I’ve frequently found that there are many people who don’t think of themselves as mystery readers. But because there are so many different types of mysteries—police procedural, thriller, private investigator, cozies, etc.—there’s really a little something for everyone. If you’re interested in stretching your genre boundaries, think about adding some of these novels to your summer reading list.
Here are a few elements of a good mystery and some books that embody them.
A protagonist you can care about: Water Like a Stone. Detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James seem like real people, not the police stereotypes we all get tired of reading about. Jill McGown’s Detective Chief Inspector Lloyd & Judy Hill Mysteries also has a winning detective team that the reader will enjoy spending time with.
An interesting setting: I love M.C. Beaton’s Hamish Macbeth series which is set in the Scottish highlands. Beautiful dialect and fun characters really make the series a stand-out.
Suspense: Try John Hart’s King of Lies. Elizabeth George’s Thomas Lynley series is also full of tense moments as the police attempt to solve the mystery.
A puzzle: Try P.D. James’ Adam Dalgleish series or Ruth Rendell’s psychological suspense tales.
Something unique: For something a little different, you can’t beat Nancy Atherton’s Aunt Dimity series. Any time a ghost figures prominently in a book, it’s bound to be different.
You hit the nail on the head here — I’m not a mystery reader. Actually, I’m not a fiction reader! Occasionally I pick up a Jodi Picoult novel, but usually I prefer nonfiction, true stories. You make some good points here though, ones that let me know I should reconsider!
Thanks, Elizabeth. I do like mysteries – just haven’t read one in awhile.
Karen
http://www.karenfollowingthewhispers.blogspot.com
There’s nothing I like better than recommendations to add to my Reading List. The new one I’m going to try from your suggestions is the Jill McGown series. And the list grows on.
Patricia
I’m one of the non-mystery readers. Not sure why. However, your list intrigued me. Why not try something different? I kinda like the Ghost thing. I’m a big Hamlet fan, so, seems like a good place to start. Heck, I might even try my hand at writing one. I like to bill myself as a multi-genre author. If that’s true, how can I exclude mysteries? Looks Like I have some work before me, but, it should be fun work. Thanks, for surfacing this issue.
Best Regards, Galen.
GalenKindley.com
I’m a BIG fan of mystery novels. Thanks for the tips. :)
The Old Silly from Free Spirit Blog
Once again, a very informative blog that is helpful to the visitor. Succinct yet beefy. I like your first item, a protagonist you can care for. All too often I read a book and really don’t care about the protagonist.
The good guy wins in the end, but so what? A story has to be better than good merely winning over evil. The reader has to care about the main character and what happens to him or her.
Best wished for your continued success.
– Stephen Tremp
Author – Breakthrough: The Adventures of Chase Manhattan
http://www.stephentremp.blogspot.com/
I don’t generally characterize myself as a mystery reader, but I guess that isn’t true. I like thrillers and police procedurals. Thanks for reminding me!
Jennifer Taggart
http://www.thesmartmama.com/bg
Excellent post with some fabulous authors. I enjoy mysteries and your choices will make for fun summer reading.
Jina
The Berlin Sex Diary of Lady Eve Marlowe
I’m not a mytery lover. I’ve read few that I could appreciate. But I also never stopped to thing there were were so many varieties of mysteries. Perhaps there’s one out there for me.
Alan Chin
Nice way to break up the genre. You’ve neatly tapped into various reasons people read in general and applied it to mysteries. Good post.