'Til Death: 10 Sleuth Couples

In the history of detective fiction, there have been a number of couples who solved crimes as a team. Perhaps the earliest example comes from Matthias McDonnell Bodkin, who created husband-wife detectives Paul and Dora Beck around the turn of the 20th century. The Becks were first -- but hardly the last. Below you'll find 10 of the most popular power couples in detective fiction.

01 Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, by Agatha Christie (1922)
02 Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man), by Dashiell Hammett (1934)
03 Pam and Jerry North, by Frances and Richard Lockridge (1941)
04 Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, by Anne Perry (1979)
05 Jonathan and Jennifer Hart (Hart to Hart), starring Robert Wagner & Jennifer Powers (1979)
06 Mackenzie Smith and Annabel Reed (Capital Crimes), by Margaret Truman (1980)
07 Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus, by Faye Kellerman (1986)
08 Regan Reilly and husband Jack "no relation" Reilly by Carol Higgins Clark (1992)
09 Jessica Fletcher and Inspector George Sutherland (Murder She Wrote), by Donald Bain (1995)
10 Henry Parker Britland IV and wife Sunday, by Mary Higgins Clark (2003)

Related links:
150+ Mystery Series: 1841-2010
Murderous Beginnings: 40 Detective Fiction Firsts
Retirement is Murder: 10 Senior Sleuths
Still Kicking: 10 More Senior Sleuths
Murder on the Menu: 13 Food Mysteries
10 Senior Sleuths on TV
All Aboard For Murder: 10 Mysteries on Trains
Christmas Can Be Murder: 10 Seasonal Mystery Titles

Amateur sleuth ANNIE PETERSON (Bridal Mayhem Mysteries) by Janice Hanna

Complete list of cozy mysteries starring amateur sleuth Annie Peterson-- a 50-something, scatterbrained, menopausal mother of the bride(s). Written by romantic comedy author Janice Hanna a.k.a. Janice Thompson:

The Wedding Caper (Bridal Mayhem Mysteries #1)

When a $25,000 night deposit mysteriously disappears from the Clark County Savings and Loan, Annie Peterson—mother of the bride—takes on the role of amateur sleuth to solve the mystery...
* Buy for Kindle, PC, Mac, Blackberry, Android, or Apple device
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Gone with the Groom (Bridal Mayhem Mysteries #2)

The best laid plans of brides and men go awry when Annie Peterson’s future son-in-law Scott disappears just two weeks before the big day. Will Annie solve the mystery and recover the missing groom, or will she suffer “regrets only”?
* Buy for Kindle, PC, Mac, Blackberry, Android, or Apple device
* Buy for Nook, iPad, Sony Reader, Kobo, and more

Pushing Up Daisies (Bridal Mayhem Mysteries #3)

When a local wedding florist turns up DOA, mother-of-the-bride, Annie Peterson, is on the case to figure out who took her life.
* Buy for Kindle, PC, Mac, Blackberry, Android, or Apple device
* Buy for Nook, iPad, Sony Reader, Kobo, and more

The Perfect Match (Bridal Mayhem Mysteries #4)

Join Annie Peterson as she follows the clues to discover who set fire to the local dating service, the Perfect Match.
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Catering to Disaster (Bridal Mayhem Mysteries #5)

When the Food & Family Channel comes to Clarksborough to film Janetta’s wedding, everything comes off beautifully—until half the town ends up deathly ill with food poisoning. Coincidence? Or sabotage?
* Buy for Kindle, PC, Mac, Blackberry, Android, or Apple device
* Buy for Nook, iPad, Sony Reader, Kobo, and more

Related links:
5 Questions: Janice Hanna (FamilyFiction)
Spyglass Lane Mysteries (Official Site)
30 Christian Authors Who Write Whodunits (Christian Fiction News)
Whither Goest the Christian Cozy? by guest blogger Ron Benrey (Novel Rocket)
How to write a cozy mystery

More detectives:
JESSICA FLETCHER (Murder She Wrote) by Donald Bain
DR. MARK SLOANE (Diagnosis: Murder) by Lee Goldberg
ADRIAN MONK by Lee Goldberg
FATHER BROWN by G.K. Chesterton
MISS MARPLE by Agatha Christie
NANCY DREW by Carolyn Keene
HAMISH MACBETH by MC Beaton
IVY MALONE by Lorena McCourtney
IVY TOWERS by Nancy Mehl
EARL WALKER (Hometown Mysteries) by Chris Well
150+ Mystery Series: 1841-2010

Updates

These detective series lists have been updated:
HAMISH MACBETH by MC Beaton
ADRIAN MONK by Lee Goldberg
PETER DECKER and RINA LAZARUS by Faye Kellerman
CHIEF INSPECTOR WEXFORD by Ruth Rendell

Related links:
150+ Mystery Series: 1841-2010
Murderous Beginnings: 40 Detective Fiction Firsts