Detective novels

[Jux]

I, too, am looking for new writers, but I have read:

Martina Cole (one of) and James Patterson (one of) and found them ghastly as well as far too grisly.
PD James' prose is horrible, but I can cope (!) just!

I have been warned that I would hate Mo Hayder, by the way.

Otherwise I have read all the obvious oldies - Marsh, Christie, Rendell etc.

I don't want grisly and horrible (have nightmares as I'm a wuss), but I do love Brookmyre who alleviates grisly with humour and makes the really nasty characters into such wonderful sketches of ineptness that I don't mind so much. (As an aside, and to demonstrate that I am a fairly hopeless case, I was gobsmacked when I found Brookmyre had been moved from Fiction to Crime, as I had had him down as Political Thriller!)

I know there's a thread about crime writers already, but didn't want to hijack, and can't tell which authors are like Cole and Patterson, who must be avoided at all costs!

Jux, have you read the Gladys Mitchell 'Mrs. Bradley' books? On the 'golden-age' end of the spectrum (she started in the 1920's and kept going till the 80's, blimey) but they're great fun. Her 'tec is Dame Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley, who has an 'unearthly cackle' and a 'twisted leer'. The BBC cocked up spectacularly when they filmed some in the 90's and cast Diana Rigg as an impossibly distinguished and soignee Dame Beatrice, but I do recommend the books!

I second Peter Robinson, also
Peter James - Roy Grace novels worth a go
John Harvey - Frank Elder series very readable
Kate Ellis - sort of copper plus archeologist duo - traditional police whodunnits
I also recommend the Mrs Bradley series.

If you like traditional whodunnit type things
Amanda Cross - the Kate Fansler series, - an academic sleuth
Anne Granger - Mitchell and Markby series, and she's done some set in Victorian times too which aren't bad

If you want to try something historical - try the Shardlake series by C J Sansom, set in Tudor times, but don't let that put you off if historical isn't usually your thing, - they are well written and really gripping stories.

Can second Peter James, the "Roy Grace" series.

yes to Mitchell and Markby, and the Shardlake series. I have to think more when reading the latter, but not a bad thing! The Agatha Raisin series is very gentle.

What about Father Brown - Georges Simenon? Or even Sherlock Holmes?

Colin Bateman is like Brookmyre.

Also the alphabet series, A is for Alibi

JD Robb - Lt Eve Dallas - funny set in 2060 New York. Formulaic but quite good.

Karin Slaughter - Grant County

I like historical crime too (can't remember authors) - matthew Bartholomew doctor 13th C Cambridge, Christopher Redmayne - architect. I liked the Sherlock holmes rewrites when he gets married. Currently reading about a spy in Restoration London.

Totally detest James Petterson - he simply cannot write and Patricia Cornwall has gone off totally. I've gone off Sara Paretsky, Kathy Reichs, Kinsey Milhone - hate the way we are still stuck in the 1980s for that series

I love Shardlake and am thinking of passing them on to dd. I think that an intelligent, history mad 12 yo should be up to them? What do you think?

What a lot of lovely goodies for me to look forward to! Thank you all so much. I am going to make Amazon's fortune, I think (and bankrupt myself)!

I have read quite a few of those, but they're in boxes as we haven't enough shelves in our house and so haven't been unpacked yet (only 6 years.... ) but there are still loads I've not come across. I'm going to have a lovely time! Thanks all

Jux - I think Shardlake would be fine for your DD - hopes she really enjoys them

Have you read Dorothy Sayers? Old and wonderful, I think, as long as you like Lord Peter.
Rex Stout is great--American, very funny.
I think Sherlock Holmes is still my favorite, but only the originals.

I remember having nightmares about The Speckled Band when I was about 10!!!

We had Simenon in the house as mum was brought up in France. They were in French. So, I read them in French!!!! Can't believe I did that! Couldn't do it now, mind you.

V dated now but Edmund Crispin.

US again dated but Emma lather, two women who write about wall street. If you get the financial motive you've got it. Deadpan east coast humour. Tony hillerman about the navajo.

Deadpan series documenting decline of Swedish socialism written as a series, sjowall and wahloo.

Lathen not lather

I love the DCI Banks books by Peter Robinson. I liked 'When will there be good news' by Kate Atkinson, but haven't read any other books by her yet. I also used to read Dick Francis books but haven't read one for years (15 years or so!!) so am not sure if I would still enjoy these or not!

John Connolly. The Charlie Parker novels are great.

Henning Mankell. Wallander.

There you go.

shirleyO beat me to it. Another Raymond Chandler fan. Good plots, atmospheric, witty and not at all dated.

Mark Billingham (DI Thorne) and Ian Rankin (DI Rebus) are very good in a traditional Morse/Frost sort of way. Both have a good sense of humour.

Karin Slaughter is good, but quite gory.

Echo what others have said about Peter Robinson's Banks series.

Jo Nesbo's detective Harry Hole is fantastic.

Just saw reference to Janet Evanovich - the first few are very funny. Grandma shooting the chicken had me in stitches But I got bored as they were very samey after a while.

Tried the Susan Hill Serailler novels?

Michael Innes?

Of a similar vintage to Agatha Christie, I really enjoy John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson.

I think someone has mentioned the Sue Grafton alphabet series - think she's on V now.

What about John D MacDonald? Fairly certain they were the inspiration behind Rockford Files, so fairly light, with humour.

:)