Crime/mystery recommendations

[SatsukiKusakabe]

I want to buy my dad a good book for his birthday and not sure what to get as it's not my favourite genre I'm not widely read in it

He has read and enjoyed all the Shardlake series, so something similar, perhaps with a historical bent (but not too similar) would be ideal. He also liked the Robert Galbraith, but I would say prefers the more mystery type of crime novel than the horror/gory kind.

He's read all Agatha Christie/Conan Doyle/Chesterton.

Has to be well-written.

All suggestions welcome, many thanks in advance.

[MermaidofZennor]

As he enjoyed Shardlake then he might like S J Parris's Giordano Bruno series, starting with Heresy. He works for Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth I's spy master.

[AmberGreyson]

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is a very interesting book

[CousinCharlotte]

J. Jefferson Farjeon. Agatha Christie was inspired by his crime novels. I'm currently reading Mystery in White and thoroughly enjoying it.
I've read all Agatha Christie books.

[SatsukiKusakabe]

Thanks for ideas.

mermaid I saw the Parris ones and thought maybe they were too similar and perhaps not as good, but actually that's a bit silly I think I will try him on the first one and see what he thinks. The reviews are good - do you have a preference between those and Shardlake (you've possibly already told me in a round about way if you've reviewed any on the 50 books thread )

ambergreyson I enjoyed The Secret History very much but wouldn't have considered it to be his cup of tea but you're right it is a good mystery story so I'll ponder that one.

cousincharlotte that sounds up his street - I'm always astonished by the writers that are around that I've never heard of. I'll look him up definitely, thanks.

[MermaidofZennor]

I have read the Shardlake novels, and do prefer them but S J Parris is a good writer, also an historian and is thorough with her research. Bruno is an ex monk and scholar rather than a lawyer so there's no hanging around Barristers Chambers and more adventures around the country with his friend Sir Philip Sidney who is Walsingham's son in law.

[anonymousbird]

I was going to say Robert Galbraith trilogy, but then I re-read your post!

Tony Parsons' Max Wolfe series are good, but rather gruesome.

My FIL loves the Maigret books....

[MermaidofZennor]

You do need a strong stomach for some of the detail in the Tony Parsons novels. Good but agree with Anonymous, gruesome.

[SatsukiKusakabe]

I got him a Jo Nesbo once as he likes that sort of Scandinavian noir on TV, but though he thought it was good it was a bit on the gruesome side for him and we didn't go for any more of those so not sure about the Parsons, but thank you.

He really devoured the Shardlake and was sorry to get to the end so I think he might enjoy having the Parris to go to as well from what you've said, mermaid. He doesn't go to the library or book shops, never knows what to look for himself, so it'll be easier if he gets into another series.

Maigret is a good shout, I'm sure he used to watch the series though perhaps hasn't come across the books.

[Hedgehog344]

Has he read the other "golden age" writers - Dorothy L Sayers, Gladys Mitchell etc.? If not, he'd probably enjoy them. He might also enjoy P.D. James, although she can be a bit gruesome sometimes.

Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" is very good, although it's been out about 35 years so he may have read it. It isn't part of a series but it is beautifully written.

Hope this helps.

[anonymousbird]

Oh another fabulous series is Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler (sp?) one. Gritty but not graphic and lots of great characters too.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I'm becoming a bit of a broken record on this one, but Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther Nazi Germany series. Begins with 'March Violets' and you can get the first three as a collection called 'Berlin Noir'.

[SatsukiKusakabe]

Yes he has read all of Dorothy L Sayers, and has been through PD James but will look up Gladys Mitchell, thank you. Hadn't considered Eco I've yet to read it myself

Will check out Susan Hill,. I'm going to be sorted for Christmas too at this rate

Having read a synopsis of March Violets I am going to buy that for either my dad or my husband or somebody and borrow it immediately after they've finished.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

I'm reading something quite good right now, it's called the Cleaner, Elisabeth Herrmann, translated from German.

It's more of a triller, set in Germany now with the story going back to the Communist days.

And the Bernie Gunther Series, esp, the Berlin Noir Trilogy, fantastic.
The Renko books, great read as well.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

Forgot to say Bernie Gunther as already mentioned above.

[highlandcoo]

Not historical, but have a look at the Lewis Trilogy by Peter May. As the name suggests, set in the Hebrides and the writer depicts this unique part of the British Isles really well. His detective grew up there but left to build his career on the mainland, which makes for an interesting dynamic. First book in the series is The Black House - definitely worth a read. Really original and gripping without being horrific.
Another possibility is Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache novels, set in the village of Three Pines near Montreal. Cosy crime but also offers an interesting insight into tensions between the English and French-speaking communities in Canada. You get to know the characters in the village as the series progresses.
Third suggestion (I like crime ) is Stephen Booth's series of crime novels set in Derbyshire. Not too gory and you follow the development of the two detectives - and their prickly relationship - from book to book. Also, very rooted in the area with some interesting background details .. for example, I had no idea of the huge number of British planes that had been lost in the Derbyshire hills during WWII.

[highlandcoo]

Oh - forgot to mention interesting random fact about the last author mentioned, Stephen Booth:

He visited our local book shop and was describing his earlier career as a local journalist - an ambulance chaser really - in the north of England in the days of the Yorkshire Ripper .. I'm old enough to remember the time well. The police were having no success in catching the Ripper and in the meantime more and more women were being found murdered

SB's wife had worked out that on all the occasions that the Ripper had carried out a murder, her husband had been away from home. In the nature of his job he travelled a lot and kept antisocial hours. So she went to the local police station and reported him as a suspect.

I asked him how he felt about his wife thinking that he might be a serial killer .. were they still married? "Oh yes, it was fair enough really"

If you look at the author photo in his books you can see that he does in fact look remarkably similar ..

[AtiaoftheJulii]

I've enjoyed Ann Cleeves' Shetland books.

[anonymousbird]

Oh Peter May Lewis Trilogy as mentioned above. Brilliant.

[cdtaylornats]

Matthew's Tale by Quintin Jardine set in 1818 in Carluke, Scotland

The McLevy series by David Ashton set in Victorian Leith based on a real detective

Edward Marston has 3 excellent series
Railway Detective - Victorian
Home Front Detective - WW1
Nicholas Bracewell series - Elizabethan England

The Lady Emily series - Tasha Alexander - Victorian England

Thomas Pitt series - Anne Perry - Victorian England

[tigerdriverII]

Andrew Taylor's Lydmouth novels are fab: set in the 50s but a modern series. You have to read them in order.

And my absolute favourite: the Ruth Galloway novels by Elly Griffiths - brilliant!

[tigerdriverII]

PS: I love threads like this - always get great ideas

[Kathsmum]

Me too. Making notes. Love Lindsay Davies Falco series. Set in Rome, loosely historical: Vespadian, Caesar etc. Quite light hearted but great characters, not gory and I love a series.
Another book I keep hearing about is holy island kindle only I think but haven't read it yet.

[MrsPnut]

I have recently enjoyed Helen H Durrant, Alison Marsons and M J Arlidge that are all a similar police procedural style.

I love finding a new author and finding out they have written loads of books.

[tigerdriverII]

Oh the Holy Island books are brilliant! I think the author is L J Ross.

[cdtaylornats]

Its always worth checking Radio 4 to see if they have dramatised it

They certainly did several McLevy series, and Shardlake, Agatha Raisen, No. 1 Ladys Detective Agency, many more

There is a Peter Wimsey one on 4 extra at the moment.