Please help me find my next crime/thriller series

[allmycagesweremental]

Hi,

Looking for recommendations for a crime/thriller/procedural series. I do much prefer a series to standalone books - the longer the better!

I have read and enjoyed the following:

• Jeffery Deaver - Lincoln Rhyme
• Tess Gerritson - Rizzoli and Isles
• Sue Grafton - Kinsey Millhone
• J D Robb - In Death series
• Kathy Reichs - Temperance Brennan
• Dana Stabenow - Kate Shugak
• Karin Slaughter - Sara Linton

I have recently tried the Scarpetta series following the advertisements of the new series but found them a bit hard going and gave up after about book six (I hated the series on Prime as well but that’s another thread!).

I don’t seem to have a British based series that I like, have tried a few but for some reason seem to prefer American/Canadian settings. No idea why!

any recommendations would be much appreciated as I’m in a bit of a reading slump and could really do with a new exciting series to get stuck into!!

thank you :)

I agree 100 percent. Both of these authors are among my very favorites. I re-read them often, especially James's Shroud for a Nightingale.

As you like American authors, OP, I recommend Margaret Maron. The books are set in North Carolina, and her sleuth is a young female judge.

As for the Scarpetta books, I think the very earliest ones are the best. I fell out of love with the series with the later books.

I also read these authors although I haven't seen any new Robert Crais in the library for ages or Carl Hiaasan either, I've resorted to buying them. The CH books are so amusing mixed in with his weird characters and the Florida setting.

Love James Lee Burke, find his books really atmospheric with his descriptions of the bayou area, you can almost feel the heat and smell the vegetation.

Ian Rankin - John Rebus series
Susan Hill - Simon Serrailler series
Kate Atkinson - Jackson Brodie series

Although pretty much lawyer based rather than detective, I like John Grisham books, I've read a lot of them and a couple more than once. Very enjoyable.

Anyone who likes Shardlake might enjoy Andrew Taylor's series beginning with Ashes of London, set at the time of and after the Great Fire of 1666. His research is excellent, and he is very good at London, so that anyone who knows the City can easily visualise where his characters are.

Not sure the mystery parts are as good as the historical parts, but worth a try if you can get them from the library or on a cheap Kindle deal.

For something more cosy, Jane Adams' Rina Martin series set in an English seaside town. Rina is a retired actress whose big tv hit was playing a Jessica Fletcher type character. Then she finds herself involved in crime in real life. There's a regular cast of supporting characters which helps to create the cosy feel.

Wes Marlon Whitby series is good. He also had a series set in Salisbury, which intertwines with his series set in Yorkshire and USA, but I didn’t find them quite so good.

JD Kirk - Logan or Bob Hoon series, and David J Gatward - Grimm series are both very good too.

Michael wood the Matilda dark series. Lots in the series and I love them. He also does brilliant stand alone series as well.

Andrea Mara

Mary Kubica

Fiona Leitch

Dorothy L Sayers

Ngaio Marsh

Margery Allingham

Karen Rose is my favourite crime thriller writer, i have read all of her books, can't believe she has not been mentioned yet. Not dissimilar to Karin Slaughter if you liked them. What I like about her is she will write a characters story then the next one will be about a side character from the previous book. I also like Lisa Jackson Alvarez and Pescoli series and Rachel McLean's Dorset and Birmingham series.

If you have Kindle Unlimited there are also some good UK crime series. Rachel McLean, LJ Ross, David Gatward, JD Kirk to name a few. Have you tried the Jack Reacher series of books?

Laurie King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. I also love the Phryne Fisher mysteries by Kerry Greenwood. (The books are much more complicated than the tv series)

I'd forgotten about JD Kirk, I loved the Bob Hoon books 🤩

Can I throw in the Kate Rhodes series set in the Isles of Scilly?

ooh what a great thread, you’ve all given me lots of ideas.

I’ve just got up to date with the Maeve Kerrigan series by Jane Casey and absolutely loved it. Also Rebus is an old favourite.

I'm reading the Rebus series again by Ian Rankin and the Camilla lackberg series as well which I've been really enjoying

Lorimer series set around Glasgow by Alex Gray hasn't been mentioned yet
Getting confused as to whether Rachel lynch has been mentioned set in lake district, female lead Kelly Porter

A few more not mentioned so far ( I think);
Martin Cruz Smith, the Arkady Renko series, set variously in Russia, Ukraine, Cuba.Best read in order
And some Australian authors , for a change of scenery. Peter Temple, Chris Hammer

I agree with lots of the above but I don't think Cara Hunter's DI Fawley series has been mentioned. The first one is Close to Home.

PP mentioned Mark Dawson. I highly recommend his. There are several character series- and some overlap. Beatrix Rose is kickass, and John Milton is awesome!

I can heartily recommend M W Craven’s Washington Poe series. Very very good books.

Rhys Dylan’s DCI Warlow series set in Wales. These were a great find, 20+ books, really well written and great characters.

Rachel Lynch DI Kelly Porter set in Lake District 12 books so far. Good stories and characters.

Abir Mukherjee : Sam Wyndham & Surrender Not series set in Colonial India.
Tom Wood : Victor books : professional assassin with a distaste for profane language.

Jonathan Kellerman has a long series of books set around LA
JA Jance is a female author who has written at least 3 series of books set in Arizona and Seattle. The earlier ones are better but there are loads to choose from!

Many thanks to @Timeforatincture for the Charlotte Vassell recommendation, which I can heartily second, having read the first two over the last couple of days.

Lin Anderson - Rhona Macleod series
Mari Hannah - Kate Daniels and Frankie Oliver series.