Easygoing mystery novels
May 4, 2022 1:48 PM Subscribe
I'm looking to get a couple of novels for someone who enjoys a good mystery/suspense read, without violence. They favor likeable characters, clear plots and resolutions, and a quaint backdrop to the story.
I'm looking to get a couple of novels for someone who enjoys a good mystery/suspense read, without violence. They favor a straightforward story, with pretty likeable characters, and a clear resolution. No/very little sex or cursing.
I don't have many examples of books that I know that they have enjoyed, other than the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. But I do know they love the television mysteries, Midsomer Murdrers, Father Brown, and Death in Paradise. I know they would also like stories like these that involved more diverse characters.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
I'm looking to get a couple of novels for someone who enjoys a good mystery/suspense read, without violence. They favor a straightforward story, with pretty likeable characters, and a clear resolution. No/very little sex or cursing.
I don't have many examples of books that I know that they have enjoyed, other than the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. But I do know they love the television mysteries, Midsomer Murdrers, Father Brown, and Death in Paradise. I know they would also like stories like these that involved more diverse characters.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
The Thursday Murder Club series. Nothing graphic but I think there is probably some sex/allusion to sex and light cursing. And murders, obviously. It's set in a luxury retirement village in England.
posted by mskyle at 2:06 PM on May 4, 2022 [12 favorites]
posted by mskyle at 2:06 PM on May 4, 2022 [12 favorites]
Search term: cozy mysteries. Also Golden Age detective fiction (if they are ok with things written before about mid-20th century). This is basically my favorite genre!
Anthony Horowitz is a great contemporary writer who does Christie-esque plots, often with wry characters. He did the incredible Foyle's War on TV, as well as a much of episodes of Midsomer Murders. Two main mystery series -- The Word is Murder (about a loner detective; ft. Horowitz himself as a sort of author-insert John Watson) and Magpie Murders (more conventional structure, about to be made into a PBS miniseries).
I also quite liked Elly Griffiths' The Stranger Diaries which features a gay British Sikh female detective. There is murder but not too gory (imo).
Seconding the recommendation of Miss Fisher, and also adding Her Royal Spyness, a historical mystery series set in the mid-1930s and starring a very minor royal who takes on detective work to keep herself in the manner to which she had become accustomed.
And speaking of historical mysteries, I have to plug the Perveen Mistry series, also set in the 1920s, about a Parsi female lawyer in pre-Independence Bombay. Probably one of my favorite pandemic discoveries!
posted by basalganglia at 2:08 PM on May 4, 2022 [10 favorites]
Anthony Horowitz is a great contemporary writer who does Christie-esque plots, often with wry characters. He did the incredible Foyle's War on TV, as well as a much of episodes of Midsomer Murders. Two main mystery series -- The Word is Murder (about a loner detective; ft. Horowitz himself as a sort of author-insert John Watson) and Magpie Murders (more conventional structure, about to be made into a PBS miniseries).
I also quite liked Elly Griffiths' The Stranger Diaries which features a gay British Sikh female detective. There is murder but not too gory (imo).
Seconding the recommendation of Miss Fisher, and also adding Her Royal Spyness, a historical mystery series set in the mid-1930s and starring a very minor royal who takes on detective work to keep herself in the manner to which she had become accustomed.
And speaking of historical mysteries, I have to plug the Perveen Mistry series, also set in the 1920s, about a Parsi female lawyer in pre-Independence Bombay. Probably one of my favorite pandemic discoveries!
posted by basalganglia at 2:08 PM on May 4, 2022 [10 favorites]
Have they read Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series? The early books in the series don't have violence on the page and they are set in a ridiculously quaint town in Canada where characters are constantly eating croissants and quoting poetry.
posted by betweenthebars at 2:15 PM on May 4, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by betweenthebars at 2:15 PM on May 4, 2022 [8 favorites]
Anything by Anthony Horowitz! He's a great writer and I love his mysteries. Very "Golden Age" yet postmodern. There's as little violence as is possible in a murder mystery.
Try Magpie Murders if you haven't read anything by him (but everything I've read of his has been good).
posted by rue72 at 2:55 PM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Try Magpie Murders if you haven't read anything by him (but everything I've read of his has been good).
posted by rue72 at 2:55 PM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker is the start of a great series set in a quaint French village, and not so much violence. Except for one later on in the series: The Children Return. Skip that one if you're avoiding violent prose.
Seconding Thursday Murder Club, but the sequel has a violent moment early on, where someone gets beat up.
posted by SaharaRose at 3:03 PM on May 4, 2022
Seconding Thursday Murder Club, but the sequel has a violent moment early on, where someone gets beat up.
posted by SaharaRose at 3:03 PM on May 4, 2022
Our First Murder, Chanslor, there’s one sequel.
