Tough Dames

Here is a list of women protagonists in mystery or spy stories written by men. Some of the women are partners, but most are detectives in their own right. If first appearance was in a novel, the title of the novel is bold-face, if in a short story, the title is in quotes. Unless otherwise indicated, first appearance is as a protagonist. In some cases, the character appeared in an earlier work as a secondary character.

•Alison Gordon by Walter Wager. First appearance: Blue Leader 1979 -- Great book, wish I could find another copy.
•Amelia Watson by Michael Mallory. First appearance: "The Adventure of the Ripper's Scrawl" 1996, Murder In The Bath 2003
•Andi Holmes by Ivan Van Laningham. First appearance: "The Working Girls Go By" 2001
•Angel And The Ape (Beatrix O’Day And Sam Simeon) by E. Bridwell, Howie Post And Bob Oksner. First appearance: "The case of the going, going, gone go-go girls" 1969 (comic)
•Angela Harpe by James D. Lawrence. First appearance: The Dream Girl Caper, 1975
•Bertha Cool & Donald Lam by A.A. Fair (Erle Stanley Gardner). First appearance: The Bigger They Come, 1939
•Bridgett Logan by Greg Rucka: First appearance: Keeper, 1996 as Atticus Kodiak's girlfriend. First appearance on her own: Shooting at Midnight, 1999. Logan is one hell of a woman and Shooting is a hell of a book.
•Candi & Simone Covington by Peter Inchbald First appearance: Mama Stalks the Past 1997.
•Carol Starkey by Robert Crais First appearance: Demolition Angel 2000. Like Bridgett Logan, Carol Starkey is a hell of a woman. I want to see more of her.
•Carrie Cashin by Theodore Tinsley. First appearance: "White Elephant," 1937
•Cassidy Black by Michael Connelly. First appearance: Void Moon 2004. Another tough woman I'd like to see more of.
•Charity Bay by Arthur Kaplan
•Christine Bennett by Lee Harris (Pseud. Of Syrell Rogovin Leahy) The Good Friday Murder, 1992.
•Dan Kearney & Associates (Dan Kearney, O.B., Larry Ballard, Bart Heslip, Gisele Marc, Etc...) by Joe Gores Dead Skip 1872 was the first DKA novel. I don't know when Gisele appeared.
•Diane Fletcher by Sean Stewart Passion Play, 1992.
•Dol Bonner by Rex Stout. Stout created Theolinda "Dol" Bonner before Nero Wolfe. Her only solo novel was The Hand In The Glove 1937, but she makes an appearance in some of the Wolfe stories.
•Dora Conti by Lawrence Sanders The Seventh Commandment 1991
•Eli Donovan by James L. Rubel
•Elle Dupin by Jack Todd "Nameless Dread, An Ineractive Mystery," the Montreal Gazzette, 2001
•Ellen Patrick, The Domino Lady by Lars Anderson
•Filomena Buscarsela by K.J.A. Wishnia
•Flora Hogg by Austin Lee Sheep's Clothing 1955
•Friday by Robert A. Heinlein
•Gale Gallagher by Gale Gallagher (Will Oursler And Margaret Scott) I found Him Dead 1947
•Grace Culver by Roswell Brown, "Scoop," The Shadow Magazine, 1934
•Harry Garnish & Sister Bridget O'Toole by Frank Mc Connell
•Hobart Lindsey & Marvia Plum by Richard A. Lupoff (Pseudonym: Del Marston)
•Honey West by G.G. Fickling
•Isabel Dalhousie by Alexander McCall-Smith
•Jackie Daniels by J.A. Konrath
•Jessica Jones by Brian Michael Bendis
•Jessie Bales by Jay Bonansinga
•Karen Cisco by Elmore Leonard
•Kate Blanchard by J.F. Freedman
•Kate McKinnon by Jonathan Santlofer
•Kerri Kane by Dick Briefer
•Leo Bloodworth & Serendipity Dahlquist by Dick Lochte
•Lucy Trimble by Eric Wright
•Madge Hatchett by Lee Mcgraw
•Martha Chainey by Gary Phillips
•Mary Lou "Dunk" Bateson by Lawrence Sanders
•Mavis Seidlitz by Carter Brown
•Mick Axbrewder & Ginny Fistoulari by Reed Stephens (Pseud. Of Stephen R. Donaldson)
•Micki Garrity by J. Michael Blue
•Modesty Blaise by Peter O’Donnell
•Ms. Tree by Max Allan Collins And Terry Beatty
•Nick And Nora Charles by Dashiell Hammett
•Nina Zero by Robert Evarsz
•Patrick Kenzie & Angela Gennaro by Dennis Lehane
•Peggy O’Neill by M.D. Lake
•Phil Beaumont & Jane Tanner by Walter Satterthwait
•Precious Ramotswe by Alexander McCall-Smith
•Rachel Gold by Michael A. Kahn
•Rachel Walling by Michael Connelly
•Rowena Grant by Maurice Gagnon
•Sally Colt by Rex Stout
•Sam & Brandy Horowitz by Jack L. Chalker
•Sarah Watson by D.B. Mccandless
•Sunny Childs by Ruth Birmingham (Pseudonym Of Walter Sorrells)
•Sunny Randal by Robert B. Parker
•Sunset Jones by Joe R. Lansdale
•Susan Chase by Steve Brown
•Tamara Knight by Patrick Brown
•Tara Chase by Greg Rucka
•Torchy Blane by Frederick Nebel
•Trixie Meehan & Mike Harris by T.T. Flynn (Thomas Theodore Flynn)
•Val Lyon by Mark Troy, First appearance: "Drop Dead Zone," 1998, Pilikia Is My Business 2001
•Velda Bellinghausen by Ron Miller
¶Violet Mcdade & Nevada Alvarado by Cleve F. Adams