Crime Fiction fans...

[Restinggoddess]

What is your favourite crime fiction book?
What is it about the book or the author that you like?

I enjoy crime fiction but want to expand my repertoire

Thank

Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series is very good. Case Histories is the 1st.

In the Woods by Tana French , also v good. She's done a few , some better than others.

Thank you for the suggestion

I think I saw the Jackson Brodie tv series
Not heard of Tana French

Thank you

The DCI Jack Logan series.

I’ve just read all the translated Seishi Yokomizo books which I really enjoyed - post war Japan. A bit gory but enjoyable reads

Have just started Martin Walker’s series of Bruno chief of police novels set in Dordogne, France and finding they have a great sense of place and interesting characters. For similar qualities I’ve also enjoyed…

Alison Bruce’s crime novels set in Cambridge (starting with Cambridge Blue)

Donna Leon’s Venice based Brunetti series

Ragnar Jonnason’s dark Iceland series (starting with Snow Blind) and

Will Dean’s Sweden set novels featuring Tuva Moodyson (starting with Dark Pines)

I’m not really into gore or grim crime details so liked all these for being well written with good storylines, tight plotting and engaging protagonists as well as their atmospheric settings.

Ian Rankin's Detective Rebus series set in Edinburgh

Ruth Rendell
P.D. James

My favourite is Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy Sayers, or Gaudy Night, same author. Closely followed by The Franchise Affair, Josephine Tey.
I also like Elly Griffiths, Richard Osman, Robert Galbraith, Andrew Taylor, Ann Cleeves, and of course Agatha Christie.
I think what I like is a mystery, a plot that makes sense, not too much gore and horror, a real focus on character, and if possible a romance.

Many thanks for all these suggestions
Plenty to go for

Ruth Rendell also wrote under a pen name, Barbara Vine. Really good, psychologically interesting crime novels. A Fatal Inversion is a good one to start with.

Second the Jackson Brodie and Tana French recommendations!

Jane Casey

I loved the Susan Hill, Simon Serrailler series.

DI Claire Mackay series by Marion Todd, set in St. Andrews and surrounding area.

Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) Strike Series

Stuart McBride Logan McCrae Series

Elly Griffith Ruth Galloway Series

Helen Fields Luc Callanach Series

Helen Durrant Calladine and Bayliss Series

Ian Rankin Rebus Series

Ann Cleeves Shetland Series

Val McDermid Karen Perie Series

JD Kirk Jack Logan Series

Jane Casey Mauve Kerrigan Series

Kerry Wilkinson Jessica Daniels Series

Elly Griffiths (everything), Kate Atkinson (both crime and other novels), Lesley Thompson Stella Darnell books (Detective's Daughter). Also enjoy the Richard Osman books - they are a bit daft but make me laugh out loud at times, especially Joyce. Also Anthony Horowitz - Magpie & Moonflower murders are my favourite.

Also Christie, Chesterton, Sayers, Allingham, Marsh - pretty much read and/or listened to their entire works in the last couple of years!

Slightly more spy than crime, but giving off the same vibe - the Mick Herron Slough House novels

JD Robb Eve Dallas series - set in America about 100 years in the future. Slightly formulaic as far as characters go, though.

I've always loved people like Patricia Cornwell/Kathy Reichs/Tess Gerritsen/Lisa Gardner/Jeffrey Deaver but have read their books so many times so my current reads are people like Lisa Regan and Melinda Leigh

Another vote for Elly Griffiths.

Margaret Maron's books set in North Carolina are long time favorites of mine. Her main sleuth is Deborah Knott, a lawyer who eventually becomes a judge.

All the above, plus Tess Gerritsen, Kathy Reichs, SR Garrae, Margery Allingham, Edmund Crispin, MC Beaton (sometimes a bit silly and twee), Alex Gray, Ann Cleeves.

Alan Parks' Harry McCoy series, set in 70s Glasgow with a flawed hero but really good.

M W Craven

Chris Carter

J A Kerley

Chris Mooney

Many thanks everyone

I have started a crime fiction book group where I live and it's good to have a wide range of authors - these are all very helpful to keep the group going

I've just finished reading Drew Augustine's 'The Twenty Murders' which I loved. The backdrop is the culture war so it's both brave and up to date. Perfect if you're sick of the woke publishing world censoring what the rest of us read, especially after Literary Alliance Scotland’s guidance on deplatforming 'TERF' writers.