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Original poster

To seek a certain book…

34 replies

TheBeaTgoeson1 · 30/12/2025 18:31

Can anyone help. I’m looking for good books which fit the following criteria:

Female protagonist who doesn’t have kids and is ideally 40+ Happily childfeee, this doesn’t need to be mentioned in so many words but not someone who ‘settles down’ at the end of the book and has kids!

I love thrillers but any genre is okay, and any period.

Please help!

OP posts:
PenCreed · 30/12/2025 18:56

If you like fantasy then T Kingfisher - her female characters are usually over 30 at least and don’t have perfect families at the end.

CremeEggsForBreakfast · 30/12/2025 18:48

If you don't mind the childless female not being human then Travis Baldree's Legends and Lattes is fab. I mean, she does "settle down" but not into having children.

AgnesX · 30/12/2025 18:46

AphroditesSeashell · 30/12/2025 18:45

The Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich are good; crime books with humour.

For something along the same lines but a little bit more chilled are the Agatha Raisin books. I started reading them in my 20s and always enjoyed them. Easy to read a novel in an evening or two.

There are some romance-adjacent story lines in both of the aforementioned series, but the female leads are generally single, childless and happy.

They're hysterical and I just love Grandma Mazur.

AgnesX · 30/12/2025 18:45

Sara Paretski's VI Warshawski books, set in Chicago. Great reads.

AphroditesSeashell · 30/12/2025 18:45

The Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich are good; crime books with humour.

For something along the same lines but a little bit more chilled are the Agatha Raisin books. I started reading them in my 20s and always enjoyed them. Easy to read a novel in an evening or two.

There are some romance-adjacent story lines in both of the aforementioned series, but the female leads are generally single, childless and happy.

Stuporwoman · 30/12/2025 18:44

I recently enjoyed Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner. Protagonist is prob mid thirties and an undercover agent who infiltrates eco activists

damemaggiescurledupperlip · 30/12/2025 18:42

Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone books - 25 of them.

Original poster
TheBeaTgoeson1 · 30/12/2025 18:42

Thank you! Do you recommend any title?

OP posts:
LauritaEvita · 30/12/2025 18:40

Jane Fallon books are good fun and the leads don’t usually have the goal of settling down that lots of chick lit seems to focus on.