FEMALE CRIME FIGHTERS
International Women’s Day was this week on March 8th. It seems appropriate, therefore, to focus on women in this post. In the olden days, TV detectives and police officers were pretty much always white men. It’s gratifying and fun to see women—brown, white, Indian, and Irish—as the lead characters in recent crime series. Here are three series, all of which happen to be set outside the U.S., where women are in charge or at least trying to be.
Murders in Birmingham
DI Ray (Prime Video)
DI Richita Ray is a newly promoted homicide detective tasked to work on a case that is culturally sensitive. Feeling that she is a token hire based on her ethnicity, she faces obstacles from her higher ups as she leads her team in investigating the death of an Asian businessman. Ray is organized and quick-witted and the episodes are full of action. She’s also engaged to a white man, also a police detective. Her relationship with him provides both support and then challenges. There are four episodes in Season 1, all revolving around the initial case. I’d call it good viewing, but not exceptional.
Drugs & Terrorists in Ireland
Hidden Assets (Prime Video)
Set in western Ireland and Antwerp, Hidden Assets, is a suspenseful series about drugs, diamonds, and international terrorism. Detective Sergeant Emer Berry and her counterpart in Antwerp, Christian De Jong, work together to solve the murder of an illegal immigrant and to prevent a suspected bombing, both related to a wealthy Irish family. Tightly written, this may keep you on the edge of your seat. Recommended!
Crime in Victorian London
Miss Scarlet & the Duke (PBS Masterpiece) 3 seasons
I’m late to the game of Miss Scarlet …and have just started watching Season 1. Headstrong and willing to take risks, Eliza Scarlet was always her private detective father’s apt pupil. When he dies, she defies convention and tries to make it on her own as his successor. It’s a struggle and she frequently buts heads with Scotland Yard Inspector William Wellington (the Duke) who has little patience and no real interest in helping her succeed. How she acquires unexpected financial support and gradually gains the Duke’s respect make for an engaging series thus far.
FUN READING—A REBELLIOUS WOMAN
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Bonnie Garmus’ comic novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was Barnes & Noble’s book of the year for 2022 and continues to ride high on bestseller lists. I loved it and found some of it laugh-out-loud funny which is unusual for me.
It’s set mostly in the early 1960’s. Any woman who lived through that period, or anyone who has experienced job discrimination due to her gender, will be able to identify with chemist Elizabeth Zott. Elizabeth is unconventional and determined.
A talented scientist, she gets short shrift on lab equipment and space and initially accepts her fate. Taking beakers from “boy wonder” Calvin Evans’ lab, gets her noticed and they become a couple. But she rejects his proposal of marriage. When he dies, she is a single mother and soon out of job.
Her daughter Madeline is unusual also and when Mad and another girl tangle, Elizabeth receives a TV job offer from the other girl’s father. Elizabeth becomes the host of the cooking show, Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s straight talk and excessive candor horrify the producers, but over time she wins over her audience as she treats them as capable women. The novel is a fun tour de force that gallops across the pages with witty twists and intriguing turns and a distinctive cast of characters. Highly recommended! (~JWFarrington)
Note: Header photo showcases International Women’s Day and is courtesy of Diario AS.
