Well-written detective fiction

[StalkerEx]

I've been reading the Cormoran Strike books and enjoying them, but I'd like something written slightly better. Apart from Agatha Christie, which detective stories would you recommend? I've never really read much of this genre, but need something fairly light to get me through a tough few months.

Massive Strike fan here!

Mark Billingham's DI Tom Series is great - he reminds me of a MET version of Strike. Really interesting storylines and some brilliant secondary characters.

MW Craven is good but quite hardcore so if you prefer something lighter maybe not so much for you.

Joy Ellis' Jackman and Evans series - not sure if they're available in print but they are on Audible read by Richard Armitage who is a fantastic narrator. Again, interesting plots and characters - a male/female police duo who have a close relationship but refreshingly don't get it on (yet), and fabulous secondary characters.

Alex North, CJ Tudor, Tim Weaver and Lisa Jewell also worth a look. I don't care for Peter James' Roy Grace series but enjoy his stand alone books.

Finally if you don't mind American fiction, I'd highly recommend Linwood Barclay...it's small town, East coast set crime so somehow feels a bit more familiar than the stuff set in New York or LA, which personally I much prefer.

But as Shakespeare said, when he wasn’t blacking RIII’s name, ‘there is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face’. Mass murderers often look kind and ordinary.

Noted… but Tey clearly disagrees, as it’s the premise of why the case piques Grant’s interest.