I've been on a mystery series jag for the last little while, and I need suggestions.
I've loved Robert B. Parker's "Spenser" books for decades now, and he continues to be one of the few authors I buy in hardback. Same with Gregory McDonald's "Fletch," "Flynn," and "Skylar" series. Earlier this year I started reading Joe Lansdale's stuff and loved it. I worked through Janet Evanovich's mysteries with great delight (although her romances bored me to tears) and I've just started reading Robert Crais's "Elvis Cole" books.
The main thread that runs through these, besides tasty writing, is humor. I like wiseass detectives. Intrique and misdirection and innovative crime are all well and good, but give me a cop with a fast one-liner and I'm happy.
So which ones am I missing? What authors should I be paying attention to? I haven't read much Westlake yet, is it worth it? What about Lawrence Block? Suggestions?
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Tony Hillerman: Native American mysteries set on the Navaho Reservation.
The Sister Fidelma Series, by Peter Tremayne: set in ancient Ireland, in an early Christian era.
The Eight The Magic Circle, by Katherine Neville: These books are classified as fiction, but I think of them as history mysteries, my favorite kind.
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
Have you read anything by James Lee Burke? He's written a pretty long series (13 novels so far) about a man named Dave Robicheaux, who's a detective in Louisiana. Robicheaux is pretty intense, and prone to fits of violence.
The writing has a fair bit of humor, though it's of a darker nature. Dave's old partner, Clete Purcell, is more of the wiseass variety, and he makes a lot of appearances.
So yeah, I would definitely recommend Burke.
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
Well, I don't know about zippy one-liners, but here is a list of mystery writers I enjoy:
Faye Kellerman
Jonathan Kellerman (yes, they are husband and wife; for my money, she's a better writer than he is, but they're both pretty good).
Kathy Reichs
Stephen White
And two authors who are no longer with us, but whose books are worth it, IMO:
John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee books - a bit sexist by current standards, but still a series I really like.
Josephine Tey's Alan Grant novels - "Daughter of Time" is the best-known of these.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Thanks! I really appreciate the suggestions. But...
I was hoping for a little more than the author's names. I can get that by browsing the shelves or skimming through Amazon.
(By the way - if Amazon ever develops a search page that displays not only the book you were looking for, but the spines to the books that would appear around it on a bookshelf, then I'll stop going to bookstores. Until then it can't match the serendipity of a book catching my eye from across the aisle. Sorry, guys.)
Why are the authors good? What do you like about them? I strongly prefer humor, as stated, so I'd prefer recommendations along those lines. With few exceptions, mysteries and thrillers without at least a bit of humor, dark or otherwise, leave me cold. For example: I've read a few of Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder books and wasn't interested, but I suspect I might like his Burglar books. I just now bought the first one from Fictionwise to see.
I guess what I'm looking for is "If you like so-and-so, you'll love these..." You've seen what I like, can you tip me to what I'm missing?
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
How would you like to help me plow through the community needs assessments I am currently reviewing?
Those can be pretty darn mysterious - especially when competing agencies are writing about the same region . . .
Posted by JonnyNotSoBravo (Member # 5715) on :
Hmmm. Not so sure if I could tell you about a series. I know that one of my favorite Mysteries was The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It was suspenseful, and I thought I knew who did it, but I was wrong and it all came together in the end. Some of Agatha Christie's stuff sucks, but this book is definitely among her premiere works. Don't ignore this book simply because the author's been so widely read.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
If you haven't read Ellery Queen's books, you must.
All of them. Including the anthologies.
When I'm done (it's a project I've been working on for years), I'll let you know which is my favorite. So far, I think it's The Finishing Stroke.
quote: Faye Kellerman
Jonathan Kellerman (yes, they are husband and wife; for my money, she's a better writer than he is, but they're both pretty good).
Agreed. In fact, at this point I mostly read hers, unless my dad particularly enthuses about one of his. And if you like Faye Kellerman's books, you should try Rochelle Krich.
Posted by Javert (Member # 3076) on :
I really like Stephen Saylor and his Roma Sub Rosa series.
Each of the books, the first one called Roman Blood, features the detective Gordianus the Finder.
