Detective books set in London - suggestions needed quite urgently please?

[WandaWitch]

My elderly Dad is on his own and is stuck in more at the moment due to the weather/cold. He likes reading, but has a very limited type of book that he likes which is only murder/detective stories set in London. He's read all the Peter James, all Kimberely Chambers, all Kath Staincliffe, J Jackson Bentley, all Kim Hunter, all Jesse Keane and all of Lynda La Plante (the only non London author he likes). He has now finished his latest book and is without anything to read and it is getting him down, he gets quite low when his routine is out - he sits to read every evening, his day is very structured, it's the way he copes with being on his own. I have tried a whole range of other suggestions, of books/authors but they're not right. He won't read thrillers just crime/detective and it has to be set in and around London. He's just been on the phone to me again, getting quite upset over this. I know it sounds extreme but it really is a big deal to him, he's never been diagnosed etc. but I suspect he is on the Aspergers spectrum, as there is no flexibility there. He has a kindle, which is on my account so I can buy books and send them to his kindle as he lives a couple of hours away from me, so if anyone can come up with anything I can get it onto there before this evening which fits the criteria I would be eternally grateful?

[Bunnet]

Ian Rankin has a Inspector Rebus book set in London. It used to be called wolfman but I think it has been renamed tooth and nail. It's been a while since I've read it but it's a good crime story. Hope that helps a bit.

[WandaWitch]

Excellent, thank you!! Just off to find it!

[Mrsmorton]

Cuckoos calling is sort of set in london, as is the other one by JKR.

hope you're ok.

[Remembermyname]

There is a PD James set in London - not sure which one though. Also, C J Sansom's Shardlake series is based in the City (though he travels for a couple) though that is set at the time of Henry VIII so not sure if that would work?

[Bunnet]

Knew there was another one! Mark Billingham does crime books in London as well, but maybe more thriller and occasionally fairly graphic and a bit yucky.

[Stealthpolarbear]

Sherlock holmes

[Roseformeplease]

J K Rowling writes as Robert Galbraith and both those books are on Kindl, and set in London. Presume he has read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories? PD James, as well?

[Remembermyname]

Sorry - just searched, PD James the murder room is set in London, also a taste for death and quite a few more - I put PD James London into the Amazon search box

[WandaWitch]

Thank you!! Have just bought the Rankin one, hopefully that will be right and work for the today - I'll ring him in a minute to tell him it's there.

I'm sorry - I should have said - modern day crime - not historical. He won't look at anything other than modern stuff.

Mrs Morton - thank you for asking - yes, I'm ok - it is difficult when he's upset on the phone and I'm not there because he gets quite uptight and his mood gets very low and it worries me. If he has his routine and things to occupy his mind then we're ok, it goes pear shaped when one of the puzzle bits drops. I use the kindle to track where he's up to book wise, so usually I've got the next one on there before he finishes the last but - I've been ill this week, so hadn't checked for a week and he's been reading more due to the weather and being stuck in, so he'd finished it a couple of days ago, without me realising.

[WandaWitch]

Mark Billingham!! Yes, there's a whole series!! Hadn't come acoss him before!! If I can get him onto those we'll be sorted for a while! Let's hope!!

[WandaWitch]

PD James - unfortunately - I tried that one - not right for some reason - don't know why....

Thank you all SO much - have bought the Rebus one and Billingham book 1 - just about to ring - will let you know...

[Ginrummy]

I don't know if this is completely the wrong thing but Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch is a modern detective story but also has historical and supernatural themes.

[Seabright]

Is Murder Must Advertise (Dorothy L Sayers) set in London? I think so.

[meandjulio]

Murder Must Advertise is set in London, I was about to suggest it but see that historical won't do.

How far back would he go - 70s, 80s, 90s? Or does it have to be absolutely contemporary?

[WandaWitch]

Right, well, that was a more positive conversation - he has books to read this evening now - he will "see if they're any good" and let me know. The routine is on it's way back to being restored.....

Thank you all.....

Am writing all of these names down - for the next time....

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

Some of Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford books are set in London. One is Murder Being Once Done.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley series: many are set in London.

[springalong]

He may not like these but Jacqueline Winspear Maisie Dobbs series is mostly London based, but also Kent. Set in 1920's

www.amazon.co.uk/Maisie-Dobbs-Mystery/dp/0719566223/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418486149&sr=8-1&keywords=winspear%20maisie&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Is Martina Cole too rough for him? East End villains, some cops. Can be very crude

[Viviennemary]

What about Robert Goddard. I think some are set in London. Thriller type mysteries which are a bit different but some are better than others.

[bizarre1]

'Angel' series by Mike Ripley London based detective but fairly light hearted so may not suit?

[OftheTwilighttheDarkness]

Do you think he would like the 'Rivers of London' books by Ben Aoronovitch. The are part police procedural / part supernatural.

[OftheTwilighttheDarkness]

Should have the the thread properly, I see Ginrummy has already suggested the Ben Aaronovitch books.

[skolastica]

Gordon Ferris, 'Truth Dare Kill'

'Set in post-war London, Danny McRae is a damaged war veteran with no real memory of the events that caused him to become damaged. A former policeman, he's not quite together enough to go back to police work, so he's set himself up as a private investigator. The story opens when a prospective 'case' presents itself to Danny, but even a cursory investigation suggests that there is a hidden agenda behind the proposal - what is it and why has Danny been singled out?

I enjoyed this story. Post-war London is austere, yet friendly and is well drawn. As it's the first outing for Danny McRae, the story is as much his as it is about a mystery to be solved and so we come to learn about the events that caused him to become war damaged. There's obvious homage to Raymond Chandler throughout, yet author Gordon Ferris remains his own man. Excellent groundwork for a developing series on Danny McRae, private eye and a very satisfying weekend read.'

[OttiliaVonBCup]

The Nicci French Frieda Klein books.

[Hakluyt]

Does he like "golden age" detective novels? Because there's a fantastic book by Jill Paton Walsh that's based on an idea by Dorothey L Sayers. It's called Thrones, Dominations, and some of the action takes place in the secret rivers that run underneath central London. It's available on kindle and I think it's quite cheap.