Searching for an intelligent crime novel

Belinda Bauer

Eva Dolan - Zigic and Ferreira series based in Peterborough
Luca Veste - murphy and rossi series set in Liverpool
Sharon Bolton - Lacey Flint series
Mari Hannah
Sarah Hilary
Torquin Macleod - Malmo series
Asa Larsson

Second bert's Stuart McBride recommendation.

I have seven hours to kill this afternoon so looking forward to getting stuck into one of his books.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Patrica Highsmith - her Ripley novels are good ( I think there are 5 of them). Love Ian Rankins Rebus novels - as they are written in real time he has developed his characters so well - will be very sad when he stops writing them.

Quintin Jardine's Skinner series are good, there are 25 so far and all set in Edinburgh about the police. Very character driven, you get to know the "cast" very well over the years and all the crimes are different and well thought out. I've been reading them for 20 years and never guessed whodunnit. Also no child abuse or gratuitous violence against women which is something I like about him. Obviously some victims are female, but it's not disproportionate.

John Sandford 'Prey' series is excellent. Best read in order. I have a huge crush on Lucas Davenport, the main man.

Another Scandinavian author fan here. I enjoyed all Lars Kepler books. Definitely a cut above the norm.

Just read the first two Tim Weaver novels. Really enjoyed them

Another vote for Arnaldur Indriðason's Detective Erlendur series. Brilliant.

RD Wingfield frost series
Belinda Bauer
The first 5 Patrica Cornwell Kay Scarpetta books

I like the Ann Cleeves Shetland series.

The LJ Ross ones are quite good, but sexy detective's romantic involvement with a key civilian expert / bereaved family member of victim does seem ridiculously unprofessional in the first book. See past that and it's not a bad series.

Not sure if anyone's mentioned it yet, but the Robert Galbraith series are excellent

Reggie Nadelson and Martin Cruz Smith are both Americans who feature Russian detectives, and if you are a fan of Hunter S Thompson, you might also like George V Higgins and James Crumley. I think you can find some of these as Kindle books but the last two are dead and may have fallen out of print.

And you have of course read Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, haven't you?

Most of my favourites have already been mentioned, but would add the five Enzo McLeod novels by Peter May, Quentin Jardine's Bob Skinner series which develops over a top copper's career in Edinburgh with lots of regulars and politics, and the novels of the late Dick Francis which are a bit dated now but cosy page turners set against the backdrop of horse racing.

Mary Stewart and Dorothy Dunnett both wrote some good thrillers in their day. Lesley Grant Adamson wrote several crime novels I liked, published by Faber & Faber, in the 1980s and 1990s. Michael Dibdin's Zen series set in Venice are excellent, complicated stories. There are others, back I have to rack my brain a bit.

Tessellation geritsen is fab and karin slaughter

Try Jed Rubenfeld - the interpretation of murder, and death instinct.

Susan Hill Serailler series
Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway series
Donna Leon are getting a bit samey but I still like them.

I just finished girl in the ice by Robert bryndza, I enjoyed it. Not expensive on Kindle either

I am fond of Donna Leon - all set in Venice & her detective (Brunetti) is unusual for being neither an alcoholic, depressive or mysogynist!

She has written about 20 books & the earlier ones are the best.

I was thinking Peter May - great minds it seems!
I don't like Lynda LaPlante or Martina Cole but nor can I quite get in to Rankin... I have worked out the odd Rendell, she really is quite the master. Worth rereading too.
In terms of new writers I also quite enjoy Ed James, Damien Boyd, Angela Marsons, Joy Ellis.
I don't really watch them on TV so I've not had the likes of Val McDermid, Peter James or Elizabeth George wrecked/ altered for me - they are excellent.

I like Carl Hiaasen, though bad guys getting bitten by animal figure largely. Very funny and well-written.

Christopher Fowler's Bryantand May series. Start at the beginning with "Full Dark House".

Phil Rickman is briiliant

These Not really. She explains the circumstances in each book. There are a few references to previous cases but I don't remember anything that required reading all the books in order.

However, Kinsey as a character does change and grow throughout the books and there's a background narrative about her distant family which pops up every now and again. So if you want an easy read then it's fine to pick out the odd book, but if you're the type of reader to want to get absorbed in the backstory, then I'd suggest reading them all.