Sue Grafton books - anything similar?

[GrandmaW]

A friend has recently introduced me to the Alphabet series of books by Sue Grafton and I love them. I can't pass a charity shop without popping in to see if they have one I haven't already read.
Can you reccomend anything similar which I might enjoy? I would never have looked at a Sue Grafton book before ( would have thought it wasn't my type of book!) - it was only because my friend was enjoying them so much that I picked one up.
Waiting in anticipation!

Do you like crime books generally?

Strangely, I never read crime fiction until I was pointed in the direction of Sue Grafton. I like her style of writing and the suspense she creates so am looking for a similar type of author.

kathy reichs is similar is some ways, so you might enoy her books.

Michael Connelly is good for suspense, but has a different style of writing.

Sara Paretsky (especially the books with V.I Warshawski)
Kelley Armstrong

Karin Slaughter is good but gory

I second Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski books - I worked my way through those and Sue Grafton's with equal pleasure.

Ann Granger has written a series of books about a woman who keeps getting mixed up in various murders - The Fran Varady series, and there are 7 books, which I'm quite glad to discover (I thought there were only 3!) They are funny, interesting and not as ponderously complicated as Patricia Cornwell's later work.
Link: www.viprasys.org/vb/f115/ann-granger-fran-varady-series-bks-1-7-rapidshare-373124/
Now I'm off to find books 4-7!

You might like Janet Evanvich
One for the the money
Two for the Dough
Three to get Restless (I thihk)
Four to score
it goes on.

The character is called Stephanie Plum. They are lots of fun and not as serious/gruesome as, say the Cornwell books.

You might enjoy Marcia Muller or Linda Barnes, both american writers with women detectives in addition to Sara Paretsky who is fabulous.
I think Kinsey is pretty unique, have read every one of the alphabet series. I got first stuck on crime novels by accident reading A is for Alibi about 20 years ago!

I'm keen on Liza Cody's Anna Lee books - they're English, set in London, so not quite the same feel, but similar premise. They filmed them some years ago now with Imogen Stubbs in the title role (but don't hold that against them ).

Also, Val McDermid has a series with not one but two different female private 'tecs, Kate Brannigan and Lindsay Gordon. All good stuff.

I agree, the Sue Grafton ones are absorbing. I thought she'd gone off the boil a bit midway through the cycle, but got back on form with S, T and U!

I agree about Janet Evanovich. The early books are lots of fun, although they are starting to get a bit samey now she's up to Fourteen!

The Val McDermid Kate Brannigan books are particularly good. She seems to have stopped writing them now in favour of Mermaids singing gore stuff but the Brannigan books are just a nice read.

I believe they're actually up to Sizzlin' Sixteen now, Columbia ! Yes, they are getting a bit much! They're still fun to read though, OP .

Blimey, I'm slipping! I don't know why I keep on reading them, probably hoping that silly Stephanie will finally make up her mind and choose which bloke she is sticking with!

I read them for Grandma Mazur and Lula. :) And we all know Stephanie's going to end up with Morelli....one of these days... :)

Oh come on now. Help me out. What the heck is the other guy called.

I love Morelli, but Ranger's certainly got his appeal... :)

I love all the authors mentioned on here-grafton,granger and evanovitch. Agree that the plum ones are getting a bit silly but still make me chuckle. Just wish they would write them quicker!.

Many thanks for all your suggestions. Visited the library yesterday and have borrowed a Sara Paretsky book . One query, what does V.I. stand for ?
Will let you know how I get on with it.

Victoria and Ignatia or something like that. Several people call her Vic. Hope you like it!

Thanks. Ranger. god how could I have forgotten that!