Detective series suggestions please.

[Rinkymcdinky]

I wonder if anyone has any suggestions please.

I read a few detective series, but need a new one to get into for the winter.

I’ve read:

Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series. (Really liked)
Also her Harbinder Kaur series.
Strike novels. (Loved)
Jackson Brodie. (Loved)
P. D. James’ books.
Most Agatha Christie.
Anthony Hotowitz Hawthorn and Magpie Murders series. (Really liked)
Tried the Simon Serralier, but didn’t love.
Read all the Ann Cleeves series. (Quite liked)
Read a fair few Val McDermid. Too graphic for me really.

I have a Peter May upstairs, but haven’t read it yet.

Any great series I’m missing?

Thanks!

Father Brown? The books (short stories) are more ‘complex’ than the TV series.

Are are of these suitable for tweens? I have a very mature 12yo who has just got into Miss Marple. Happy for her to read adult level books but want to avoid sex and too much violence.

If she likes Miss Marple, she might enjoy Patricia Wentworth's Miss Silver mysteries. Cosy Golden Age. Definitely no sex, and no more violence than you'd find in an Agatha Christie.

And anyone who enjoys Golden Age mysteries, have a look at E.C.R. Lorac, a long forgotten writer who is being republished in the British Library Crime Classics series. Her series detective is Robert Macdonald, a Scotland Yard man. She's good at creating a sense of place and atmosphere, and her characters are generally likeable. She does a good line in elderly ladies, whether grande dame or Cockney charlady.

The British Library is republishing a whole lot of these Golden Age crime novels. The quality is varied. Dame Agatha is head and shoulders above most of them.

I've enjoyed MW Craven's books this year. There are 5 set in Cumbria, with a good police pairing - grumpy older male cop and younger neurodivergent female geeky analyst.

@Notcookie I think the Louise Penny books would be suitable for a 12 year old as no sex and not much violence.

I echo the suggestion of MW Craven. Lots of great ideas on this thread, I'm going to make a list

I agree re Holmes. Have read and reread all of those many times.

Take a look at the DI Lottie Parker books by Patricia Gibney.

Happy for her to read adult level books but want to avoid sex and too much violence.

For oldies like me, there was very little young adult fiction when I was young and detective stories were a good transition into adult books. Most of the Golden Age Crime novels would be suitable. Someone suggested Father Brown as well as Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers and I would agree.

Josephine Tey (also mentioned on this thread) would be good too. For older teens and adults, I love the Nicola Upson series in which she imagines a life for Josephine Tey.

Sean Duffy series by Adrian McKintey.
John Harvey
Peter Robinson

If you don't like graphic violence best avoid Stuart McBride (great writing but appallingly graphic) also Mark Billingham.

Ooh, love this thread :)
I recommend the Dublin Murder Squad series, by Tana French.

I bought my dad the first of this series, three have been written so far, and a fourth is in the works. It wasn't fantastic but I did enjoy it, and have been thinking about getting the next ones. It might have been as it's set in my home city
Mark Dawson

Agree Sara Paretsky and Peter Robinson of current authors.
Adding Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko series.

Just remembered reading lots of Ellery Queen from the library as a teenager. Bright yellow covers. No idea if they stand up to reading today but someone else might?

I thought I had read lots of detective series until I saw this thread. Many thanks OP, I think that is my reading sorted out for the next 5 years!

Martin Walker’s books about Bruno Chef de Police, set in the Dordogne

Caimh McDonnell Bunny McGarry books. I think it's a trilogy that's up to 6 or 7 books by now

Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London series if you don't mind a bit of magic creeping in

Peter Swanson Rules for Perfect Murders is great. His books are pretty much standalone books, but there's a few.

Christopher Brookmyre Jack Parlabane books

Same here, I tend to stick to my favourites but there are some great recommendations here

Dorothy L. Sayers. I think she's the best of the classic crime writers, but I also love Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh.

Tess Gerritsen - Rizzolli and Isles series - pathological thrillers about a detective and pathologist - loved them since I was 15, now 32 and read all of them!

Andrew Taylor's Lydmouth series is good if you like period settings - it’s based in a small town in the 50s (but written in the 90s/early 2000s). Excellent sense of place and time.

I'm a sucker for mysteries that are upper middle class and horsey- hence adore Brat Farrar. If you can get hold of them, try the Theodora Braithwaite books by DM Greenwood- they epitomise thes3 qualities, but are principally clerical. Theodora is a Deacon in the C of E in the 90s before rhe ordination of women. Beautifully written and pleasingly acide about the senior clergy.

If you can get hold of them, try the Theodora Braithwaite books by DM Greenwood

I think I've seen them advertised as a box set on Kindle - the kind of offer where you get five books or so for £1.99.

9 Theodora Braithwaite mysteries box set is currently 99p!

The Judge Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron, set in North Carolina. They should be read in order. The first one is Bootlegger's Daughter.

Simon Serrailler series by Susan Hill.

Michael Wood but graphic in parts