He is definitely a wiseass detective, at least in ancient Roman terms. In the first book it's revealed that the occupation of "finding" is seen as very low and unsavoury job. So Gordianus often has to use his surperior wit against the uppity citizens he's forced to talk to.
I also really like how historically accurate the world in which Gordianus lives is. And while the details of whatever mystery Gordianus is investigating has been thought up by the author, it all seems realistic and quite possible.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Have you ever read David Brin's Kiln People? It's a brilliantly written, very funny, very interesting SF detective story, and is, in my opinion, the best thing Brin has written.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
John Sandford's Prey books are good, although not typical private eye stories (he's a cop).
Some of them are more typical mysteries where you know the killer is part of a group of people but don't know which one, and some are ones where you know who the killer is from the start. The first lets you try to figure it out, the second lets you groan as the detective misses a vital clue.
The stories are good; his characterizations are what makes the books great.
Dagonee P.S., You need to read them in order.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
I liked Kiln People but it's not his best - I still love The Uplift War
Not a mystery reader, normally, sorry.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Really Belle? The Uplift series bugged me quite a bit--the characters felt really flimsy to me. That was years ago, though, so I'll give them a second chance
::adds Uplift series to his incredibly long list::
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
The Uplift War is the only one I like - Startide Rising I can take or leave. The new Uplift series I never managed to get into.
I think it's because he manages to have so many plot threads running at one time - the resistance in the city, the Galactics and their politics, the guerillas (heh) in the mountains, the Thennanin and the Tymbrimi's practical joke, and you never feel like he's neglected one thread for the other.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Interesting. I'll definitely give it another chance.
I assume you've read Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, right Belle? If you haven't, and are looking for an author who is capable of successfully juggling myriad plotlines, you'll definitely want to read them. I expect I'm preaching to the choir, of course, but I can't remember for sure, so I thought I'd recommend it.
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
Rivka - thanks for the recommendation. I followed the link, and I'll be off to the library this afternoon to see if I can find some of Richelle Krich's books. They look like I'd like them a lot.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Noemon - preaching to the choir indeed. I re-read them about a month ago.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Cool, lma. Let me know what you think.
And the bonus part of me finding the page to link to was discovering I missed a couple new ones. I know what I'm looking for next time I make it to the library! Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
I like John Madox Roberts's SPQR books -- mysteries about ancient Rome -- I actually prefer them to Steven Saylor's, I think the SPQR books are better written (funnier, better characters, better descriptions of Rome, etc.) But for some reason Saylor's books get more attention...
I really liked the Anita Blake series. They are by Laurell K hamilton, and they are mysterys combigned with horror and fantasy (modern fantasy).
I know what you are probably thinking....the same thing I thought the first time I picked one up. I thought that every attempt at combigning genres was doomed because I had never read a good one. And I have only liked one modern fantasy novel...or maybe two, now that I remember Charles De Lint.
That changed from the moment I began reading. After the first two chapters it really picked up, and now I own all of them (so far). I like the stories, and Anita Blake is a real smarta**....funny and tough.
They are pretty racy too, so if you aren't into that type of book then forget I said anything.
Kwea
[ July 28, 2004, 11:58 PM: Message edited by: Kwea ]
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
You may have read it, but I really enjoyed And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. An easy read, but mysterious none the less.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
I read and liked the first couple of Laurell K Hamilton's stuff, but the last couple of books and the entire Merry Gentry series read like soft-core porn.
Which, to be fair, I do enjoy porn - but if that's what I wanted, I'd go buy a Playboy magazine.
Although she ha spawned a number of imitators which are pretty good - albeit not quite in the mystery category.
-Trevor
Posted by fil (Member # 5079) on :
Anyone read Anne Perry's books? I just re-watched "Heavenly Creatures" and looked up a bit about her. Apparently, she is quite the prolific mystery writer, doing 2 a year. Having been a part of a murder, I guess one gets an interesting perspective of things. Are her books as good as the reviews make them sound? I like the Victorian era mysteries, thanks of course to Holmes and Watson. I like the books by Phillip Pullman set in this era, the "Tiger in the Well" and so on. Very good stuff. Those Roman books sound great, too. Were there really "finders" or is that a bit of poetic license?
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I re-read them about a month ago.
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