Step into the world of femme fatales and sharp-witted sleuths with this Amazing Book Challenge category: Dame Detectives. From amateur detectives to real-life spies, these stories follow fierce female detectives as they navigate the world of crime with brains, grit, and style.
To see the full list of recommendations and the other categories in the 2025 Amazing Book Challenge, visit www.naperville-lib.org/ABC.
“The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club. When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?
“Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse. Q. Sutanto
Vera Wong, a sharp and lonely tea shop owner in San Francisco’s Chinatown, finds a dead man in her shop clutching a flash drive. After calling the cops, she secretly keeps the drive, determined to solve the case herself. As she watches her customers closely, Vera forms unexpected friendships, but one of them might be the killer.
“The Bangalore Detectives Club” by Harini Nagendra
When clever Kaveri moves to Bangalore to marry Dr. Ramu, she expects a quiet life until a party ends in murder. Spotting a suspicious guest, Kaveri launches a private investigation to save a vulnerable woman linked to the crime. Using her sharp mind, math skills and her husband’s medical expertise, she uncovers danger and intrigue in Bangalore’s darkest corners.
“Dead Dead Girls” by Nekesa Afia
Set in Harlem 1926, debut author Nekesa Afia’s historical mystery follows Louise Lloyd, a young woman haunted by her past. When a girl is found dead outside her café, Louise is forced to investigate a string of murders or face jail. As she digs deeper, she confronts a deadly mastermind threatening more lives, including hers.
“The Widow Spy” by Megan Campisi
From the author of “Sin Eater” comes a gripping novel based on the true story of Kate Warner, the first female Pinkerton detective. In 1863, Kate’s mission to end the Civil War hinges on gaining the trust of Confederate spy Rose Greenhow. But with deep political divides and personal secrets, including a forbidden love, Kate must decide which boundaries to cross before time runs out.
“The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith
Fans love “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” series, starring Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s top lady detective. In the first novel, Precious starts her detective agency in Gaborone, taking on cases from missing spouses to con artists. Her most personal and dangerous case is finding an eleven-year-old boy possibly kidnapped by witchdoctors.
Ashlee Conour is the marketing specialist at Naperville Public Library.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/22/naperville-library-challenge-books-detectives/
