Queens of CRIME

Watch out – it's women on the case in the cool new crop of TV detective dramas

- SHARON WRIGHT

Crime and thrillers top the audiobook charts for women aged 34 to 84, according to Nielsen BookData, so it's no surprise that there's an insatiable appetite for gripping TV dramas too. But what's the appeal of all this murder and mayhem? Author Araminta Hall, whose book Imperfect Women is being filmed for a major new drama on Apple TV+ next year, says the answer lies in the female psyche. 'We live with this constant awareness that we could be the victim of violence,' she explains. 'Most women are fascinated by crime because we fear it so much.' And, of course, we like seeing lowlifes get their comeuppance.

The latest TV has moved beyond cosy crime, also encompassing Scandi noir, gritty shows and themes such as misogyny, gender identity and the paranormal. That said, some classics are still going strong – Silent Witness, starring Emilia Fox, is on series 28! Here, we meet the no-nonsense queens of prime-time crime.

Rose Ayling-Ellis

In Code of Silence on ITV1, Rose plays Alison, a deaf woman who has honed her lip-reading skills while working in a police canteen. When her ability to follow private conversations is noticed by detectives, she is recruited to help in a covert operation to foil a high-stakes heist. Things become even more risky when she’s drawn to one of the gang members. Rose, who has been deaf since birth, says, ‘Everyone is underestimating her ability and what she's capable of doing. She's ona mission to prove them all wrong.’

KILLER DETAIL Rose also appears in crossword-solving mystery series Ludwig.

Siobhan Finneran & Katherine Kelly