# Your favorite tough female cop/detectives **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182 "2009-09-23T02:01:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/1 "2009-09-23T02:01:01Z")
I don’t have one favorite, but my top contenders are:[ul][_]Deputy U.S. Marshall Mary Shannon (In Plain Sight)[_]Lieutenant Eve Dallas, NYPSD (J.D. Robb’s _-in Death_ series)[_]Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD (Castle)[_]Detective Carson O’ Connor, NOPD (Dean Koontz’s _Frankensten_ trilogy)And one who isn’t tough at all, but still on my favorites list: Bail Agent Stephanie Plum, of Trenton NJ, (series by Janet Evanovich), the most hilariously amateur bounty hunter on the East Coast.[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/2 "2009-09-23T02:17:49Z")
[quote=“Lumpy, post:1, topic:511182”] [li]And one who isn’t tough at all, but still on my favorites list: Bail Agent Stephanie Plum, of Trenton NJ, (series by Janet Evanovich), the most hilariously amateur bounty hunter on the East Coast.[/list][/li][/QUOTE] Yep, she’s my favorite. I’ll add Faith Yokas, NYPD, from _Third Watch_. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/3 "2009-09-23T02:48:07Z")
DCI Jane Tennison, _Prime Suspect_ ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/4 "2009-09-23T03:06:19Z")
V I Warshovsky, but I might be misspelling the name. Very hard boiled. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/5 "2009-09-23T03:13:33Z")
Gag me and lay me - Cagney and Lacey ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/6 "2009-09-23T03:22:21Z")
Myka from Warehouse 13 makes my list, but the Diva of the genre is Angie Dickinson as “Pepper” in _Police Woman_. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/7 "2009-09-23T03:34:34Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Myka from Warehouse 13 makes my list, but the Diva of the genre is Angie Dickinson as “Pepper” in _Police Woman_. My penis just puked. not semen, actual vomit! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/8 "2009-09-23T03:36:01Z")
Karrin Murphy of the Dresden Files ( novels ). Fisher of Simon Green’s Hawk and Fisher series. Private detective Victoria Nelson of Tanya Huff’s Blood series. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/9 "2009-09-23T03:36:29Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I’ll add Faith Yokas, NYPD, from _Third Watch_. She was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/10 "2009-09-23T03:45:25Z")
> [@Claude\_Remains](#): > > My penis just puked. not semen, actual vomit! OK, you win the prize for Most Bizarre Post I’ve Seen Today. I totally don’t get what you’re saying here…you think Pepper was unattractive? Why? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/11 "2009-09-23T03:49:24Z")
Ziva David(_NCIS_), hands down. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/12 "2009-09-23T03:54:46Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > OK, you win the prize for Most Bizarre Post I’ve Seen Today. I totally don’t get what you’re saying here…you think Pepper was unattractive? Why? In my mind I see Robert Blake with a blonde wig slapped on top. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/13 "2009-09-23T03:58:35Z")
Does Clarice Starling count? If so, she’s my pick. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/14 "2009-09-23T03:58:58Z")
I third Faith Yokas from NYPD Blue. She was my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/15 "2009-09-23T04:01:40Z")
I’m proud to be the first to mention Emma Peel. And don’t forget Honey West. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/16 "2009-09-23T04:03:57Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I’m proud to be the first to mention Emma Peel. When she kicks real high! - Al Bundy. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/17 "2009-09-23T04:12:40Z")
No one can hold a candle to the goddess that is [Lt. Van Buren](http://www.poptower.com/images/db/1559/450/500/law-and-order.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/18 "2009-09-23T05:40:54Z")
> [@Claude\_Remains](#): > > My penis just puked. not semen, actual vomit! I get it. Even by the time of that show she was pretty long in the tooth. She looked like she had plastic surgery, and I don’t even know if plastic surgery was around back then. She also looked like a 50 year old dressing like a 20 year old. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/19 "2009-09-23T07:31:22Z")
Sergeant Angua, Ankh-Morpork Watch. She’d be one if the toughest even if she weren’t a werewolf. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182/20 "2009-09-23T07:46:51Z")
Does Batgirl count? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-tough-female-cop-detectives/511182.md?page=2)