Help, I’ve run out of Strike, Elly Griffiths *and* Ann Cleeves

[MixedTocopherols]

For me these have all been the right level of well-executed, absorbing escapism. Casting about for something similar, any suggestions would be great 🙏

Have you read the Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny? The first one is Still Life I think. There are about 15 books, set in Canada but I think they fall into the same category.

(I've read the books you've mentioned and I enjoyed this series too).

Fourth Wing

Game of Thrones books

Jane Casey if you like crime

Anthony Horowitz books where he and hawthorn are the sleuths.
starts with the word is murder

Jane Casey. Great really well written crime novels starring DS Maeve Kerrigan. Highly recommend. Absolutely up there with strike imo.

Ooh snap piglet!

Ruth Rendell. Wonderful.

Wallander or Harry Hole series, both scandi noir

Minette Walters.
Start on her first one and work through them.
She's great.

This is brilliant thanks, I haven’t read any of these. Might start with Casey in honour of the double recommendation!

Susan Hill Simon Serrailler series.
Tana French Dublin Murder Squad series.
Kate Atkinson Jackson Brodie

I came on to say Jane Casey too!

Rachael Blok: Under the Ice, and subsequent mysteries set in Hertfordshire

www.fantasticfiction.com/b/rachael-blok/under-the-ice.htm

I read a few of the Serraillers years ago, thinking they’d be right up my street but they started to irritate me a bit and I can’t quite recall why. General gloom I think? plus maybe a slight lack of a sense of humour (not that I want everything to be funny — but you want to think that there’s at least a willingness to let humour exist within the world of the book)

Have read and really enjoyed the Jackson Brodie books.

Mari Hannah or LJ Ross if you're into crime.

I second the Horowitz books where he is the protagonist -‘The Word is Murder’ etc. And also his Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders. I also love those series you mention OP, though I’ve not yet finished all the Ann Cleeves books (read all of the Shetland and now halfway through the Vera Books).

Something slightly different (but just as readable) might be the Ann Grainger Inspector Ben Ross books - set in Victorian London. They are good fun.

I love the Karen Pirie books by Val McDermid. Carol Jordan and Tony Hill are good too but are scarier.

JD Kirk - Tartan Noir! Fantastic x

Val Mcdermid
Peter Robinson, early in the series are better
Minette Walters
Stephen Booth
Ruth Rendell/ Barbara Vine
PD James

And for classic crime, Agatha christie

I second Mari Hannah.

I would second the recommendation of the Karen Pirie books by Val McDermid. Her stand alone books are good too, but I'm not a massive fan of the Tony Hill ones.

Peter James' Roy Grace books are great.

Stephen Booth has done a series set in the Peak District that is worth a read too.

I find Val McDermid’s graphic descriptions of violence against women really disturbing,

Ruth Randell is brilliant at procédurales, maybe the last three or four are a bit laboured. Her writing as Barbara Vine doesn’t seem to date at all , perhaps because they are more psychologically based.

I wish P D James wasn’t quite so obviously in love with her detective Dalgliesh, I prefer heroes with the odd flaw.

Craig Robertson has a series of crime novels based in Scotland featuring a female detective which are great (Random, watch them die etc.)
Lisa Jewell is good too
Next Strike novel is due on 26th Sept.