Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Comic-Con 2022: Stars strike a pose in EW's photo studio

      Comic-Con 2022: Stars strike a pose in EW's photo studio

      From the casts of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  and The Walking Dead  to Chris Pine and Regé Jean-Page, see who dropped by EW's Comic-Con headquarters at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. Read More
    • Power players: Inside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

      Power players: Inside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

      Go behind the scenes of Amazon Prime Video’s ambitious fantasy epic, which hopes to introduce J.R.R. Tolkien to a new generation. Read More
    • Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson

      Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson

      Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be more to learn about the high-profile defamation trial, more than 6,000 pages of court docs were released over the weekend. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Gallery
  3. 15 Smartest, Sexiest Crime-fighters of '09: the Women

15 Smartest, Sexiest Crime-fighters of '09: the Women

Here are our picks of the gals who packed the most heat (figuratively, and often literally) in law-enforcer roles during the past year, from an ''NCIS'' butt-kicker to a ''Law & Order'' A.D.A. See the list, then vote for your fave!
By EW Staff Updated September 02, 2009 at 09:10 PM EDT
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MARISKA HARGITAY Olivia Benson, Law & Order: SVU

Mariska Hargitay
Credit: Jack Guy/Corbis Outline

We're not entirely sure if your average New York City police detective can afford the stylish designer suits that Hargitay's flinty character regularly rocks on NBC's long-running procedural, but she looks so darn scorching in 'em that we're more than willing to suspend our disbelief.

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

EMILY PROCTER Calleigh Duquesne, CSI: Miami

Emily Procter
Credit: John Russo/Corbis Outline

Is it the silky blonde hair? Or the killer Southern accent? Or maybe it's Calleigh's encyclopedic knowledge of firearms? Whatever the reason, Procter's undeniable sex appeal manages to shine through — even when the writing on CBS' sun-soaked CSI franchise veers toward the ridiculous.

2 of 15

3 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MARG HELGENBERGER Catherine Willows, CSI

Marg Helgenberger | From her sly smile all the way to her never-ending gams, it's not hard to see how Helgenberger's veteran crime-solver (and certified hot mama) once…
Credit: Andrew Southam/Icon International

From her sly smile all the way to her never-ending gams, it's not hard to see how Helgenberger's veteran crime-solver (and certified hot mama) once made a living as a Vegas showgirl.

3 of 15

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

EVA LA RUE Natalia Boa Vista, CSI: Miami

Eva LaRue Callahan | Since joining Team Horatio on CBS' high-rated procedural, La Rue has done more for lab coats than the Food Network has done for gourmet home…
Credit: Russell Baer/Contour by Getty Images

Since joining Team Horatio on CBS' high-rated procedural, La Rue has done more for lab coats than the Food Network has done for gourmet home cooking. (Okay, so that metaphor was wonky as heck, but we got distracted by LaRue's picture. Sue us!)

4 of 15

Advertisement

5 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

REGINA KING Lydia Adams, Southland

Regina King | King's big-hearted, workaholic detective is the emotional center of NBC's gritty, L.A.-set cop drama. And the fact that her gorgeous face can convey a wide…
Credit: Carlo Dalla Chiesa/Corbis Outline

King's big-hearted, workaholic detective is the emotional center of NBC's gritty, L.A.-set cop drama. And the fact that her gorgeous face can convey a wide range of nuanced emotions only makes it that much harder to take our eyes off her.

5 of 15

6 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

ROBIN TUNNEY Teresa Lisbon, The Mentalist

Robin Tunney
Credit: Jim Wright/Icon International

Those moments when Tunney's hard-nosed boss lady cracks a slight, bemused grin over the antics of her crime-solving team's resident genius (Simon Baker's Patrick Jane) just makes her that much more of a stone-cold babe, no matter how frills-free and utilitarian her wardrobe may be.

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

ANNA TORV Olivia Dunham, Fringe

Anna Torv
Credit: Art Streiber/August

Even when her super-serious FBI special agent is investigating the most gruesome and gory of cases, newcomer Torv remains paranormally hot. Or, well, somethin' like that.

7 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

STANA KATIC Kate Beckett, Castle

Stana Katic
Credit: Tyler Shields/tylershields.com

Oh, it's tough to be her... opposite steamy Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace, opposite charmer Nathan Fillion on ABC's Castle, which, we're happy to say, returns this fall for a second season. As an NYPD homicide detective, Katic keeps the mystery alive: She's too smart to swoon for playboy Richard Castle, and yet, she's one of the crime author's biggest fans. We want to see how this story ends.

