a melange of mystery
October 9, 2013 3:30 PM Subscribe
I've just been put in charge of the mystery section at my bookstore. I enjoy reading mystery, but I haven't read a lot of contemporary stuff. What authors/books/series would you suggest to give me a good survey of the past 10 years? And what mysteries can you suggest for my tastes (after the break)?
read and liked: lots of Agatha Christie, Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy, Laurie R. King, all the Dan Brown stuff (don't judge!), Robert Ludlum's Bourne and others, Tana French's "In the Woods," Michael Koryta's "The Prophet", Dan Fesperman's "The Double Game"
already on my to read list: Arthur Conan Doyle, Sophie Hannah, "Gone Girl," Ken Follett
did not like: John Le Carre, Julia Keller
I like psychological thrillers, supernatural twists (I used to work in the sci-fi/fantasy section), unreliable narrators, nonlinear narratives, spies/Cold War stuff (except Le Carre) preferred over murder investigations.
I figure I should read a good mix of acclaimed award winners/classics plus stuff that's just popular and good. Gimme your lists!
read and liked: lots of Agatha Christie, Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy, Laurie R. King, all the Dan Brown stuff (don't judge!), Robert Ludlum's Bourne and others, Tana French's "In the Woods," Michael Koryta's "The Prophet", Dan Fesperman's "The Double Game"
already on my to read list: Arthur Conan Doyle, Sophie Hannah, "Gone Girl," Ken Follett
did not like: John Le Carre, Julia Keller
I like psychological thrillers, supernatural twists (I used to work in the sci-fi/fantasy section), unreliable narrators, nonlinear narratives, spies/Cold War stuff (except Le Carre) preferred over murder investigations.
I figure I should read a good mix of acclaimed award winners/classics plus stuff that's just popular and good. Gimme your lists!
Response by poster: oh, popping in to add that I *LOOOVE* manor mysteries - just watched Gosford Park and I'm obsessed. haven't read anything like that yet, but dearly want to.
posted by wintersonata9 at 3:41 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by wintersonata9 at 3:41 PM on October 9, 2013
Not modern, but you'll want to read Dorothy L. Sayers's Lord Peter mysteries. Often.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 3:52 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 3:52 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't read a ton of the stuff, but I like Dennis Lehane.
Lush Life by Richard Price was good, too.
posted by backwards guitar at 3:53 PM on October 9, 2013
Lush Life by Richard Price was good, too.
posted by backwards guitar at 3:53 PM on October 9, 2013
If you like the strong female characters of King, you might like the Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourne. They're a bit more romancey (I got a Downton Abbey vibe from them - sort of rich people and their problems and the mysterious folks from the other side of the tracks blabla) but have the same rich period feel to them. Also I'd suggest all French's other books, Faithful Place was so gripping and poignant for me. I've also loved Arturo Perez-Reverte's books The Nautical Chart, Queen of the South, Club Dumas and The Flanders Panel. Sort of in the Brown-ish vein (history mysteries)
Katherine Neville has a pair of books--The Fire and The Eight--which look like they're going to be wretched chess mysteries but turn out interesting and have a lot of cool female characters and some supernatural aspects. Have not read her other books.
Other things I like which may or may not strike your fancy: John Dunning has a series of books about a cop-turned-bookseller, the Cliff Janeway series. I also like Archer Mayor's books which are more cop procedural types but they all take place in various recognizeable locations in Vermont. Tess Gerritsen has some weird doctor mysteries ("medical thrillers") that you either like or don't and Greg Iles has some similarly slightly creepy bestsellers.
posted by jessamyn at 3:57 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
Katherine Neville has a pair of books--The Fire and The Eight--which look like they're going to be wretched chess mysteries but turn out interesting and have a lot of cool female characters and some supernatural aspects. Have not read her other books.
Other things I like which may or may not strike your fancy: John Dunning has a series of books about a cop-turned-bookseller, the Cliff Janeway series. I also like Archer Mayor's books which are more cop procedural types but they all take place in various recognizeable locations in Vermont. Tess Gerritsen has some weird doctor mysteries ("medical thrillers") that you either like or don't and Greg Iles has some similarly slightly creepy bestsellers.
posted by jessamyn at 3:57 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
To be knowledgeable about your section, I'd recommend reading descriptions of Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Shamus award winners, plus the 1985 and 2012 Tozai Mystery Best 100 and anything these folks are recommending or reporting as bestsellers. For yourself, I'm less sure--I spend plenty of time looking at crime novel releases but with criteria that would happen to weed out almost anything that agrees with your preferences.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 3:58 PM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Monsieur Caution at 3:58 PM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
If you like manor mysteries, don't miss Kate Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher. A very good story, well told, and true.
