Crime as a genre is so popular and I have never quite understood why. I just saw Longlegs at the cinema and I could really see the Silence of the Lambs -> X-Files -> Longlegs pipeline with the main female character. I enjoyed all three of those films/series and I think that is exactly the reason why – a great female character as the lead (yes yes Mulder is there too). It made me realise that oh, sometimes I do like crime, as long as it's not male-dominated and feels more unique compared to the average entry in the genre – e.g. supernatural elements.
I have read very few crime books, I think mostly because I don't enjoy some of the typical hallmarks of the genre (brooding male detective, gratuitous violence against women, etc.) whereas with other genres like fantasy I love the typical features (dragons, magic, etc.).
I think the most recent one I read was Stephen King's The Outsider, which starts off as a typical crime novel and gradually switches genre. The last crime TV show I enjoyed was Mare of Easttown (she broods but manages to hold her life and family relationships together all the same!). I do enjoy watching a bit of Poirot but that's mostly because I like him as a character, I don't generally like anything so focused on the plot.
[TLDR] So in summary I guess I'm looking for books that:
-have a main female character
-either aren't pure crime or have features that aren't usually found in your standard crime novel, e.g. the supernatural
-don't focus so much on the plot to the detriment of the characters (I know some people love putting together all the clues and solving the crime before the conclusion, but that's not my jam, I prefer great characters).
Thanks in advance.
by WildRootBear