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

38 replies

WandaWitch · 13/12/2014 15:04

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?

OP posts:
Seabright · 13/12/2014 15:41

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

Ginrummy · 13/12/2014 15:39

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.

WandaWitch · 13/12/2014 15:39

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...

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WandaWitch · 13/12/2014 15:34

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!!

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WandaWitch · 13/12/2014 15:28

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.

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Remembermyname · 13/12/2014 15:13

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

Roseformeplease · 13/12/2014 15:12

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?

Stealthpolarbear · 13/12/2014 15:11

Sherlock holmes

Bunnet · 13/12/2014 15:10

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.

Remembermyname · 13/12/2014 15:10

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?

WandaWitch · 13/12/2014 15:10

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

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Mrsmorton · 13/12/2014 15:10

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

Sad hope you're ok.

Bunnet · 13/12/2014 15:07

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.

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