posted by Corvid at 4:01 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by Corvid at 4:01 PM on October 9, 2013
Nicci French, and I'd start with some of their first ones (let's say, pre-2007).
posted by Houstonian at 4:05 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by Houstonian at 4:05 PM on October 9, 2013
the boy in the suitcase by a couple of danish authors was very suspenseful.
posted by wildflower at 4:22 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by wildflower at 4:22 PM on October 9, 2013
Minette Walters writes excellent psychological thrillers.
posted by goo at 4:28 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by goo at 4:28 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's mostly pretty junky but I love Michael Connelly's books. He has three series in the same universe. The majority are about detective Harry Bosch, a few feature "Lincoln Lawyer" Micky Haller, and a few feature Jack McEvoy. The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the better-known since it was made into a movie, and I like it a lot.
posted by radioamy at 4:34 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by radioamy at 4:34 PM on October 9, 2013
Laura Lippman has an excellent murder mystery series (the Tess Monaghan books), but from your description of your preferences, I think you'd like her stand-alone books better, such as Every Secret Thing or What the Dead Know.
Cornelia Read is one of my favorite contemporary authors. She reminds me a bit of Tana French. The first in her series is Field of Darkness.
Stieg Larsson's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy are excellent mysteries. They live up to the hype.
Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynlley series is very good up until about the most recent four or five books.
posted by Kriesa at 4:46 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
Cornelia Read is one of my favorite contemporary authors. She reminds me a bit of Tana French. The first in her series is Field of Darkness.
Stieg Larsson's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy are excellent mysteries. They live up to the hype.
Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynlley series is very good up until about the most recent four or five books.
posted by Kriesa at 4:46 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
Helene Tursten, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, and Karin Fossum are all excellent Scandinavian mystery writers whose work is available in English, and their plots are generally about bigger issues than straightforward murders.
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:53 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:53 PM on October 9, 2013
Diana Gabaldon's Lord John Books And Novellas. You Didn't Have To Read Them Along With The Outlander Books Until An Echo In ThE Bone.
posted by brujita at 4:54 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by brujita at 4:54 PM on October 9, 2013
Elizabeth Hand's Available Dark and Generation Loss. Given your list of likes, these should be right up your alley.
posted by grounded at 4:55 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by grounded at 4:55 PM on October 9, 2013
You could finish up with Tana French. I really like Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler novels. Elizabeth George is good until With No One As Witness. Stieg Larsson is indeed a lot of fun. Jeffery Deaver does what he sets out to do very well. The Kathy Mallory books by Carol O'Connell are good. I think you'd like The Expats. Three Parts Dead is a mystery set in a fantasy world, so is Stealing the Elf-King's Roses. Karen Maitland isn't quite mystery, but sort of. I like Dennis Lehane, I've recently been reading Jane Casey's books, and I enjoyed Karen Dudley's Food for the Gods.
posted by jeather at 5:12 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jeather at 5:12 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
These'll be more 'last 20 years' than just 'last 10':
*Ellis Peters' Cadfael series --- medieval, based around a monastery in Shrewsbury, England
*Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott and Sigrid Harald series --- two contemporary series, on set in North Carolina, the other in NYC
*Peter Bowen's Gabriel Du Pre books --- contemporary series about a Metis cattle inspector, set in Montana
*Craig Johnson's Longmire --- the basis for the Longmire TV series, set in Wyoming
*Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak --- contemporary, set in rural Alaska
*Andrea Camilleri's Montalbano --- contemporary police procedurals, based in Sicily; most but not yet all of the series have been translated from the original Italian
*Donna Leon's Commissario Guido --- another police procedural series, set in Venice
And these may not be to your personal taste, but make sure to include them in the bookstore: Donna Andrews, Rex Stout, Lawrence Block, Michael McGarrity and Charlotte Macleod.
posted by easily confused at 5:17 PM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
*Ellis Peters' Cadfael series --- medieval, based around a monastery in Shrewsbury, England
*Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott and Sigrid Harald series --- two contemporary series, on set in North Carolina, the other in NYC
*Peter Bowen's Gabriel Du Pre books --- contemporary series about a Metis cattle inspector, set in Montana
*Craig Johnson's Longmire --- the basis for the Longmire TV series, set in Wyoming
*Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak --- contemporary, set in rural Alaska
*Andrea Camilleri's Montalbano --- contemporary police procedurals, based in Sicily; most but not yet all of the series have been translated from the original Italian
*Donna Leon's Commissario Guido --- another police procedural series, set in Venice
And these may not be to your personal taste, but make sure to include them in the bookstore: Donna Andrews, Rex Stout, Lawrence Block, Michael McGarrity and Charlotte Macleod.
posted by easily confused at 5:17 PM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
Jo Nesbo has a series of books about a Norwegian detective, Harry Hole. I recommend it for anyone that enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo series.
posted by MadMadam at 5:25 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by MadMadam at 5:25 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
+1 for Craig Johnson's Longmire series. Really excellent sense of place.
