Simile to Agatha Raisin / Miss Marple, etc.

[Tiredteacherxxx]

Hi all, I'm putting together a care package for my mother in law who is starting chemo. Looking for book recommendations in the vein of Agatha Raisin / Poirot / Miss Marple to get her a few books. Any recommendations gratefully received! Thanks

Ffs... similar... not simile...

Has she read any Josephine Tey? If not, she may love ‘The Franchise Affair’ - and her other novels are equally absorbing.

Dorothy L. Sayers - All the Harriet Vane / Lord Peter Whimsey novels.

These are the best of the genre, but any of the Golden Age crime novelists would fit the bill.

I'll ask my partner, they've just read all the Miss Marples and Agatha Raisins and Poirots.

Before Christmas they got into a new series which was an Agatha Christie rip off that they enjoyed.

What a lovely kind idea, especially given your name! Agatha Christie’s: Murder is Easy, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Taken at the Flood, And then there were none, Nemesis. There aren’t many dud Agatha Christie's in my opinion so you probably can’t go far wrong.

Family member undergoing chemo feels very chilly so neck warmer, cosy hat, blanket, socks would probably also be welcome. Wishing MIL a good outcome.

SJ Bennett’s Her Majesty Investigates series is good fun

Have a look at this thread, tons of ideas for you: www.librarything.com/topic/18555

Josephine Tey
Ngaio Marsh
Patricia Wentworth’s Miss Silver novels
Dorothy L Sayers
Margery Allingham
Ruth Rendell
PD James

Also the new Marple book OP. 12 short stories written by great authors re-imagining Miss Marple.

Hi, OP - this is right up my street! Try:

• James Anderson (The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy is the first one of three he wrote)
• Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple books (Start with Death at Wentwater Court)
• Caroline Graham wrote the books on which Midsomer Murders are based, but also some excellent standalone novels. My favourite is Murder at Madingley Grange
• Catriona McPherson's Dandy Gilver series, beginning with After the Armistice Ball
• Richard Osman's recent books, starting with The Thursday Murder Club

When i xfinsihed Agatha raisin, I went straight to hamish mcbeth

Simon BrettCharlie Paris Series (20 books)
Mrs Pargeter Series (8 Books)
Fethering Series (21 books)
If she likes them, try one of each to start, then there's lots to keep her going.

Ellis Peters Cadfael Series (20 books).

Richard Coles (2 books)

Robert Thorogood Marlow Murder Club (2 books) and (Death in Paradise 4 books)

I wish your mother-in-law well.

Elizabeth Daly's Miss Silver series is 20+ books spanning 1920s to 1940s. Miss Silver is an elderly former governess

The Faith Martin Ryder & Loveday series for sure might suit, or possibly even her Hillary Greene books

Nicola Upson - has written a series of whodunnits with her version of Josephine Tey as the main character. Not sure if it works if you don't know Tey already but they are enjoyable light reads.

Kate Atkinson - the Jackson Brodie books. A bit meatier.

The thing is Josephine Tey had such mastery over English prose. I revere her as much for her writing as for her stories.

Though I recall I wanted nothing challenging when I was in hospital - perhaps OP’s MIL might currently prefer the writers who require less concentration.

Second Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series, fun period detail and a feisty female protagonist.

Anthony Horowitz detective book - Magpie Murders is good and fairly easy to read.

Thank you all so much! ❤️❤️❤️

Inspector Montalbano books by Andrea Camilleri

I'm an idiot. It's Patricia Wentworth who wrote the Miss Silver books (and PP has already said).

Elizabeth Daly wrote the Henry Gamadge books similar time period but he's in America and is an antique book dealer.

From memory, Simon Brett's Fethering series is very similar to Agatha Raisin.