Certainly it was true a few years ago when there were only two types of mysteries. The hard-boiled, womanizing, PI works such as Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer series, where all women were called "doll" or "babe" and referred to as broads. The others were the British cozies, the Agatha Christie Miss Marple types. And with the exception of Agatha Christie and Daphne DuMaurier, most mysteries were written by men.
Now the majority mystery authors are women and the majority of mystery readers are women. The variety of subjects is limited only by the author's personal experience. For example, Elizabeth Peters (a pseudenym for Barbara Mertz) writes three series. One features Amelia Peabody, a British woman who is an Egyptian archeologist. She is a true woman of the nineties (however, her ninties are the 1890's). Elizabeth Peters has a PhD in Egyptology and so it only stands to reason that her subject area would be Egyptology. She has branched in a few other subjects too. Her Vicky Bliss series is set in the present and Vicky works at a museum. Her third character is a librarian. If you enjoy humor in your mysteries, I highly recommend Elizabeth Peters books.
I especially love mysteries with a sense of humor and some laugh out loud moments. Not only Elizabeth Peters books have that sense of humor, but so do Anne George's series which begins with 'Murder on a Girl's Night Out' and those of Kathy Hogan Trocheck, who's sleuth runs a houskeeping service. Elizabeth Daniels Squire writes about a woman, Peaches Dann who is writing her own book, throughout the series, about tricks to help you remember, because she cant't. These are just a few examples of many that are available.
Because there are so many women writing mysteries which encompass their own knowledge and experiences, there are a lot of stay at home, or part time working moms who solve mysteries in their spare time.
And not to leave out the male authors, of which there are many good and current ones who do not write the patronizing womanizing type of years ago. There is one particular series which I truly enjoy. It is the 'A Cat' series by Lydia Adamson (a pseudomyn for Frank King). I also enjoy the Dortmunder series by Donald Westlake. I really enjoy the mysteries of Elliot Roosevelt because his sleuth is his mother, Eleanor, who goes about solving these murders in a no nonsense manner, which is extremely endearing. They also give you a glimpse into the behind the scene goings on in the Roosevelt White House.
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