And I see Kinsey Millhone is up to "W" in Sue Grafton's series. Since they take up a lot of shelf space, It'd be good to read a couple. I haven't looked in since "K" or so, but they are solid.
Another fine, gentle read for those more interested in characters and place are the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith. The main character is a Botswana woman. I can vouch for the first 10 or so.
Those are the only "recent" releases that look at all familiar... Wait! Hillerman novels are being written by someone else now? His daughter? The old ones are awesome, but can you trust these new authors copying their parents - Dick Francis's son, Stephen King's son?
posted by contemplativenapper at 5:36 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
And I see Kinsey Millhone is up to "W" in Sue Grafton's series. Since they take up a lot of shelf space, It'd be good to read a couple. I haven't looked in since "K" or so, but they are solid.
Another fine, gentle read for those more interested in characters and place are the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith. The main character is a Botswana woman. I can vouch for the first 10 or so.
Those are the only "recent" releases that look at all familiar... Wait! Hillerman novels are being written by someone else now? His daughter? The old ones are awesome, but can you trust these new authors copying their parents - Dick Francis's son, Stephen King's son?
posted by contemplativenapper at 5:36 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
I recently read the last of Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series. There will be no more because unfortunately Mr. Hill passed away last year. He was an excellent author with a good sense of humour, and he wrote literate, humane mysteries that played with form and didn't shy away from social commentary.
His books are full of word play and literary references; I won't spoil them for you, but I think Dialogues of the Dead and Death's Jest-Book are two of the most stunningly clever mysteries I've read. You should read them together, in that order, and preferably with little idea of what they're about ahead of time. It doesn't matter if you've read any others in the Dalziel and Pascoe series before these two, but they will make you want to read more when you're done.
The penultimate in the D&P series is The Price of Butcher's Meat/A Cure for All Diseases (title was different depending on country of publication); this was a light and witty homage to Jane Austen's unfinished Sanditon. It doesn't matter if you've ever read Sanditon but if you know a little about the characters it makes it even more enjoyable.
(I've also read one of his standalones, The Stranger House; I thought it was excellent.)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:33 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
His books are full of word play and literary references; I won't spoil them for you, but I think Dialogues of the Dead and Death's Jest-Book are two of the most stunningly clever mysteries I've read. You should read them together, in that order, and preferably with little idea of what they're about ahead of time. It doesn't matter if you've read any others in the Dalziel and Pascoe series before these two, but they will make you want to read more when you're done.
The penultimate in the D&P series is The Price of Butcher's Meat/A Cure for All Diseases (title was different depending on country of publication); this was a light and witty homage to Jane Austen's unfinished Sanditon. It doesn't matter if you've ever read Sanditon but if you know a little about the characters it makes it even more enjoyable.
(I've also read one of his standalones, The Stranger House; I thought it was excellent.)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:33 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
My list of mystery love:
Harlan Coben - master of the "twist" that you never see coming!
Laura Lippman - mysteries featuring awesome/interesting female protagonists
Louise Penny - literary Canadian mysteries involving murder in a small town
M.C. Beaton - cozy British or Scottish mysteries, on the lighter/humorous side
Erin Kelly - have only read the Burning Air but it was well-written + awesome twist
Michael Connelly - crime and/or courtroom drama - the type you can never put down
Jussi Adler-Olsen - creepy creepy but his writing will grab you!
Also just read the new JK Rowling mystery and loved it!
posted by rainbowbrite at 6:43 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
Harlan Coben - master of the "twist" that you never see coming!
Laura Lippman - mysteries featuring awesome/interesting female protagonists
Louise Penny - literary Canadian mysteries involving murder in a small town
M.C. Beaton - cozy British or Scottish mysteries, on the lighter/humorous side
Erin Kelly - have only read the Burning Air but it was well-written + awesome twist
Michael Connelly - crime and/or courtroom drama - the type you can never put down
Jussi Adler-Olsen - creepy creepy but his writing will grab you!
