Reading the Detectives discussion

While the Golden Age detective fiction tradition is mainly associated with Britain, there are also books set in other countries and authors from around the world who appeal to fans of this genre.

So, who are your favourites? Feel free to set up a thread to discuss them with other readers.

Let's open up this thread to discuss who your favourite classic crime authors from around the world are? Who deserves their own thread?!

Ngaio Marsh, Christie, Sayers and Margery Allingham!

Haha, Hilary - I meant authors from countries beyond Britain - Ngaio Marsh does count of course, but she already has her own thread in the Favourite Authors section!

I did enjoy The Circlular Staircase byMary Roberts Rinehart so would like to read more from her. Having only read the one book , I'm not sure she would deserve her own thread though

Hmm the problem is that we have so many great GA Authors here in the UK that I have not really had to spread my wings so to speak!

How about Georges Simenon and his Maigret series.....or is that too modern?

Jill wrote: "How about Georges Simenon and his Maigret series.....or is that too modern?"

He started in the early '30s,

I've only read the first book in the Maigret series so far, which I thought was very good - must get back to him soon.

We do have a Simenon thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I have read just one of the Fantômas Series, but I enjoyed it enough I keep meaning to get back to it. In the last couple of weeks there have been some editions for free, so maybe actually having some will get me back to them.

I don't really know any vintage/Golden Age mystery writers outside Britain and the U.S. except Georges Simenon. I will have to keep an eye on this thread!

Another who precedes Christie, et al, is Anna Katharine Green. I have enjoyed those of hers I have read. I think I read that her forensics are quite accurate, especially given the time period.

The sleeper trains book I've been reading makes me want to read Inspector Maigret, as it keeps mentioning them.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Another who precedes Christie, et al, is Anna Katharine Green. I have enjoyed those of hers I have read. I think I read that her forensics are quite accurate, especially given the ti..."

I have several of her books on my kindle but haven't read any. New books arrive much too quickly.

Sandy wrote: "I have several of her books on my kindle but haven't read any. New books arrive much too quickly. "

I enjoyed her enough to pick up Delphi Complete Works of Anna Katharine Green, which in the US is $2.99 regularly. I have some other Delphi Complete works as well. There is the occasional OCR error, but not enough to interfere with the enjoyment of reading.

I love Anna Katharine Green! She has been a favorite for years. A lot of hers are free on Project Gutenberg.

I have read some Mary Roberts Rinehart and do enjoy those, though sometimes her narration can be a bit dense.

I'm working my way through Louis Tracy's Furneaux and Winter mysteries now and thoroughly enjoying them.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "...I enjoyed her enough to pick up [book:Delphi Complete Works of Anna Katharine Gree..."

Elizabeth, I just purchased this!!! Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the Leavenworth Case by Ms. Green. I look forward to reading more of her stuff. I have a few books in the Fantomas series too.

Judy, thank you so much for opening this thread!!!! I just found it!!!! I will admit that I read almost exclusively British GA authors but am happy to take a foray into nonBritish authors too.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Another who precedes Christie, et al, is Anna Katharine Green. I have enjoyed those of hers I have read. I think I read that her forensics are quite accurate, especially given the ti..."

Thank you for the recommendation. I have downloaded one of her books to try.

Thank you for the kind words, S Dizzy, and thanks for the info about Anna Katharine Green, Elizabeth. She is one of the many authors I've been meaning to try!

I thought of another that if you haven't read, may be of interest to more than a few. Edgar Allan Poe wrote 3 detective stories and they are collected in The Murders in the Rue Morgue: The Dupin Tales. There is a bit of dispute whether Poe's Dupin was the first detective in print, but he is certainly very very early, and includes the first of all of the locked room murder mysteries.

I really like Poe's stories and it's fascinating to see how similar Dupin is to a certain slightly later detective, Sherlock Holmes!

There's Erle Stanley Gardner,creator of Perry Mason.He also wrote the Cool and Lam Series,the adventures of plus sized Bertha Cool and pint sized Donald Lam.I enjoy this series more than Perry Mason.He wrote this as A.A.Fair.

I've watched Raymond Chandler's work on film,would like to try his books as well.
Also interested in pulp fiction from the 1950s.

Ngaio Marsh and Agatha Christie are my favourite detective authors. But after listening to the 'Shedunnit' podcast, on a long drive home on Saturday, I can't believe I'd never read any of the Dorothy L Sayers books. I feel like a failed crime reader!!!

I like Dorothy Sayers, even love some of her books, but I like Margery Allingham better.

With Sayers, BTW, it's fairly important to read them in order. The first book has important background info about the sleuth, and a few books in he meets a woman who will be important as the series goes on.

Abigail wrote: "I like Dorothy Sayers, even love some of her books, but I like Margery Allingham better.

With Sayers, BTW, it's fairly important to read them in order. The first book has important background info..."

Thanks! I've been buying the old green Penguin crime editions of all the work by Marsh, and Christie, so will see if I can get the Sayer's books in that format too, and then read them x

Some other non-British early crime writers:

William Le Queux
Gaston Leroux
Arthur B. Reeve
Jack Boyle

I have managed to pick up Kindle editions by each of these, but have not yet managed to get to any of them.