8 of 15

Advertisement

9 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

AMANDA RIGHETTI Grace Van Pelt, The Mentalist

Amanda Righetti
Credit: Frank W. Ockenfels 3/Corbis Outline

Her wide-eyed newbie may try to project an all-business front to her co-workers, but Righetti's smoldering chemistry with Owain Yeoman's Rigsby is one of the many non-procedural-ish pleasures of CBS' hit freshman mystery series.

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

ALANA DE LA GARZA Connie Rubirosa, Law & Order

Alana De La Garza | Sure, her whip-smart A.D.A. Rubirosa puts perps away with the frequency of Ryan Seacrest updating his Twitter page, but think of it this way: If…
Credit: Michael Tammaro/Retna Ltd./Corbis

Sure, her whip-smart A.D.A. Rubirosa puts perps away with the frequency of Ryan Seacrest updating his Twitter page, but think of it this way: If you had to choose one woman to gaze upon before getting sent to the clink, wouldn't De La Garza rank near the top of the list?

10 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MONICA RAYMUND Ria Torres, Lie to Me

Monica Raymund
Credit: Geoff Moore/geoffmoorestudio.com

To be honest, we never stuck around after Idol to catch Fox's solving-crime-through-facial-tics drama, but if the rest of the cast is as fetching as Raymund, we might have to rethink that strategy when new episodes start airing this fall.

11 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

ROSELYN SANCHEZ Elena Delgado, Without a Trace

Roselyn Sanchez
Credit: Ben Watts/Corbis Outline

Yes, Without a Trace is disappearing from CBS' primetime lineup, but don't lose hope: Sanchez's curvaceous agent (and her steamy dalliances with Enrique Murciano's Danny) will live on in cable reruns.

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

13 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

JENNIFER CARPENTER Debra Morgan, Dexter

Jennifer Carpenter | JENNIFER CARPENTER Debra Morgan, Dexter Okay, so her brother is a serial killer. And so was her ex-boyfriend. And she's a little bit emotionally unstable.…
Credit: Jeff Vespa/Contour by Getty Images

Okay, so her brother is a serial killer. And so was her ex-boyfriend. And she's a little bit emotionally unstable. Does that make Carpenter's Miami police detective any less of a smokin' hottie?

13 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

14 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MARY MCCORMACK Mary Shannon, In Plain Sight

Mary McCormack | McCormack's U.S. Marshall is as tough as she is intelligent. And how can you not love a woman who can use her brains or her…
Credit: Michael Muller/USA

McCormack's U.S. Marshall is as tough as she is intelligent. And how can you not love a woman who can use her brains or her fists to knock you out cold?

14 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

15 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

COTE DE PABLO Mossad Liaison Ziva David, NCIS

Cote de Pablo | There's nothing sexier than a woman who could kick your ass, and Ziva David is always up for it. That's also what makes her vulnerable…
Credit: Art Streiber/CBS

There's nothing sexier than a woman who could kick your ass, and Ziva David is always up for it. That's also what makes her vulnerable moments, which de Pablo played so well in season six's final episodes, so beautiful.

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By EW Staff

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 15 MARISKA HARGITAY Olivia Benson, Law & Order: SVU
    2 of 15 EMILY PROCTER Calleigh Duquesne, CSI: Miami
    3 of 15 MARG HELGENBERGER Catherine Willows, CSI
    4 of 15 EVA LA RUE Natalia Boa Vista, CSI: Miami
    5 of 15 REGINA KING Lydia Adams, Southland
    6 of 15 ROBIN TUNNEY Teresa Lisbon, The Mentalist
    7 of 15 ANNA TORV Olivia Dunham, Fringe
    8 of 15 STANA KATIC Kate Beckett, Castle
    9 of 15 AMANDA RIGHETTI Grace Van Pelt, The Mentalist
    10 of 15 ALANA DE LA GARZA Connie Rubirosa, Law & Order
    11 of 15 MONICA RAYMUND Ria Torres, Lie to Me
    12 of 15 ROSELYN SANCHEZ Elena Delgado, Without a Trace
    13 of 15 JENNIFER CARPENTER Debra Morgan, Dexter
    14 of 15 MARY MCCORMACK Mary Shannon, In Plain Sight
    15 of 15 COTE DE PABLO Mossad Liaison Ziva David, NCIS

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    15 Smartest, Sexiest Crime-fighters of '09: the Women
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.