Searching for an intelligent crime novel

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Am new to this thread so apologies if this has been done before.,,
I like crime thrillers on TV, BUT any I've read have been frankly pants.
Quite obvious who the killer is OR so obtuse you'd never get it until the last page. Plus the female lead seems to have to sleep with at least one of the potential suspects.
Any suggestions for something a bit more meaty?

Arnaldur Indriðason - another vote for him.

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

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.

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.

Thora not those. Stupid predictive text.

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

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.

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

Jack reacher series?

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

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

Mad max series by M J Trow is clever and funny

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.

These Not really. She explains the circumstances in each book. There are a few references to previous cases but I don't remember anything that required reading all the books in order.

However, Kinsey as a character does change and grow throughout the books and there's a background narrative about her distant family which pops up every now and again. So if you want an easy read then it's fine to pick out the odd book, but if you're the type of reader to want to get absorbed in the backstory, then I'd suggest reading them all.

Phil Rickman is briiliant

I like Carl Hiaasen, though bad guys getting bitten by animal figure largely. Very funny and well-written.

Christopher Fowler's Bryantand May series. Start at the beginning with "Full Dark House".

I was thinking Peter May - great minds it seems!
I don't like Lynda LaPlante or Martina Cole but nor can I quite get in to Rankin... I have worked out the odd Rendell, she really is quite the master. Worth rereading too.
In terms of new writers I also quite enjoy Ed James, Damien Boyd, Angela Marsons, Joy Ellis.
I don't really watch them on TV so I've not had the likes of Val McDermid, Peter James or Elizabeth George wrecked/ altered for me - they are excellent.

I am fond of Donna Leon - all set in Venice & her detective (Brunetti) is unusual for being neither an alcoholic, depressive or mysogynist!

She has written about 20 books & the earlier ones are the best.

I just finished girl in the ice by Robert bryndza, I enjoyed it. Not expensive on Kindle either

Susan Hill Serailler series
Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway series
Donna Leon are getting a bit samey but I still like them.

Try Jed Rubenfeld - the interpretation of murder, and death instinct.

Tessellation geritsen is fab and karin slaughter

Most of my favourites have already been mentioned, but would add the five Enzo McLeod novels by Peter May, Quentin Jardine's Bob Skinner series which develops over a top copper's career in Edinburgh with lots of regulars and politics, and the novels of the late Dick Francis which are a bit dated now but cosy page turners set against the backdrop of horse racing.

Mary Stewart and Dorothy Dunnett both wrote some good thrillers in their day. Lesley Grant Adamson wrote several crime novels I liked, published by Faber & Faber, in the 1980s and 1990s. Michael Dibdin's Zen series set in Venice are excellent, complicated stories. There are others, back I have to rack my brain a bit.