The Vine: February 24, 2016
neilewartrarebooks.co.uk
Would love suggestions on new reading material. I love British mysteries, especially if they are a series.
Think Agatha Christie, PD James, Elizabeth George, Ann Cleeves, Peter Robinson, Val McDermid, etc. etc.
I feel like I have read every decent author out there and am not impressed with the suggestions I get from Amazon. Reading is my favorite pastime and I don’t want to run out of material! And if there is another genre you like, please feel free to suggest it and let me know why you like it. Guess I should broaden my horizons.
Thanks in advance,
Book lover
Dear Lover,
I guess the obvious suggestions are Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey books, and Tana French on the more contemporary side, but if you can let us know in the comments which suggestions specifically you’re not about and why, or mysteries you’ve tried and disliked, that’ll let us be more helpful.
I’d also recommend joining Goodreads, if you haven’t already; its algorithm isn’t always more helpful than Amazon’s, but it’s often more thought-provoking.
Readers?
Tags: Agatha Christie Ann Cleeves Ask The Readers books Dorothy Sayers Elizabeth George PD James Peter Robinson Tana French Val McDermid
Oh, Jasper Fforde’s “Tuesday Next” series, featuring a “literary detective”, are set in an alternate universe where people can enter into and change books. I liked the first book (“The Eyre Affair”) but couldn’t get into the second, but lots of people I know like the whole series.
I don’t know how available they are in the US, but I’d suggest MC Beaton’s books, especially the Agatha Raisin mysteries, and Catroina McPherson’s Dandy Gilver series. Both are charming tea-cozy series.
I really like Deborah Crombie-in a way she reminds me of Elizabeth George. Ann Granger wrote the Meredith and Markby mysteries, which are very enjoyable. I also second the Flavia de Luce mysteries, especially the first couple-Flavia is an awesome character!
I bet this crowd would like Caroline Graham. I recently read “Written in Blood” and enjoyed it very much. Well-written, cozy, witty, good characters.
Reginald Hill, the Dalziel and Pascoe series. Terrific.
I know the OP mentioned anything Victorian on, but as others have delved further into the past, for their sake I’ll second the mention of Margaret Frazer (both Dame Frevisse and Joliffe) and add Mel Starr’s Hugh de Singleton series (so funny). I’ve also read two of Rosemary Rowe’s Roman Britain series (Libertus) and plan to read more.
Modern(ish) Britain: Reginald Hill’s Dalziel and Pascoe series. As a US-ian I am so intrigued by how little I understand of the deep Yorkshire-ism of this series!
I too love Lindsey Davis’ Falco series (just finished the 20th and presumed final–she has now branched out into a series featuring Falco’s adopted daughter, but I haven’t read them yet). I am sort of in mourning that the series is over! But not as much mourning as when I learned that the authors Reginald Hill and Margaret Frazer had died before their series (presumably) were finished.
Also like Leon’s Brunetti series, and if you want to see what Brunetti would be like if he had a little worse luck in the police department and a little more marital trouble, oh, and was in Florence instead of Venice check out Christobel Kent’s Sandro Cellini series (not as much food adoration though).
Other pre-Victorian historical series that I remember enjoying but it’s been a while: Kate Sedley’s Roger the Chapman series, Elizabeth Eyre’s Death of a Duchess series (Italian setting. Why this series stops at #6 I wish I knew!), Candace Robb’s Owen Archer series, Fiona Buckley’s Ursula Blanchard Elizabethan-era series.
Kind of like C.F. Roe’s (relatively) contemporary Scottish doctor whose name I forget, though her marriage is a touch too traditional-sexist for me to be totally comfortable.
The Fandorin mystery series by Russian author Boris Akunin. Based in the 19th century, they blend Russian/Japanese themes. Entertaining, educational, each book like a tub of ice cream that you have to scarf all at once. The first 10 books have been translated into English and I’m eagerly waiting for the next four to be translated.
Akunin also has the Sister Pelagia mystery series (almost all translated) and apparently a ton of other fiction and non-fiction books (not translated). Oh, to be fluent in Russian!
Seconding (or fourthing, whatever) the C.J. Sansom nod, as well as the Tana French and Robert Galbraith praise, and adding in some love for Margot Livesey, whose stuff is sort of more supernatural than whodunit. Also love the Ariana Franklin “Adelia” books (“Grave Goods”, “The Serpent’s Tale”, and “A Murderous Procession”, as well as “Mistress of the Art of Death”, all set in the time of Henry II).
Seconding Ngaio Marsh and Georgette Heyer (though I’ve been looking for the Heyers for a while and can’t find any). Also a vote for Martin Walker’s Bruno, Chief of Police series. It’s set in France but I believe the author is English.
Thirding and fourthing the recommendations of Josephine Tey, Margery Allingham and Adrian McKinty; if any of those are new to you a real treat is in store.
I am also delighted to have a new name to offer you; Jane Casey; and she does have a series, her Detective Maeve Kerrigan series. The setting is a London police detective unit, present day. The writing is soothing and satisfying in exactly the same style as Agatha Christie.
This is a great thread! Definitely check out Goodreads. I am radishcake over there and I have a ton of books on my list. :)