Favorite Mystery Authors (of non-formulaic mysteries)
Submitted by AuntieM on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 10:00
Tags:
- Linda Barnes (her Carlotta Carlyle series)
- Lawrence Block (Bernie Rhodenbarr burglar series)
- Anne Perry (two Victorian series - which seem to get better with every book)
- S.J. Rozan (Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series, in which one book takes Lydia's viewpoint and the next takes Bill's viewpoint; Bill's are more hard-boiled)
- Nevada Barr (Anna Pigeon series - "Blind Descent" is particularly well done but read them in order)
- Lillian Jackson Braun (Cat Who series - gentle but fun)
- Janet Evanovich (Her first is "One for the Money" and each later mystery has a higher number--very funny but getting cartoonish as of #7 and #8 is downright silly in some chapters--and becoming formulaic--off this list as of now.)
- John Dunning ("Booked to Die" and sequels - definitely for book lovers and book collectors)
- Justin Scott (his little-known Newbury series)
- Thomas Perry (wonderful thriller-mysteries featuring Jane Whitefield)
- Robert Crais (some, not all - not "Freefall" for example)
- Deborah Crombie (Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James mysteries set in England--little gore and strong on relationships)
- David Handler (two series mysteries: one starring Hoagy, a New Yawker with attitude, and one starring Berger and Mitry, slightly gentler cozy based in Connecticut)
- Jasper Fford (all the Thursday Next futuristic mysteries are enjoyable for their literature in-jokes)
Author Comments:
Anybody else start a good mystery series lately?
I would also add Amanda Cross's Kate Fansler series. It is written by Literature professor and former MLA President Carol Heilibrun. Also, though aren't all mystery stories by their nature formulaic. I mean, we know the mystery is going to get solved-- and even with Anne Perry for example, we know that Charolotte Pitt will help her husband solves a crime, that it will have social significance, etc, etc?
You're right, mysteries are pretty formulaic, but some are more "by the numbers" than others. That's why I called this list "non-fomulaic" -- to signal that these books try to develop characters and delve into the situation and conflicts more than the typical who-done-it. I've read two of the Kate Fansler series and liked them.
just a query....is anne perry the pen name for one of the girls involved in the murder portrayed in the peter jackson film, "heavenly creatures?" i think it is but i'm not sure. i remember that one of the girls, possibly the daughter of the woman that they killed, began a career as a mystery writer under an alias that was something like anne perry...hope you can help me out on this...thanks.
Yes, I believe Anne Perry is her pen name. What an ironic turn of events! And Perry's mysteries are generally very good, don't you think?
AuntieM:
actually i haven't had a chance to read any of them yet...although it would be interesting to read some b/c i liked heavenly creatures so much (despite the distubing, true, subject matter...) what would you recommend as a good FIRST BOOK as an introduction to anne perry?
The William Monk series is a bit more character-analytic than the Pitt series, but I recommend both. It's probably a good idea to start with the first book since these characters do develop over time and sometimes refer back to earlier adventures as they move through later mysteries. Happy reading!
I just started reading the William Monk Series of Anne Perry's, and actually find them a lot less formulaic than the Charlotte Pitt/Inspector Pitt Series. I actually can't wait for the next book to come out, as I am very invested in the characters.
Actaully, Janet Evanovich came out with Hot Six in June.
Thomas Perry, no series? Have you not read the Jane Whitfield novels? I'm sure you would love them. They're more thrillers than mysteries, but quite good.
You're right, the Jane thrillers are really a series--and very suspenseful, not to mention inventive! Also unusual in that the police are not 'partners' in Jane's solutions for her clients. Real page-turners.
To take the opposite tack, one of my favorite mysteries takes the formula to an extreme, almost as a parody. It's incredibly funny. Actually there were two: The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy, and The Affair of the Mutilated Mink [Coat]. The height of the English Country House Murder genre.
They were out of print, but were reissued recently enough you may be able to find them. The second's title was changed (the word "coat" eliminated). The author's name is James Anderson. Highly recommended.