Detective novels

Of a similar vintage to Agatha Christie, I really enjoy John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson.

I think someone has mentioned the Sue Grafton alphabet series - think she's on V now.

What about John D MacDonald? Fairly certain they were the inspiration behind Rockford Files, so fairly light, with humour.

:)

Michael Innes?

Tried the Susan Hill Serailler novels?

Just saw reference to Janet Evanovich - the first few are very funny. Grandma shooting the chicken had me in stitches But I got bored as they were very samey after a while.

Mark Billingham (DI Thorne) and Ian Rankin (DI Rebus) are very good in a traditional Morse/Frost sort of way. Both have a good sense of humour.

Karin Slaughter is good, but quite gory.

Echo what others have said about Peter Robinson's Banks series.

Jo Nesbo's detective Harry Hole is fantastic.

shirleyO beat me to it. Another Raymond Chandler fan. Good plots, atmospheric, witty and not at all dated.

John Connolly. The Charlie Parker novels are great.

Henning Mankell. Wallander.

There you go.

I love the DCI Banks books by Peter Robinson. I liked 'When will there be good news' by Kate Atkinson, but haven't read any other books by her yet. I also used to read Dick Francis books but haven't read one for years (15 years or so!!) so am not sure if I would still enjoy these or not!

Lathen not lather

V dated now but Edmund Crispin.

US again dated but Emma lather, two women who write about wall street. If you get the financial motive you've got it. Deadpan east coast humour. Tony hillerman about the navajo.

Deadpan series documenting decline of Swedish socialism written as a series, sjowall and wahloo.

Have you read Dorothy Sayers? Old and wonderful, I think, as long as you like Lord Peter.
Rex Stout is great--American, very funny.
I think Sherlock Holmes is still my favorite, but only the originals.

Jux - I think Shardlake would be fine for your DD - hopes she really enjoys them

JD Robb - Lt Eve Dallas - funny set in 2060 New York. Formulaic but quite good.

Karin Slaughter - Grant County

I like historical crime too (can't remember authors) - matthew Bartholomew doctor 13th C Cambridge, Christopher Redmayne - architect. I liked the Sherlock holmes rewrites when he gets married. Currently reading about a spy in Restoration London.

Totally detest James Petterson - he simply cannot write and Patricia Cornwall has gone off totally. I've gone off Sara Paretsky, Kathy Reichs, Kinsey Milhone - hate the way we are still stuck in the 1980s for that series

Also the alphabet series, A is for Alibi

Colin Bateman is like Brookmyre.

yes to Mitchell and Markby, and the Shardlake series. I have to think more when reading the latter, but not a bad thing! The Agatha Raisin series is very gentle.

What about Father Brown - Georges Simenon? Or even Sherlock Holmes?

Can second Peter James, the "Roy Grace" series.

I second Peter Robinson, also
Peter James - Roy Grace novels worth a go
John Harvey - Frank Elder series very readable
Kate Ellis - sort of copper plus archeologist duo - traditional police whodunnits
I also recommend the Mrs Bradley series.

If you like traditional whodunnit type things
Amanda Cross - the Kate Fansler series, - an academic sleuth
Anne Granger - Mitchell and Markby series, and she's done some set in Victorian times too which aren't bad

If you want to try something historical - try the Shardlake series by C J Sansom, set in Tudor times, but don't let that put you off if historical isn't usually your thing, - they are well written and really gripping stories.

Jux, have you read the Gladys Mitchell 'Mrs. Bradley' books? On the 'golden-age' end of the spectrum (she started in the 1920's and kept going till the 80's, blimey) but they're great fun. Her 'tec is Dame Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley, who has an 'unearthly cackle' and a 'twisted leer'. The BBC cocked up spectacularly when they filmed some in the 90's and cast Diana Rigg as an impossibly distinguished and soignee Dame Beatrice, but I do recommend the books!

Sarah Paretsky does the VI Warshawski novels set in Chicago which I like. (Kathleen Turner played the lead in the film.)
David Baldacci is good. Tends to be goodies outside the law eg former CIA sorting out the bad guys.
An oldie worth a try could be Ellery Queen.

Have you tried Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe books? The original hard bitten detective and even thought the books are now 70 years old they are BRILLIANTLY written, funny, engaging and gripping.

Can't remember whether anyone's mentioned Peter Lovesey, but he's certainly worth a punt. He writes several different series and I've read some of the Peter Diamond ones. They're set in Bath and I guess you'd call them fairly gentle; certainly not gory or remotely Patterson-esque!

Someone on the other thread said Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, who is also very good - the Bill Slider books are funny too, which is always a bonus.

Oh you are in for a treat with the Kenzie and Gennaro novels, I enjoyed A drink Before The War, but the next in the series Darkness Take My Hand really hooked me, I would read them in order if I was you, there may be spoilers if you read them randomly, there are only 6 books in the series.

I loved Brookmyre but think he has gone off the boil recently, I didn't enjoy the last one I read and haven't even bought his last after poor amazon reviews.

Phil Rickman has a series about a female Vicar who happens to be a deliverance minister, quite gentle mystery/supernatural, very readable anyway.

Peter James is also very good.