Searching for an intelligent crime novel

The last crime novel I really found impressive was The Man from Beijing. It's by Henning Mankell , it's not about Wallender but it was just as good.

Mad max series by M J Trow is clever and funny

Another recommendation for the Morse books. Also the Martin Beck series by Sjowall and Wahloo...... Stockholm police.

oh - forgot Camilla Lackberg - another scandinavian writer - excellent books

Jack reacher series?

would recommend
Mankell - wallander
Louise Penny - Inspector Gamache (Canadian)
Graham Hurley
Stuart McBride
Phil Rickman - intelligent books but a bit 'woo' so not for everyone
Lee Weeks
Stephen Booth
Alex Grey Scottish again

Karin Slaughter
Sara Paretsky
Sue Grafton - the alphabet series is excellent
will try some of the others that have been suggested - so thank you other posters

Another vote for Phillip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series and most definitely Tana French.

I also rate the late Reginald Hill (Dalziel and Pascoe- much better than the terrible tv version)

Also the Connollys- Michael- the Harry Bosch series and John- an Irish writer but set in the USA with a touch of the supernatural as they progress.

Finally James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series set in the Deep South- intelligent and beautifully written though gory at times.

Phil Rankin - if you like a bit of supernatural in your crime
MC Beaton - does both the Agatha Raisin (cosy) or Hamish MacBeth (also cosy) series
John Lawton - series set around the war. Very good.
Laura Wilson
Carl Hiaason - bit humourous
MR Hall - Jenny Cooper series she is a coroner

Thora not those. Stupid predictive text.

Anyone mentioned Yrsa Sigurdardottir ? Her series with Those Godmundsdottir as detective cum lawyer is ace. Last Rituals is the first one. The blurb on the back sounds gruesome but the books aren't.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_of_a_Saint

Just read Salavation of a Saint by a Japanese author, a Japanese Scandinavien novel, if that makes sense. Well worth reading.

James Paterson Alex Cross's series is reliable and easy to read.

Agatha Christie - good reads

Peter James - just read him for the first time. Slightly grizzly in parts - quite early on in the book I read there was a snuff movie and a de-capitated body! However, a captivating read.

Arnaldur Indriðason - another vote for him.

Have you tried reading Morse rather than just watching them on tv?

PD James, Dorothy L Sayers, Margery Allingham (I do like Campion), Donna Leon (set in Venice, Brunetti is a reflective detective), Agatha Christie, Joy Ellis, Mick Herron. I also really recommend the Slider series by Cynthia Harrod -Eagles...superb.

I buy odd ones via the Kindle deals and have read some authors I have really enjoyed.

I came on specifically to recommend Chris Brookmyre but I see Overthinker and Badgers have beaten me to it.

Very clever, very well written.

Not for the easily offended however.

My favourite is "Alls fun and games until someone loses an eye"

They are all brilliant however.

I love the early Ruth Rendall and PD James too. Also Dorothy L Sayers. I really wanted to like Margery Allingham as she writes beautifully but found Campion insufferable. Jo Nesbo is great, and I liked the early Fred Vargas but found her later work became too whimsical for me.

I've actually got a bit bored with 'straight' crime novels so have intentionally gone for writers who do more unusual stuff. I've recently read the Bryant and May books (Christopher Fowler), the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch and the Frances Doughty novels by Linda Stratmann. I'm not a fan of revoltingly graphic descriptions of crimes and criminals, more into the stories. Also I'm a sucker for novels set in London - I lived there and it's easy to picture it and get lost in it. Less easy to picture myself in Edinburgh - which is a shame as I know Ian Rankin is a great writer but I just can't get it straight in my head. I can envisage Ankh-Morpork more easily

jeffrey deaver
mallory series (although the gap between books was seriously upsetting. I think she may have finished the series)
michael connolly (the poet is in my top 3)

Lots of great suggestions already made. I also like Greg Iles - set in Natchez Mississippi.
Agree with the Lynda La Plante and Martina Cole comments. Utter drivel.

isobell dalhousie series by alexander mc call smith

loved these

thankyou for this thread . lots of recommendations here.

are there any that would be described as cosy ctime? not too grusome?

Sharon Bolton. Little Black Lies is good and I recently read Daisy in Chains - bit of a slow start but really enjoyed it and it's an unusual plot.
I also like Brian McGilloway.

I second Christopher Brookmyre, if you like something darkly humorous and a bit irreverent. "Attack Of The Unsinkable Rubber Ducks" is my favourite. Clever, thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining.