List of Female Detective Characters - M

M

• Marti MacAllister is an Illinois police detective in a series of books by Eleanor Taylor Bland (debuted 1992).
• Rory Mackenzie is an attorney who returns to her hometown of Ransom River, California, and finds herself in hostage drama in a thriller by Meg Gardiner, who also writes two series featuring Jo Beckett, and Evan Delaney.
• Catherine Macleod is an investigative reporter in the western United States in a series debuted 2008 by Margaret Coel.
• Rhona MacLeod is a forensic scientist in a series of books by Scottish crime novelist Lin Anderson (debuted 2003).
• Claire McCarron is a private investigator in New York in the 1987 CBS television series Leg Work.
• D.D. McCall is an L.A. police detective and partner of the title character, played by Stephanie Kramer from 1985-1991 on the NBC series Hunter.
• Sophie Mae is a crafty woman in a cozy series by Cricket McRae, debuted 2004.
• Maddie Magellan is a pushy and impatient reporter and crime writer who starts investigations which magician Jonathon Creek resolves, in the BBC series Jonathon Creek, 1997-2009. Maddie is played by Caroline Quentin.
• Gianna Maglione is a lesbian police detective in charge of a Washington D.C. hate crimes unit in a series by Penny Mickelbury commenced 1994.
• Maggie Maguire leaves Pinkerton's to establish her own agency, in three novels set in 1870's San Francisco by Kate Bryan.
• Lady Harriet Makepeace is policewoman in an elite unit, working with a male partner from a very different background, in the British television series Dempsey & Makepeace, aired 1984-86.
• Mallory is a police sergeant with a dark past in New York City in a series of books by novelist Carol O'Connell (debuted 1994).
• Kim & Jill Malone are identical twins and amateur sleuths from The Kim & Jill Malone Mysteries.
• Ivy Malone finds that as an older woman she is invisible and uses this to advantage in sleuthing, in a series debuted 2004 by Lorena McCourtney.
• Munch Mancini is an auto mechanic and amateur sleuth with a dark past in Los Angeles, California in a series of books by deceased novelist Barbara Seranella (1956–2007) (debuted 1997).
• Aurelia Marcella is an innkeeper in Roman Britain who solves mysteries in books by Jane Finnis.
• Poppy Markham is a culinary cop (i.e. health and safety inspector) from a family of restauranteurs, in a series commenced 2011 by Robin Allen.
• Jane Marple is an elderly amateur investigator in a dozen books by English crime novelist Agatha Christie (debuted 1930). Played by Margaret Rutherford in Murder, She Said (1961), Murder at the Gallop (1963), Murder Most Foul (1964), and Murder Ahoy! (1964); by Angela Lansbury in The Mirror Crack'd (1980); by Ita Ever in A Pocket Full of Rye (1983); and by Helen Hayes in A Caribbean Mystery (1983) and Murder with Mirrors (1984). Played by Joan Hickson on the 1984-1992 BBC One series Miss Marple.
• Veronica Mars is a teenage amateur detective played by Kristen Bell on the 2004-2007 UPN/CW series Veronica Mars.
• Cat Marsala is a freelance investigative reporter in Chicago in a series by Barbara D'Amato commenced 1990.
• Lizzy Martin is a doctor's daughter in Victorian England who becomes a lady's companion after her father dies with large debts. She investigates crimes with the help of policeman Ben Ross, in a series commenced 2006 by Ann Granger.
• Pepper Martin is a cemetery tour guide in a book series debuted 2006 by Casey Daniels.
• Rina Martin is a former actress, who played a PI on television, in a series by Jane Adams, debuted 2007.
• Saz Martin is a private investigator who starts her business with government funding for the unemployed, in a series started 1994 by Stella Duffy.
• Kate Martinelli is a police officer in San Francisco, California in a series of books by American crime novelist Laurie R King (debuted 1993).
• Sister Mary Helen is an elderly crime solving nun in San Francisco, debuted 1984 in a series by Sister Carol Anne O'Marie (1933–2009), a nun in the order of St Joseph of Carondelet.
• Daphne Matthews is a forensic psychologist in a series of books by American suspense novelist Ridley Pearson (debuted 1988).
