What Should I Read #2: A Series of Mystery Series
Because more is better.
Mysteries can be a polarizing genre. Serious Readers think they’re junk food. Many find them too predictable. I’ve read thoughtful critiques that mysteries valorize police officers and negatively contribute to a dangerous “cops as hero” mythology. And there are people who very understandably avoid them because they can be scary and violent, especially towards women and children (Robert Galbraith, I’m talking to you). On the flip side, I know people who ONLY read mysteries!
Personally, I love the mystery genre because sometimes I just want a good page-turner. And I particularly love a mystery series, because I get to revisit characters in fresh scenarios. It’s like catching up with old friends, but without exhausting social activities (or Zoom)! When you read a mystery that you love and then find out there are MANY MORE? Book heaven.
So if mystery series are up your alley or you want to branch out, here are a few options in no particular order:
1/ The Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben (Book One: Deal Breaker)
These are good “paperback mysteries” with a likable, high-morality protagonist (sports agent and former basketball star Myron Bolitar) and a colorful cast of sidekicks (like rich mystery man Win and former pro-wrestling stars turned colleagues Esperanza and Big Cindy.) Fast-paced with a healthy dose of humor; in a genre where dialogue can sometimes take a backseat to the plotting, these really sparkle.
These are a modern companion to the Spenser for Hire and Ed McBain series, which I loved back in the day but I think probably don’t age well. Coben also writes standalone mysteries, so if you like his style, you’ll be set for a while.
***
2/ The Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley (Book One: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie)
My dear friend Danielle recommended these to me as the perfect “cozy mysteries,” a genre which I did not even know EXISTED. (Same? In short, it’s where the violence/sex takes place mostly offstage, the protagonist is not a professional crime solver / is not in danger most of the novel, and the setting is a community or contained environment. Agatha Christie is the queen of the cozy mystery, according to Daniellepedia.)
Anyway, now I recommend these books all the time. Here’s why this series is great and you might love them:
Protagonist is precocious Flavia de Luce, age 11, expert chemist/poisoner, amateur crime-fighter, and generally delightful hellion. She’s like Anne of Green Gables, if Anne had no boundaries and a cheerful taste for mayhem.
Set in a 1950’s England village in a grand but drafty house with an aloof father, dead mother, and hilariously antagonistic, brilliant sisters.
Very low on the traumatic violence or gore scale, very high on characterization and humor but also quietly deeper than they initially seem.
***
3/ The Dublin Murder Series by Tana French (Book One: In the Woods)
I’ve read and liked a few of Tana French’s one-off mysteries (The Witch Elm, The Trespasser) but somehow NEVER knew about this series until a month ago. Where have I been? Why did you all keep these from me? What other critical information have I missed in life?
Anyway, these are taut and complex police procedural-meets-psychological thrillers centered around a Dublin murder squad, but what’s particularly clever about this series is that each of the books are told from the first-person POV of a different member of the squad. So you get the odd bit of commentary about the last book but from a totally different perspective. Definite page turners.
***
4/ The Jackson Brodie Series by Kate Atkinson (Book One: Case Histories)
I’m a *huge* fan of Kate Atkinson’s novels (Life After Life is an all-time favorite of mine) so it was a pleasure to discover somewhat belatedly that she has a five-book series of mysteries!
I’m not writerly enough to know where a mystery ends and a novel begins but IMO these blur the line while still featuring a crime-solving PI. Well-characterized, touches of humor, unapologetically big female characters, not too gory. And set in Scotland, with a Labrador.
***
5/ The Thomas Lynley series by Elizabeth George (Book One: A Great Deliverance)
Fine, yes, OKAY, apparently I like my mystery series to be set in the UK & Ireland region. (Sidebar: Did you watch Broadchurch? So good.)
This series follows a broad cast in London’s New Scotland Yard, including aristocratic Inspector Thomas Lynley, scrappy Detective Barbara Havens, and enough other characters that the series stays fresh by rotating the troupe, so to speak. There are TWENTY (20!) books in this series so far and each is typically 500+ pages, so there’s a lot to enjoy. (The downside to such lengthy books is I basically read each new one as soon as it comes out and then have two to three years to wait.)
In many ways the Lynley books are the epitome of mysteries (crime! Police investigation! Suspects! Bureaucrats!) but they also delve into the messiness of human nature, in ways that don’t always tie up with neat endings.
***
And finally, a Wild Card Suggestion: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith (Book One: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency)
Why you might love them:
They’re set in Botswana (the country is truly a main character) and led by self-taught detective Mma Ramotswe and her secretary-turned-sidekick Grace Makutsi.
At their best, these are upbeat, kind-hearted, charming mysteries solving everyday issues like a cheating husband or stolen property. No gore, no trauma.
Why they’re the wild card:
Because they’re so gentle, they’re not rip-roaring page turners. So while many people love them, I also know people who find them dull.
There are very occasional moments when I feel like the author crosses the line from optimism and admiration of his characters to patronizing them.
HBO adapted this into a mini-series in 2009, with Jill Scott playing the lead character and directed by Anthony Minghella. They sadly only created six episodes but it was shot in Botswana and is a beautiful, fun watch that you can still stream.
So there you have it! Hopefully you’ll find some new favorites here - let me know what I missed in the comments or by email reply!
Coming up: page-turning investigative non-fiction!