British Private Investigator

[AnnieSnap]

My favourite genre is British crime fiction, but I especially love those where the main protagonist is a PI. I have loved and devoured all of the Cormoron Strike series, Alex Coombs Hanlon PI (excellent) and Val McDermid’s Kate Brannigan (ok, but not great). Are there any that I’m missing?

[SiouxsieSiouxStiletto]

Have you tried Case Histories by Kate Atkinson?

[OwlBabiesAreCute]

Or the Alphabet series of books by Sue Grafton (eg A is for Alibi etc)?

[ZoeyBartlett]

The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspeare fir - Maisie is a PI after WW1. I like them a lot.

[HappySpade]

M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series. But ridiculous at times but a fun series to read.

[SiouxsieSiouxStiletto]

@HappySpade

M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series. But ridiculous at times but a fun series to read.

Now I didn't get on with those at all. I think I must like my Detective books a bit darker

[CarolinaInTheMorning]

P.D. James's two Cordelia Gray books: An Unsuitable Job for a Woman and The Skull Beneath the Skin.

[AnnieSnap]

@OwlBabiesAreCute

Or the Alphabet series of books by Sue Grafton (eg A is for Alibi etc)?

A friend recommended these, but I’m not keen on books set in America. I prefer a British book.

[CostelloJones]

Loved the first few Cormoran Strike books but the whole JK Rowling thing has ruined it for me now ☹️

Last year realised I had never read an Agatha Christie, only seen the films, so I am slowly working my way through a big pile of them. A bit retro but very much enjoying Poirot atm

[CostelloJones]

Have you read the Thursday murder club books? I couldn’t put them down

[AnnieSnap]

@CostelloJones JK Rowling has only ever defended women.

[AnnieSnap]

What limits me I suppose is I like, British, contemporary and a bit gritty 😳

[Latenightreader]

Try some of Val McDermid’s other series. I started with Kate Brannigan but I also really enjoyed the Lindsay Gordon books (journalist rather than a PI but still solves murders) and the most recent Allie Burns books (two so far, 1979 and 1989). I find the Tony Hill books too gory, but I like Karen Pirie.

I was also going to suggest Sue Grafton and Sara Peretsky, but both are American!

[CostelloJones]

@AnnieSnap i get where you’re coming from but personally some of what she has said is something I can’t align my morals with. Each to their own.

likee I said I also enjoyed the first few strike books.

and I still recommend the Thursday morder club if you haven’t read them

have you read anything by Martina Cole? I’ve enjoyed a few of her books too (especially “revenge” and “the know”)

[AnnieSnap]

Thanks @CostelloJones I’ll take a look