Murder mysteries

[mummymermaid]

I've never read any really apart from some Patricia Cornwell so any recommendations what to read? I'm after sort of eerie atmosphere mystery; a cross between twin peaks/wind River (the film). Not necessarily supernatural but haunting and touching if that makes sense!

Peter James is good, as is Kathy Reichs

Martha Grimes' Richard Jury mysteries are gripping, but oddly off-kilter. Not in a bad way, just unexpected. They're not super recent, but still in print.

Carol O'Connell's Kathy Mallory series are excellent, and nowhere near as popular as they should be. They have a sense of the grotesque.

Perhaps Ben Aaronovitch's series which starts with Rivers of London? Funny and supernatural with an amazing sense of place.

Lisa Unger's psychological thrillers, Beautiful Lies and Sliver of Truth are unsettling.

The other I'd recommend is an oldie, Margery Allingham's Tiger in the Smoke - a really scary thriller with more atmosphere than you can poke a stick at.

The other, vintage series I might recommend is Gwendolyn Butler's Inspector Coffin series. She does creeping unease really well. She also wrote as Jennie Melville.

And while I'm thinking about it:

Michael Marshall Smith's series which starts, I think, with The Straw Men. Seriously creepy if you're looking for atmosphere.

John Connolly's Charlie Parker books which combine noir PI with seriously disturbing supernatural elements. Probably not if you're the nervous type.

And Jack Kerley's Ryder and Carson books - not supernatural, but scary.

PD James. Two Agatha Christie's you might like - Death Comes at the End and Sleeping Murder.

Anne Cleeves
Peter May
Jo Nesbo

Thanks, I'll go check all these out! If you can think of any more then I'm all ears! 😊

Tana French? Most of her books have a not-quite-explained supernatural edge to them.