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Novels are full of cliches–it’s the place where lazy writers go. Female protags aren’t exempt. Here’s my take on the top 10 female cliches in the mystery genre.

1. Men can be hard guy PI’s and be drunks or recovering drunks but, just like in society, women aren’t allowed

2. Attractive women are manipulative and not to be trusted

3. They are also either sluts or totally out of reach sexually.

4. All are obsessed with shoes and fashion

5. They love to get together with friends–usually three others–and eat at a fern bar type restaurant

6. They are fixated on their dads

7. Their relationships are never happy and its either because the men they date are assholes or because the woman just can’t give of herself fully

8. They don’t have children

9. They can beat men up

10. They have male authority figures in their liveswhoa re unreasonable.