Last month I tried out a new blog post topic called What I'm Watching, where I share what's keeping me occupied while I'm crafting. The first post was a lot of fun so I decided to make it a monthly thing. For episode two of the series, I have my favorite female detective shows. The detective genre is one of my favorites. If you're not a connoisseur of the genre, then you might be surprised to learn know just how varied it can be. They run the gamut from serious and disturbing to light and comedic. And then the period pieces! The possibilities are really endless. Here are my top 5 favorites currently available streaming.
1. Miss Marple If you are not familiar (although I'm sure you are), Miss Marple is an adorably crafty and smart old lady who ventures around the English countryside solving murder mysteries. The thing that makes her extra cool is that she knits! Whenever I watch a Miss Marple, I like to knit along. It's almost like we're solving crimes together. :) I particularly like the tv movies that were made in the last 10 years or so but the movies from the 80s and of course the books are also quite entertaining.
2. Prime Suspect Like Miss Marple, this is a British show but our lead character couldn't be more different. The mysteries are serious and often disturbing and our Detective Jane Tennison is decidedly flawed.
3. The Bletchley Circle Oh shoot. Another British one! I love, love, love this show. It's about a group of women who were code breakers during WWII. A few years later, they get back together and solve crimes. These women are wicked smart but they have to keep their past a secret. On top of solving crime and handling murderers, they must navigate a world of gender bias that doesn't believe they are capable
4. Veronica Mars I only recently discovered this show. It's about a teenage girl who solves mysteries in her spare time. The mysteries are never too serious or scary and she's a confident, spunky girl which is really fun to watch. Typical of a TV drama, there are a few, big overarching mysteries as well.
5. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries features a glamorous flapper as our leading lady detective. This show is delightfully fun and funny. I highly recommend it!
So I have a few honorable mentions! I kept my top five to shows that featured only women as the detectives but there are lot of great shows that have male-female duos. My favorites are The Bridge, The Killing, Castle and In Plain Sight. Not currently available streaming but one of my all time favorite lady detective duos is Rosemary & Thyme. They're a pair of gardeners who seem to stumble upon a lot of mysteries. What are your favorite lady detective shows?