Lots of the reprints from that publisher, too.
posted by clew at 3:10 PM on May 4, 2022
Lots of the reprints from that publisher, too.
posted by clew at 3:10 PM on May 4, 2022
Dick Francis has a large number of rather chaste mysteries all set in the horse world: racing, steeplechase, horse farms, and the like.
posted by cairnish at 3:17 PM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by cairnish at 3:17 PM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Miss Silver mysteries by Patricia Wentworth
Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mysteries
Captain Lacey mysteries by Ashley Gardner
Miss Fortune mysteries by Jana DeLeon
posted by Enid Lareg at 3:29 PM on May 4, 2022
Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mysteries
Captain Lacey mysteries by Ashley Gardner
Miss Fortune mysteries by Jana DeLeon
posted by Enid Lareg at 3:29 PM on May 4, 2022
I've only read the first in the Hilary Tamar series, Thus Was Adonis Murdered, but they're quite the Golden Age, "Oh quite, murder" type of book. Clever and very well written and bonus gender-ambiguous main character.
Simenon's Inspector Maigret books also focus much more on the people and milieu than the murders, which tend to be off-camera and not too grisly. I think you can just grab an omnibus of the first 3 or 4 and they'll disappear like cotton candy.
For a change of pace, perhaps Ellis Peters's Brother Cadfael series. Mystery monks! Historical and intellectually rigorous but never heavy or really violent to my knowledge.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 3:31 PM on May 4, 2022 [5 favorites]
Simenon's Inspector Maigret books also focus much more on the people and milieu than the murders, which tend to be off-camera and not too grisly. I think you can just grab an omnibus of the first 3 or 4 and they'll disappear like cotton candy.
For a change of pace, perhaps Ellis Peters's Brother Cadfael series. Mystery monks! Historical and intellectually rigorous but never heavy or really violent to my knowledge.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 3:31 PM on May 4, 2022 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you all for the quick responses! I have not had time to look into all of the suggestions but the Thursday Murder Club series looks like it might be just right. Any other ideas are also welcome, after reviewing I am going to also use these suggestions to develop a list of recommendations for her to consider in the future.
posted by fies at 3:59 PM on May 4, 2022
posted by fies at 3:59 PM on May 4, 2022
Aunty Lee's Delights: A Singaporean Mystery is the first in a series by Ovidia Yu.
posted by spamandkimchi at 4:25 PM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by spamandkimchi at 4:25 PM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Dorothy Sayers is the author of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels, which are among my favorite books of all time. Great characters, great dialogue, and great mysteries. For this application I’d recommend Murder Must Advertise or Five Red Herrings.
posted by Vatnesine at 4:26 PM on May 4, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by Vatnesine at 4:26 PM on May 4, 2022 [5 favorites]
The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R King and the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley fit the bill. Bodies, but no real violence or gore. If they like historical fiction, the Maisie Dobbs series and Mr Churchill’s Secretary series might appeal.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 4:46 PM on May 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 4:46 PM on May 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
There's a children's book I adore called When You Reach Me that you may enjoy. It's a heartwarming scifi adjacent slice of life mystery set in NYC in the 70s centering around a middle school girl who lives with her mom. It's very much a middle grades book in a lot of ways but throws up an unexpected plot and keeps you wondering what's going on throughout.
And if it turns out not to be up your alley, well, it's a kids book and you can finish it in a day so no harm done.
posted by phunniemee at 6:36 PM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
And if it turns out not to be up your alley, well, it's a kids book and you can finish it in a day so no harm done.
posted by phunniemee at 6:36 PM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
I’ve been listening to the Maisie Dobbs series from the library lately and really enjoying it. Clean, quaint, all tied up in neat little bows at the end.
posted by hilaryjade at 6:45 PM on May 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by hilaryjade at 6:45 PM on May 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
If she's never read the actual, original Sherlock Holmes short stories, I would recommend them.
posted by metahawk at 6:46 PM on May 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by metahawk at 6:46 PM on May 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
She might try the Donna Andrews' long running Meg Langslow series. Murder with Peacocks is the first one. Meg is a blacksmith by profession. The books have the advantage of being genuinely funny. I admit I eventually faded out around book 20, but I really enjoyed the earlier ones.
posted by gudrun at 8:17 PM on May 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by gudrun at 8:17 PM on May 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
Oh gosh, Josephine Tey for sure. Her low key Inspector Alan Grant series and then her stand alone ones: Miss Pym Disposes and Brat Farrar. Mid-century British.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:12 PM on May 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:12 PM on May 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
What about PD James Death Comes to Pemberly? It's an in-the-style-of Jane Austen continuation of the Pride and Prejudice story, focused on the life of Lizzie and Mr. Darcy at Pemberly, and includes the familiar characters and personalities from Pride and Prejudice, particularly Lydia and Wickham. And there's a death on the estate which Lizzie has to unravel, in a most clever way that is satisfying and entirely true to Jane Austen's characters. Only a master like James could pull this off without diluting or parodying Austen. It's a stand-alone book, but it helps to have read Pride and Prejudice to understand the underlying tensions among the characters.
