In honor of Women's History Month, I've compiled a list of female authors I admire and some of their best books. Most aren't mysteries, but I hope you enjoy each and every one.
Siri Hustvedt
What I Loved, The Enchantment of Lily Dahl. I rarely give five stars on Goodreads, but What I Loved earned every one.
P.D. Workman
Her Zachary Goldman books, following a private investigator who's struggling with his mental demons, is excellent. Workman is a prolific author with several other series as well, including a medical thriller series.
Michelle Damiani
You may have seen the 5-star reviews I gave to her Umbrian dramatic novels, Santa Lucia and The Silent Madonna. I loved the magic and light themes in both books. Now, Damiani has released her third book in the series, The Stillness of Swallows. Like the first two, it's part mystery, part romance, part travel novel—and all delightful. Damiani writes about Italy, too, which has been hit especially hard in the last few weeks.
N.K. Jemisin
The Fifth Season. I just discovered this one—I don't read a lot of science fiction, but I'm glad a friend recommended it. If everything she writes is as good as the first half of The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin will officially make my list of favorite authors.
Jenny Lawson
This month has been epically challenging for many of my friends who suffer from anxiety and despression, and Lawson's excellent TED talk is a taste of what you'll get in the hilarious and deeply moving Furiously Happy.