Modern-Day Thelmas and Louises: 10 Crime Novels Featuring Female Duos
Elle Cosimano offers partner-in-crime tales by Colleen Oakley, Olivia Blacke, and more
Whether it’s Lucy and Ethel, Laverne and Shirley, Stephanie and Lula, or Thelma and Louise, I’ve always been drawn to stories about female duos that test the bonds of friendship and prove them unshakable. Unlikely yet perfect partnerships introduce both added tension and comic relief.
Age disparities, mismatched personalities, wildly differing skillsets, or even living versus deceased—there’s nothing I love more than watching two women embrace their differences, join forces, and lift each other over seemingly impossible obstacles. Throw in a mystery or an element of crime, and that’s a recipe for an irresistible read! Maybe that’s what led me to write my own indomitable BFF amateur sleuths.
In my Finlay Donovan mysteries, Finlay and Veronica “Vero” Ruiz commit as many crimes as they solve and still, somehow, manage to keep each other out of harm’s way.
If you love comedic capers and mysteries as much as I do, here are some captivating partners in crime you should add to your TBR list.
*
Colleen Oakley, The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise
A surly octogenarian and a disillusioned college dropout take an unforgettable road trip when they find themselves on the lam from the law. Perfect for fans of the TV series Hacks.
Olivia Blacke, A New Lease on Death
When the ghost of a recently deceased woman stubbornly refuses to vacate her apartment, she’s forced to rely on her perky new living roommate to help her solve a murder in their building. A cozy sleuthing duo with a paranormal twist.
Yosha Gunasekera, The Midnight Taxi
When a passenger is murdered in her cab, a plucky taxi driver chases down leads through the streets of New York City with the help of a stouthearted public defender she befriends along the way.
Laurien Berenson, Peg and Rose Solve a Murder
Described as Murder, She Wrote meets The Golden Girls, two septuagenarian sisters-in-law must put aside their differences to solve a murder at their local bridge club…if they can keep from killing each other first.
Kirstin Chen, Counterfeit
From People: “College roommates Ava Wong and Winnie Fang were never close—but now they are literally partners in crime, with a designer handbag scam as brazen as it is foolproof. Clever, catty fun.”
Allison Brennan, Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds
A bookish thirty-year old financial planner teams up with an impulsive, quick-witted teenager to solve a murder while vacationing at a lavish beach resort.
Lori Rader-Day, Wreck Your Heart
A down-on-her-luck country singer sets off with the half-sister she didn’t know she had to uncover their family history and solve a murder while searching for their missing mom.
Oyinkan Braithwaite, My Sister, the Serial Killer
In this satirical dark comedy, a pragmatic nurse is forced to repeatedly cover up the murders committed by her disturbingly charming younger sister.
Kathleen Glasgow, Liz Lawson, The Agathas
In this contemporary young adult mystery, a pair of mismatched teenage amateur sleuths, inspired by Agatha Christie, attempt to solve a murder at their school.
Abbi Waxman, One Death at a Time
From the publisher, “A cranky former actress teams up with her Gen Z sobriety sponsor to solve the murder that threatens to send her back to prison.”
***
Elle Cosimano
Elle Cosimano is a USA Today bestselling author, an International Thriller Award winner, and an Edgar Award nominee. Elle's debut novel for adults, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, kicked off a witty, fast-paced contemporary mystery series, which was a People magazine pick and was named one of New York Public Library's Best Books of 2021. In addition to writing novels for teens and adults, her essays have appeared in HuffPost and Time. Cosimano lives with her husband and two sons in Virginia.
