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Original poster

Recommend me a new detective series

84 replies

SonicBoomGirl · 02/04/2023 21:37

I've motored through all of Cara Hunter's DI Fawley series. They wouldn't be my usual thing, and I don't know how I started reading them, but I have finished them all now.

Please can someone recommend something similar? European, preferably British or Irish and a police procedural series.

Thank you.

OP posts:
LaviniasBigBloomers · 03/04/2023 16:45

Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series has got me through a horrendous year.

SleepingisanArt · 03/04/2023 16:40

The Hidden Norfolk series by JM Dalgleish. I'm very patiently waiting for book 14........ (I can spend a day just reading the whole book!) I've laughed and cried whilst reading them, sometimes I work it out but not always!

TheHouseNextDoor · 03/04/2023 15:46

Helen Fields 'perfect' series.

JDKirk DC Logan series.

Stewart McBride 'Logan McRae' series.

Abra1t · 03/04/2023 15:07

Scarydinosaurs · 03/04/2023 05:01

Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series are brilliant.

Seconded! I love Tana.

GulfCoastBeachGirl · 03/04/2023 14:50

@C8H10N4O2 Don't laugh, but I picture him as looking like Gerard Butler when he was in his early 30's🤗I like the supporting characters as well.

The food descriptions always send me foraging into the depths of my fridge, where I inevitably unearth some questionable goat cheese rather than the delicious regional cuisine I'm reading about!

C8H10N4O2 · 03/04/2023 14:41

GulfCoastBeachGirl · 03/04/2023 14:36

Martin Walker's series set in the South of France is really good. Bruno, Chief of Police is the first book. Gorgeous descriptions of the French countryside and local food. More complex than a run-of-the-mill village mystery as well. And you'll end up crushing on Bruno😀

I like this for "by the pool" reading. Bruno is a massive Mary Sue but I do like the sense of place and the way the mysteries are woven into that region and history. The great advantage of words only is that Bruno can be pictured exactly as we want him to be😃

GulfCoastBeachGirl · 03/04/2023 14:36

Martin Walker's series set in the South of France is really good. Bruno, Chief of Police is the first book. Gorgeous descriptions of the French countryside and local food. More complex than a run-of-the-mill village mystery as well. And you'll end up crushing on Bruno😀

Alonglongway · 03/04/2023 09:48

I'm really enjoying Martina Murphy's Lucy Golden books - only 2 out so far.

BaruFisher · 03/04/2023 09:46

Another recommendation for Jane Casey’s Maeve Kerrigan series- hers and Cara Hunter’s are the two I always keep up with.
Also a fan of Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad.
A A Dhand has a good series set in Bradford- the detective is Harry Virdee.
And of course Rebus.
If you’d consider an Aussie setting (police set up v similar to U.K. except they do carry guns) Jane Harper and Chris Hammer are both worth a read.

Awrite · 03/04/2023 08:37

YY to that Kate A book being a turn off. However, if you stick to the Jackson Brodie series you should be fine.

Dogmum11 · 03/04/2023 08:37

Pauline rawson books, set around the south coast.

Knullrufs · 03/04/2023 08:36

Ann Cleeves could be worth a look — the Vera series, the Shetland series, and the new Matthew Venn series.

I hear your aversion to US crime fiction but I will through in a recommendation for Kris Lackey’s Maytubby/Bond series. They’re set in (and out) of a Native American reservation in Oklahoma and the descriptions of place are just fabulous.

Awrite · 03/04/2023 08:35

Has no-one suggested Rebus yet? Ian Rankin.

I have read so many listed here and have compiled a new list for myself to wade through so thank for starting this thread.😊

Ariela · 03/04/2023 08:30

I discovered Wycliffe on one of the ITV channels last night. They're based in Cornwall and on the books written by William John Burley. I looked him up and do vaguely recall having read and enjoyed a couple in the 1980s. Might be a bit dated now, though the TV series is set more recently.

thedevilinablackdress · 03/04/2023 08:10

Marion Todd's Detective Claire Mackay books, set in St Andrews

efeslight · 03/04/2023 05:46

Have you read Peter Robinson's series? The early ones are the best
Susan Hill - her Serailler books
Simon Booth- set in Derbyshire

muffin21 · 03/04/2023 05:14

Partrik Hedstrom series by Camilla Läckberg is my favourite, I've re-read them all several times, and Roy Grace by Peter James comes a close second.

TheHoodedPaw · 03/04/2023 05:08

GulfCoastBeachGirl · 03/04/2023 01:39

DI Manon Bradshaw series by Susie Steiner. First book is Missing, Presumed. British, great character, very good writing.

I loved these. I saw she died recently which is so sad.

Scarydinosaurs · 03/04/2023 05:01

Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series are brilliant.

Original poster
SonicBoomGirl · 03/04/2023 04:57

When I said British/Irish/European I really meant (with apologies) not American 😬.

Not that US authors are bad, not at all, but the circumstances are so different.

DCI Tom Douglas! I'd forgotten about those books, that's a great call.

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions, I had a recent birthday and lots of Kindle credit, so they are all on the Kindle already.
I'm so excited - thank you everyone.

The one exception is Kate sodding Atkinson.
Now I know that there is much MN love for Kate A, so I tried one, but I got the wrong one. You know the one that everyone says is crap? That one. Might have had a bird on the cover? I gave it 2 hours then sacked it off.
Then I came back to MN to ask about it and everyone said 'oh yeah, you don't want that one, that's the weird one' 😆.
So I have developed a bit of a Kate Atkinson aversion.

If someone can give me a solid, fantastic Kate A recommendation I will try again.

Thank you everyone 😊

OP posts:
GulfCoastBeachGirl · 03/04/2023 01:39

DI Manon Bradshaw series by Susie Steiner. First book is Missing, Presumed. British, great character, very good writing.

MagpieCastle · 03/04/2023 00:37

Have you read any of Alison Bruce’s series of crime novels set in Cambridge (the first is Cambridge Blue)? Great characterisation, atmospheric and interesting plots. Some good recommendations on this thread - will be taking notes for future reads!

humblemeep · 03/04/2023 00:15

I'm just reading the first Kate Atkinson book about Jackson Brodie, have you read them?

ChicoryDip · 02/04/2023 23:50

Have you tried Rachel Abbot's books? I loved the Tom Douglas series.

TriggeredByGravy · 02/04/2023 23:48

Karin fossum inspector sejer-not British but absolutely brilliant