gillian Linscott (born 1949)

• Laura Lippman (born 1959)

• Frances Lockridge (with husband Richard Lockridge)(1896–1963)

• Gabrielle Lord (born 1946)

• Lisa Lutz (born 1970)

M-Q
• Marianne Macdonald (born 1934)

• Jeanne Mackin

• Charlotte MacLeod (1992–2005)

• Mary Jane Maffini

• Jessica Mann (1937–2018)

• Alexandra Marinina (born 1957)

• Liza Marklund (born 1962)

• Margaret Maron (1938–2021)

• Ngaio Marsh (1895–1982)

• Bodil Mårtensson (born 1952)

• Sujata Massey (born 1964)

• Francine Mathews (born 1963)

• Helen McCloy (1904–1994)

• Sharyn McCrumb (born 1948)

• Val McDermid (born 1955)

• Patricia (Pat) McGerr (1919–1985)

• Jill McGown (1947–2007)

• Fiona McIntosh (pseudonym: Lauren Crow) (born 1960)

• Mary McMullen (1920–1986) (pseudonym for Mary Reilly)

• Claire McNab (born 1940)

• Penny Mickelbury (born 1948)

• Margaret Millar (1915–1994)

• Denise Mina (born 1966)

• Dreda Say Mitchell (born 1965)

• Gladys Mitchell (1901–1983)

• Miyuki Miyabe (born 1960)

• Gwen Moffat (born 1924)

• Susan Moody (born 1940)

• Tara Moss (born 1973)

• Patricia Moyes (1923–2000)

• Marcia Muller (born 1944)

• Margaret Murphy (born 1959)

• Beverle Graves Myers (born 1951)

• Magdalen Nabb (1947–2007)

• Barbara Nadel

• Janet Neel (born 1940)

• Barbara Neely (1941–2020)

• Katherine Neville (born 1945)

• Sharan Newman (born 1949)

• Helen Nielsen (1918–2002)

• Joan Lowery Nixon (1927–2003)

• Asa Nonami (born 1960)

• Maureen O'Brien (born 1943)

• Carol O'Connell (born 1947)

• Lillian O'Donnell (1926–2005)

• Kelly Oliver (born 1958)

• Baroness Orczy (1865–1947)

• Perri O'Shaughnessy (pseudonym for sisters Pamela and Mary O'Shaughnessy)

• Abigail Padgett (born 1942)

• Sara Paretsky (born 1947)

• P. J. Parrish (pseudonym for sisters Kelly Nichols and Kristy Montee)

• Barbara Paul (born 1931)

• Phyllis Paul (1903-1973)

• Rebecca Pawel (born 1977)

• Joanne Pence

• Stef Penney (born 1969)

• Louise Penny (born 1958)

• Anne Perry (1938–2023)

• Elizabeth Peters (pseudonym for Barbara Mertz (1927–2013)

• Ellis Peters (pseudonym for Edith Pargeter) (1913–1995)

• Nancy Pickard (born 1945)

• Catherine Louisa Pirkis (1841–1910)

• Genevieve Pou (wrote under pseudonym Genevieve Holden, 1919–2007)

• Janet Quin-Harkin (born 1941)

R-Z
• Caro Ramsay

• Ellen Raskin (1928–1984)

• Robyn Read

• Leigh Redhead (born 1971)

• Jean M. Redmann (born 1955)

• Kathy Reichs (born 1948)

• Helen Reilly (1891–1962)

• Ruth Rendell (1930–2015)

• Craig Rice (pseudonym for Georgiana Ann Randolph Craig) (1908–1957)

• Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958)

• Nora Roberts (pseudonym: J.D. Robb) (born 1950)

• Lynda Suzanne Robinson (born 1951)

• Audrey Roos (1912–1982)

• M. J. Rose

• Kate Ross (1956–1998)

• Jennifer Rowe (born 1948)

• S. J. Rozan (born 1950)

• Jane Rubino

• Dorothy L. Sayers (1893–1957)

• Andrea Maria Schenkel (born 1962)

• Manda Scott (born 1962)

• Lisa Scottoline (born 1955)

• Mabel Seeley (1903–1991)

• Barbara Seranella (1956–2007)

• Doris Shannon (pseudonym: E. X. Giroux) (1924–2012)

• Yrsa Sigurðardóttir (born 1963)

• Dorothy Simpson (born 1933)

• Maj Sjöwall (1935–2020) (in collaboration – Sjöwall and Wahlöö)

• Karin Slaughter (born 1971)

• April Smith

• Joan Smith (born 1953)

• Julie Smith (born 1944)

• Sarah Smith (born 1947)

• Caro Soles

• Nancy Spain (1917–1964)

• Julia Spencer-Fleming (born 1961)

• Dana Stabenow (born 1952)

• Susannah Stacey (pseudonym for Jill Staynes and Margaret Storey)

• Kelli Stanley (born 1964)

• Viveca Sten (born 1959)

• Robin Stevens (born 1988)

• Mary Stewart (1916 - 2014)

• Sarah Strohmeyer (born 1962)

• Denise Swanson

• Phoebe Atwood Taylor (1909–1976)

• Josephine Tey (1896–1952)

• Masako Togawa (1933–2016)

• P. J. Tracy

• Camilla Trinchieri (born 1942)

• Kathy Hogan Trocheck (born 1954)

• Helene Tursten (born 1954)

• Dorothy Uhnak (1930–2006)

• Fred Vargas (pseudonym for Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau) (born 1957)

• Elaine Viets

• Lucy Wadham (born 1964)

• Mary Willis Walker (born 1942)

• Minette Walters (born 1949)

• Penny Warner

• Betty Webb

• Martha G. Webb (pseudonym of Anne Wingate) (1943–2021)

• Patricia Wentworth (1878–1961)

• Valerie Wilson Wesley (born 1947)

• Ethel Lina White (1846–1944)

• Phyllis A. Whitney (1903–2008)

• Kate Wilhelm (1928–2018)

• Margaret Wetherby Williams (writing as Margaret Erskine) (1901–1984)

• Laura Wilson (born 1964)

• Anne Wingate (1943–2021)

• Jacqueline Winspear (born 1955)

• Paula L. Woods (born 1953)

• Sara Woods (1922–1985)

• L. R. Wright (1939–2001)

• Margaret Yorke (1924–2012)

• Eve Zaremba (born 1930)