Mystery lovers, got recs for me?

[scribblinlenore]

Once upon, I was a very avid reader of mysteries. I loved Patricia Cornwell's early books. I love Minette Walters. I like Nancy Picard's amateur detective Jenny Cain. But at some point, mysteries and I just seem to drift apart, and I have no idea who's writing what in the genre anymore. Recently, though, I read The Thirteenth Tale, which I adored.

Comments

[innie_darling]

My favorite modern mystery series is the Amanda Pepper series by Gillian Roberts. It starts with Caught Dead in Philadelphia, and it's important to read them in order, trust me. The last good book of the series (number nine or ten, I think) is Helen Hath No Fury. After that point, they get weird and meander-y and not all that interesting. Still, that's nine or ten really good mysteries - they're smart and funny and totally relatable.

I have lots of recs (with the same caveat of started strong, went awry somewhere) for historical mystery series, but that sounds like something you don't want right now.

[scribblinlenore]

Thank you! That sounds great. And I'd love to hear you historical mystery recs too, if you have time to share them. I did really enjoy The Woman In White.

[slodwick]

I'm quite a fan of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum mysteries; there are fourteen books in the series so far. :)

[scribblinlenore]

Great! Thanks so much, Slod. I appreciate the help.

[thisisbone]

Jenny Cain, FTW! \o/

Along with several other folks, I recommend the Stephanie Plum books, too. Reading a new one is like catching up on all the gossip with an old friend.

I devoured mystery series throughout the 1990s. I read all the Sue Grafton "Alphabet" mysteries ("A is for Alibi", etc) and all of Sara Paretsky's "V.I. Warshowski" series. The V.I. ones were a little dark for me, frankly. Lots of mother issues. The Sue Graftons continue to be good, clean fun (I thinks she's up to T now), but the one series I continue to be most excited about is Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. I think they've improved as they've gone along, and the cast of characters is ridiculously appealing, especially Ranger and Stephanie's loopy grandma. :)

[scribblinlenore]

Thanks so much for the recs! The ones of these I've read are the Amanda Cross books, which I enjoyed very much.

[scribblinlenore]

I just ordered The Moonstone. Can't wait to read it. And the Martin Cruz Smith novels sound fantastic, as well.

Also, thanks for the bandom rec. I've never read an arranged marriage story I didn't like!

[kensieg]

Donna Andrews. Funny amateur with zany relatives

[scribblinlenore]

This is great! Thanks so much for the list. I'm excited to get started reading.

[chicklet_girl]

The mysteries I read tend toward the 'crime novel' end of the genre and are pretty hardcore, like Dennis Lehane's Kenzie/Gennaro series and George Pelecanos, so I don't know if they're your cuppa. But they *are* incredibly written.

I'm probably the only person in the room who gave up on the Plum mysteries. I made it to #12 and got sick of how Stephanie never learns a goddamn thing. I like my heroines to be competent. *g*

[kensieg]

I prefer cozies.