Growing up, my favorite comedies were ones starring women who, despite their professional success, seemed constantly on the brink of disaster, one catastrophe away from complete destruction in their personal lives: Eddie Monsoon and Patsy Stone (Absolutely Fabulous), Phoebe Buffay (Friends), Bebe Glazer (Fraser), and Bridget Jones. They drank, they smoked, and they wore bold, offbeat fashions. They were loud, brutally honest, sarcastic, impulsive, competitive, and at times deeply manipulative. In short, they were everything women weren’t “supposed” to be.
I was hooked.
Because they were also loyal, fiercely independent, and determined to come out on top. When life gave them lemons, they added gin and tonic water and drank it without breaking eye contact. In a world designed to keep women small, they were larger than life and made no apologies for it.
I created the character of Belinda Bishop before I knew what to do with her. I had no idea what her story should be, only that she was the friend who couldn’t read the room to save her life, dropped truth bombs left and right, regardless of timing or location, and refused to dim her light for anyone, even if it meant getting burned herself.
When I started writing my debut cozy mystery, Voted Most Likely to Murder, I realized this was exactly where Belinda belonged: up to her neck in other people’s business and for less-than noble reasons.
The further I got into Belinda’s story, the more I was reminded of some of my favorite amateur sleuths, ones who fought for justice despite the (often self-inflicted) obstacles faced, who refused to be beaten by little things like inconvenient corpses, random exploding boats, or raining body parts. Here are my five favorite “hot mess” amateur sleuths.
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Finlay Donovan
(Elle Cosimano, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It)
Finlay Donovan is just trying to get her and her two kids through a messy divorce (not to mention picture day) in one piece. When she’s overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer by a woman looking to get rid of her problematic husband. But her fledgling career as a supposed assassin quickly spirals out of control with one hilarious what-are-the-freaking-odds twist after another as she strides to bring the guilty to justice while keeping her soon-to-be ex-husband and his sleazy lawyer at bay.
More than just a light-hearted mystery, Finlay’s journey from housewife to accidental hitter turns the spotlight on society’s scrutiny of single mothers.
Tess Harrow
Tamara Berry, Buried in a Good Book
If nothing else, Berry’s amateur sleuth Tess Harrow is a woman of her convictions. Overzealous and committed to absolute accuracy in her bestselling thriller novels, Tess is no stranger to danger, especially when it’s brought on by her own impulsive nature.
Whether it’s researching the best ropes to tie up a hostage or tracking down the owner of the random body parts falling from the sky over her grandfather’s rustic cabin, Tess jumps headfirst into the investigation, usually without bothering to check the water levels first, but her inquisitive nature and quick-thinking always come through in the end.
Abby Williams
Krysten Ritter, Bonfire
Despite her professional success as an environmental lawyer, Abby is caught in the self-destructive spiral of alcoholism and emotional isolation that escalates as a new case involving Optimal Plastics, located in her hometown of Barrens, Indiana, lands on her desk. The closer Abby comes to the truth regarding the disappearance of the town’s It Girl, the more she comes to question her resolve and even her sanity.
An engrossing blend of slow-burning suspense and psychological thriller, Bonfire pulled me in from the first chapter as it examines just how deep the roots of corruption and adolescent trauma can spread.
Eric Bloom
Auralee Wallace, Skinny Dipping with Murder
Imagine if Stevie Budd and David Rose (before he lost his fortune) had to solve a murder. Erica is the perfect combination of staunch determination and reckless abandon, everything I love in an amateur sleuth. Her quest to reconnect with old friends (more specifically, the handsome town sheriff) and clear her name of murder has all the grace and subtlety of a caffeine-fueled raccoon. If something can go wrong for Erica, it will—at the worst possible time and with an audience.
But even as her investigation dissolves into chaos, the heart of the story remains Erica’s longing for human connection and acceptance. It turns out you can go home again, but you might accidentally blow up a couple of boats along the way.
Cordelia Graves
Olivia Blacke, A New Lease on Death
Cordelia’s afterlife is proving to be as eventful (i.e. frustrating) as her first one. When her neighbor from across the hall is murdered, she enlists the help of her living roommate, Ruby, to find his killer. Too bad her roomie can’t actually see or hear her. (Thank goodness for refrigerator magnets.)
Their black cat/golden retriever pairing allows for a lot of fun supernatural hijinks while also balancing darker themes like addiction, domestic violence and depression. Cordelia may have passed on, but her problems haven’t. She’s still closed off, secretive, and a little controlling, especially when it comes to looking out for her younger, slightly naive roommate. But her protective nature and desire for justice prove you can be dead and still have a (albeit non-beating) heart.
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