Looking for Good Mystery Novels?
Alright, so I’ve never really been an avid fan of the mystery genre. I have only ever read two mysteries: And Then There Were None and Death Comes as the End, both by Agatha Christie.
Suddenly, however, I feel compelled to read some sort of mystery fiction sometime soon.
SEX IS OKAY.
VIOLENCE AND GORY DESCRIPTIONS ARE OKAY (both when explaining the murder and examining the body)!
BOOKS THAT BASICALLY CENTER ENTIRELY AROUND BOTH THESE THINGS ARE NOT OKAY. I am looking for something in the mystery genre, because I am interested in reading a mystery. I don’t want to pick something up that is basically about the sex life of a detective who happens to be solving a crime during the time of the plot.
I would especially like books that allow you to guess what happened before the end of the story, but this is not a requirement. Consider this while suggesting novels or authors, but don’t let it be your only concern. I’d like some variety, anyway.
Other than that, anything goes, really. :] Like I said, though, variety is good, so try not to recommend a bunch of the same thing.
A side note: Technical, legal stuff is okay up to a certain point. I don’t mind having to look a definition up now and then. However, I also do not wish to be forced to have entire pages translated online, if you understand what I’m saying.
- Thoth Incarnate
Tags: Authors, Body Books, Mysteries, Mystery Fiction, Variety
May 8th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos
May 10th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Tony Hillerman’s novels are some of the most original in the mystery genre. Most of his books feature Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. Hillerman really knew the Navajo culture and religion, plus he wove a good tale. He died last year, and I was crushed — no more Leaphorn books! Fun and fascinating stuff.
Harlan Coben is also good. His character Myron Bolitar is a great combo of hard-boiled detective and nice guy underneath it all. There’s some really funny dialogue in these books, as well as strong plot lines. Good action, good suspense.
May 12th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Try Ruth Rendell, she does ‘detective stories’ with her Chief Inspector Wexford series, and a whole library of books which are more ‘why done its’ than ‘who done its’. She also writes as Barbara Vine and under that name she writes her most psychologically motiviated books, often involving not so much the crime itself, but the lives of the people involved, sometimes decades after, the weight of secrets and the way the past haunts and shapes thier lives.
Ian Rankin’s Rebus series is a favourite of mine, not only is the writing excellent, but they are set in my home city, Edinburgh.
Reginald Hill writes wonderful books, especially his Daziel and Pascoe books, really interesting plots, plus his dry wit makes them very readable.
I could go on and on, but these are the 3 authors from this genre I would most recomend to begin with.
Hope you enjoy them.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Robert Barnard
Lawrence Block
Ed McBain
SJ Rozan
Charlaine Harris
and me, Jeffrey Marks