• Cassie Mayweather is a homicide detective played by Sandra Bullock in 2002 film Murder by Numbers.
• Blue McCarron is a reclusive lesbian social psychologist appearing in two novels by Abigail Padgett, who also writes a series featuring Bo Bradley.
• Jessica McCay is a detective played by Simone McAullay on the 2008 Nine Network series The Strip.
• Sharon McCone is a California private detective in a series of books by American crime novelist Marcia Muller (debuted 1977).
• Ali McCormack was the police sgt in charge of the Cold Squad in the Canadian TV series of that name.
• Sunny McCoskey is a chef and owner of an organic restaurant in the Napa Valley in a culinary mystery series commenced 2002 by Nadia Gordon.
• Connie McDowell is a New York City detective played by Charlotte Ross on the ABC series NYPD Blue from 1998 to 2004.
• Theresa McLean is a forensic scientist in a series set in Cleveland, commenced 2004 by Lisa Black.
• Sally McMillan solved crimes with husband police commissioner 'Stewart McMillan' in the TV series McMillan and Wife which starred Rock Hudson and Susan St James and aired 1971-1977.
• Maxine McNab is a widow in her 60s, travelling in her Winnebago with her miniature dachsund, Stretch, in books by Sue Henry.
• Elizabeth McPherson is a detective in a series of books by American crime novelist Sharyn McCrumb (debuted 1984).
• Stoner McTavish is a lesbian travel agent in Boston, Massachusetts in books 1985-1997 by Sarah Dreher (1937–2012).
• Meaux, Abbess of solves crimes in medieval England in novels by Priscilla Royal commenced 2008 with Hangman Blind.
• Patricia "Paddy" Meedhan is Glaswegian journalist and investigator in a series of books by Scottish crime novelist Denise Mina (debuted 2005).
• Brenda Midnight is a milliner in Greenwich Village, New York City, in a cosy series begun 1997 by Barbara Jaye Wilson.
• Carlotta Milburn is a Long Island socialite who, with her husband Tony, must solve a mystery which happened the night before in a wild party, in a mystery comedy film of 1935, Remember Last Night? featuring Constance Cummings.
• Kinsey Millhone is a private investigator and former policewoman Santa Teresa, California in the "alphabet mystery" series of books by American crime novelist Sue Grafton (debuted 1982).
• Tess Monaghan is a private investigator and former journalist in Baltimore in a series of books by American journalist and crime novelist Laura Lippman (debuted 1997).
• Lucie Montgomery is a vigneron in a wine country series debuted 2007 by Ellen Crosby.
• Lindsay Monroeis a New York City detective and crime scene investigator played by Anna Belknapin the CBSseries "CSI:New York"from 2005to present.
• Victoria Moretti is deputy sheriff to Walt Longmire, a sheriff in Wyoming, in a book series commenced 2004 by Craig Johnson and in the subsequent TV series, in which she is played by Katee Sackhoff.
• Debra Morgan is a police detective in the Dexter series of books by American crime novelist "Jeff Lindsay" (debuted 2004); played by Jennifer Carpenter on the 2006-present Showtime series Dexter.
• Nora Mulcahaney is a police detective in books by Lillian O'Donnell, appearing in 17 books beginning in 1972.
• Kate Mulcay is a reporter in Atlanta, Georgia in books by reporter Celestine Sibley. Kate first appeared in 1958 in The Malignant Heart, as Katy Kincaid, along with her future husband, policeman Lieutenant Mulcay. Her character returned to solve mysteries in five books published 1991 to 1997.
• Alex Munday is a private detective played by Lucy Liu in the 2000 film Charlie's Angels and its 2003 sequel Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.
• Jill Munroe is a private detective played by Farrah Fawcett on the ABC series Charlie's Angels from 1976 to 1977.
• Kris Munroe is a private detective played by Cheryl Ladd on the ABC series Charlie's Angels from 1977 to 1981.
• Laura Murphy is a New York City detective played by Bonnie Somerville on the ABC series NYPD Blue from 2004 to 2005.
• Molly Murphy is a private detective in 19th century New York City in a series of books by English crime novelist "Rhys Bowen" (debuted in 2001).
• Ruby Murphy is a museum worker and accidental investigator in a series of books by American poet and crime novelist Maggie Estep (debuted in 2003).