Also just read the new JK Rowling mystery and loved it!
posted by rainbowbrite at 6:43 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
+1 Connelly, Lippman, Lehane, Price
Chiming in to add Sarah Gran, which I found via this thread.
posted by slidell at 6:48 PM on October 9, 2013
Chiming in to add Sarah Gran, which I found via this thread.
posted by slidell at 6:48 PM on October 9, 2013
I think everyone should have read at least one each by PD James and Ruth Rendell. Try one of Rendell's non-Wexfords, like The Bridesmaid, The Killing Doll or The Tree of Hands. I loved James's Innocent Blood, but it is not typical of her work.
Natsuo Kirino, Out. Keigo Higashino, The Devotion of Suspect X.
posted by BibiRose at 7:11 PM on October 9, 2013
Natsuo Kirino, Out. Keigo Higashino, The Devotion of Suspect X.
posted by BibiRose at 7:11 PM on October 9, 2013
Charlie Huston writes contemporary noir mysteries. I can only recommend the ones I've read so far, Sleepless and The Shotgun Rule, both of which are stand-alones (versus part his of series novels).
posted by fuse theorem at 7:29 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by fuse theorem at 7:29 PM on October 9, 2013
And a few more series from mr. hgg, who is a voracious reader of mysteries from all over:
Inspector Aurelio Zen--Michael Dibden (set in Italy)
DI Rebus--Ian Rankin (Scotland)
Detective Aimee Leduc--Cara Black (France)
Inspector Ikmen--Barbara Nadel (Turkey)
Inspector Dekok--Baantjer (Netherlands)
PI Pepe Carvalho--Manuel Vazquez Montalban (Catalonia)
Marshal Guarnaccia--Magdalen Nabb (Italy)
Inspector Espinoza--Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza (Brazil)
Counterterrorism Officer Angelique de Xavia--Christopher Brookmyre (Scotland)
Chief Inspector Adamsberg--Fred Vargas (France)
Detective Gerhard Self--Bernard Schlink (Germany)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:52 PM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
Inspector Aurelio Zen--Michael Dibden (set in Italy)
DI Rebus--Ian Rankin (Scotland)
Detective Aimee Leduc--Cara Black (France)
Inspector Ikmen--Barbara Nadel (Turkey)
Inspector Dekok--Baantjer (Netherlands)
PI Pepe Carvalho--Manuel Vazquez Montalban (Catalonia)
Marshal Guarnaccia--Magdalen Nabb (Italy)
Inspector Espinoza--Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza (Brazil)
Counterterrorism Officer Angelique de Xavia--Christopher Brookmyre (Scotland)
Chief Inspector Adamsberg--Fred Vargas (France)
Detective Gerhard Self--Bernard Schlink (Germany)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:52 PM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
Try Denise Mina. I love everything of hers so far.
posted by cherrybounce at 10:48 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by cherrybounce at 10:48 PM on October 9, 2013
Definitely Nicci French - start with Killing Me Softly.
I also love Sue Grafton's Alphabet series which feature a feisty, likeable woman private detective named Kinsey Millhone. I'm re-reading the entire series (well, as far as they've been written, she's not quite reached the end of the alphabet). I thought I'd soon get bored and probably stop at D is for Deadbeat, but they've kept my interest all the way (so far) to N is for Noose.
posted by essexjan at 1:15 PM on October 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
I also love Sue Grafton's Alphabet series which feature a feisty, likeable woman private detective named Kinsey Millhone. I'm re-reading the entire series (well, as far as they've been written, she's not quite reached the end of the alphabet). I thought I'd soon get bored and probably stop at D is for Deadbeat, but they've kept my interest all the way (so far) to N is for Noose.
posted by essexjan at 1:15 PM on October 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Stop! You're Killing Me is a handy site for mystery readers. List of the many mystery awards & their winners in one place, which will give you an overview of the genre. It also has an alphabetical list of authors, with chronological lists of their books both series & non-series. These chronological lists are especially handy for those, "Do I need to read these in order?" or "Which one is next?" questions. Also has special indexes for read alikes, by job, by location, and more. The site itself won an Anthony Award. They publish a newsletter twice a month, too, so you can keep up with what's new on the site, new characters, and more.
For what to read, I would recommend the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. Listen to a few audiobooks, too. The Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King is well-read. So is the Flavia series. Many of the Dick Francis and Laura Lippman books are good on audio, too. One thing you learn listening to mystery books read aloud (other books, too) is just how poorly written some books are! Also how to pronounce the names of authors and characters!
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 11:26 AM on October 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
For what to read, I would recommend the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. Listen to a few audiobooks, too. The Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King is well-read. So is the Flavia series. Many of the Dick Francis and Laura Lippman books are good on audio, too. One thing you learn listening to mystery books read aloud (other books, too) is just how poorly written some books are! Also how to pronounce the names of authors and characters!
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 11:26 AM on October 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by jabes at 3:40 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]