Miss Marple created by Agatha Christie
Miss Marple will always be my favorite mystery protagonist. I first started reading Agatha Christie when I was in college and I read every book featuring Miss Marple right away. Miss Marple is a sweet old lady who knows people. She knows human nature and can relate any crime to something that happened in her village of St. Mary Mead. She is often disregarded by those around who don’t think she is up to solving a mystery. Miss Marple always proves the naysayers wrong.
Lady Georgiana Rannoch created by Rhys Bowen
Lady Georgie is 34th in line to the throne, but that doesn’t mean she’s rich. Her family has lost most of its fortune and she is surviving on her own for the first time. She is innocent and a lady through and through. I look forward to this series every year. I like that Georgie isn’t too professional in her sleuthing. She kind of stumbles onto a solution. Bowen drops her into interesting situations in each book and it’s fun to see how she reacts. The series takes place in 1930s Britain and the time period is so rich and fascinating.
Skye Denison created by Denise Swanson
The Scumble River series is one of the few series I have read nearly in its entirety. I have only missed the second book because I can’t seem to get my hands on it. Skye is a very realistic and relatable protagonist. She is a school psychologist and she uses the skills she’s learned on the job to help in her investigations. I like that Skye isn’t perfect and her personal life can be messy. Her family is also a highlight because the relationships feel so accurate.
Agatha Raisin created by M.C. Beaton
I have only recently started reading the Agatha Raisin series, but I can’t get enough of her. Agatha is successful, older, and prickly. She has good business sense and used to run her own PR Company before selling it and retiring. Now she owns and operates her own detective agency. She cares what people think of her to a point. She also struggles with her relationship with her former neighbor and ex-husband, James Lacey. It’s a nice change to have an older protagonist who isn’t grandmotherly.