There was a 3 episode BBC TV series based on James's book that was first broadcast in 2013 with a typically good cast, too.
posted by citygirl at 4:35 AM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
There was a 3 episode BBC TV series based on James's book that was first broadcast in 2013 with a typically good cast, too.
posted by citygirl at 4:35 AM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Rex Stout's stories about Nero Wolfe. No sex, violence is 99.9% off stage. They take place in NYC, mostly, but it a stylized NYC of decades ago.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:43 AM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by SemiSalt at 4:43 AM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness series is fun and easy.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:22 AM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by jacquilynne at 6:22 AM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
The Spelman Files. i can't believe it's not a premiere streaming offering. terrific trio of books.
posted by j_curiouser at 7:11 AM on May 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by j_curiouser at 7:11 AM on May 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
Seconding the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley: ten books, starting with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. They're Golden Age-style detective novels set in 1950s England. Flavia, the amateur detective in question, is a bright and somewhat precocious eleven-year-old with an interest in chemistry (especially when it pertains to poisons). The series is charming.
The middle-grade Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens is also in the Golden Age style, this time set in a 1930s girls' boarding school. Engaging even if you are (as I am) a good deal older than the target audience.
On preview, the Spellman books (Lisa Lutz) are indeed excellent. But there are six of them, not three, unless "terrific trio" is a hint not to read past volume 3?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 7:26 AM on May 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
The middle-grade Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens is also in the Golden Age style, this time set in a 1930s girls' boarding school. Engaging even if you are (as I am) a good deal older than the target audience.
On preview, the Spellman books (Lisa Lutz) are indeed excellent. But there are six of them, not three, unless "terrific trio" is a hint not to read past volume 3?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 7:26 AM on May 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
The Maisie Dobbs series by Jaqueline Winspear is great easy reading, mysteries are well written and interesting to solve. Starts in WW1 England, set in London and in the Kent countryside. String female detective/psychologist. Cozy I guess, light violence, but certainly not excessive.
posted by j810c at 8:01 AM on May 5, 2022
posted by j810c at 8:01 AM on May 5, 2022
Dorothy Sayers is the author of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels, which are among my favorite books of all time
Would like to second this recommendation, and it’s strength: I think it’s also the closest to the Father Brown stuff.
posted by corb at 8:26 AM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Would like to second this recommendation, and it’s strength: I think it’s also the closest to the Father Brown stuff.
posted by corb at 8:26 AM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Yes, 'cozy mystery' is how books like these are characterised these days. (The failure mode of cozies, for me, is being twee and facetious, but the good one are my preferred mysteries.)
Seconding Donna Andrews.
Charlotte Macleod's Sarah Kelling series from, I think, the 1960s-80s were excellent they've had recent reprints).
Hazel Holt's Mrs Malory series.
Also seconding the Miss Silver books.
Freeman Wills Crofts is a good puzzle-type writer.
Quite a few minor golden age writers are getting cheap ebook reprints at the moment. Most of the British ones don't have a lot of sex or violence (though they certainly can have period-typical sexism, racism, antisemitism, homophobia, etc). E.C.R. Lorac and Ianthe Jerrold are better writers than a lot of the ones I've tried.
I'd disagree with Dick Francis for your purposes- they're good reads but the protagonists tend to get badly beaten up at least once per book.
posted by Shark Hat at 12:09 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seconding Donna Andrews.
Charlotte Macleod's Sarah Kelling series from, I think, the 1960s-80s were excellent they've had recent reprints).
Hazel Holt's Mrs Malory series.
Also seconding the Miss Silver books.
Freeman Wills Crofts is a good puzzle-type writer.
Quite a few minor golden age writers are getting cheap ebook reprints at the moment. Most of the British ones don't have a lot of sex or violence (though they certainly can have period-typical sexism, racism, antisemitism, homophobia, etc). E.C.R. Lorac and Ianthe Jerrold are better writers than a lot of the ones I've tried.
I'd disagree with Dick Francis for your purposes- they're good reads but the protagonists tend to get badly beaten up at least once per book.
posted by Shark Hat at 12:09 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Thirding Her Royal Spyness.
Elizabeth Peters—fun capers set in exotic locales. I like the standalones a lot, but her Amelia Peabody series is most famous. First book is Crocodile on the Sandbank.
I’ve been enjoying the Beatrice Hyde-Clare series. Free with Kindle Unlimited. Set during the Regency. Mousy relative comes into her own as an amateur sleuth.
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 8:51 PM on May 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
Elizabeth Peters—fun capers set in exotic locales. I like the standalones a lot, but her Amelia Peabody series is most famous. First book is Crocodile on the Sandbank.
I’ve been enjoying the Beatrice Hyde-Clare series. Free with Kindle Unlimited. Set during the Regency. Mousy relative comes into her own as an amateur sleuth.
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 8:51 PM on May 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
Joan Hess novels are right up your alley! The Arly Hanks mysteries are set in a small town in Arkansas with the usual assortment of outrageous characters. She also has a series with Claire Malloy a fictional bookstore owner who happens to be constantly surrounded by murder mysteries in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Her books are DELIGHTFUL and make me chuckle regularly.
posted by tafetta, darling! at 10:29 AM on May 8, 2022
posted by tafetta, darling! at 10:29 AM on May 8, 2022
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