Audible recommendations for non-gruesome detective/mystery book or series

[LemonAndLimeTree]

I am looking for Audible recommendations for a detective/mystery book (or series) which does not have horrible violence in it. For example I enjoyed the first Samsom book but found the second too gruesome. Obviously I’m expecting murders but don’t like anything too graphic or gratuitous. I have enjoyed Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie (up to a point) and V I Warshawski. Loved Cadfael. I quite like a book with a fair bit of daily life and character background in it alongside the detective/mystery aspect. Any suggestions?

Have you tried the Robert Galbraith series? The narration is excellent.

I'd second Robert Galbraith. Also Louise Penny's books. You might think about Ann Cleeves as well.

How about the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall-Smith? Very gentle.

Dorothy L Sayers

The Hunting Party is brilliant. It isnt a detective one so much as a whodunnit. Group of people isolated in Scotland over new year and there is a murder. They work it out. It is so so good and not gory. You get the full backstory on the group and the dynamics going on there alternating with chapters on the whodunnit. Really good.

If you want really light village life with amateur detective-ing then give Agatha Raisin a shot. They're not the best ever but they're light listening. You can probably get them through Borrowbox rather than using your audible credits.

I really enjoy the Lady Hardcastle mysteries as well. Lots of backstory and daily village life of a widowed Lady and her maid, and they solve murders. They've got a bit of a wild background which comes up through snippets of their conversation and they're very funny.

Lots of suggestions, thank you. I found The Silkworm (2nd Galbraith) too gruesome for my tastes. The Hunting Party looks good, I will look it and the other suggestions up.

Try Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series. First two are read beautifully by Lesley Manville

Agree with Dorothy L Sayers! Peter Wimsey short stories to kick off.

An extremely light period crime/mystery series is Alyssa Maxwell Lady and Lady's Maid series which I've got through the Cloud Library app (via my local library). Murder Most Malicious is the first one. I've found the post-first world war setting interesting.

John Gaspard Magic books, an detective who is also a magician- very light hearted

No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series is also good, as is the glorious Sayers.

Only read the first one, but I really liked Burning Man.

Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, read by Derek Jacobi. An injured detective stuck in a hospital bed starts looking for the evidence that Richard III killed his nephews. The murders are historic, so no blood and gore, but the book is a fantastic read.

The Couple at Number 9 is utterly brilliant. Definitely recommend that audiobook.

The Anthony Horowitz Daniel Hawthorne series are good.

Another vote for Dorothy L Sayers - same period as Christie but with more character development & emotional depth. Josephine Tey is also excellent.

I'm also a big fan of Reginald Hill's Dalziel & Pascoe books - clever, lots of character but not gruesome. Not listened to any but love the books.

I also love the Beeb's radio plays of The Charles Paris Mysteries with Bill Nighie as a dissolute actor who keeps having to solve murders. A Doubtful Death is on BBC Sounds if you want to try one for free before purchase

www.audible.com/pd/Murder-at-Magic-Cakes-Cafe-Audiobook/B098FZZFY3

I like Rosie Reed's murder mystery series. She's funny and has a flirty style.

The 32 Miss Silver books by Patricia Wentworth are fab.
Also The Dales Detective Agency by Julia Chapman

And the unlikely sounding but fabulous The Queen Investigates series by SJ Bennett - so much better than you think they could be!

Also as others have said all the Lord Peter Wimsey books 💕

Perhaps listen to a sample of LJ Ross? Police procedural/thriller series, set in the North East. Not gratuitously gory and very character driven. I find the audible narration to be excellent having read the books first.

Thanks so much to everyone for all these suggestions. I shall be checking them all out. So pleased to find some good books to look forward to.

And I completely agree about The Daughter of Time, a lovely book which I have listened to on Audible.

I also enjoyed Anthony Horowitz The Word is Murder and Peter Swanson's Rules for Perfect Murders

Unfortunately all (most?) the Dorothy L Sayers books were released on audible recently read by Jane McDowell and I think they are very badly read. I tried really hard to like them.

They're pretty grisly though aren't they? Not the first one, but after that.