English Mysteries Club discussion

Do you have a favourite Mystery series?

If your favourite mystery author begins writing another series, are you likely to try that one too? Do you ever find you like one series they have written, but not another one?

Please share your thoughts, and let us all know here.

I read quite a few of the Charles Todd mysteries featuring Ian Rutledge but held off trying the Bess Crawford ones because so often I've seen writers who do one thing well but flop on others. It turned out that the Crawford series was very good too. I like Christie's Miss Marples and Hercule Poirots but not her other series, and I like Rendell's Wexfords but not her other books. I like most of Doherty's series, but I like Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness series much more than her other series.

Is this like picking your favorite child? I have so many but currently am in love with Elly Griffiths series starring Ruth, a forensic anthropologist professor. It's so delightful. But I would not miss a C.J. Sansom, Sara Paretsky, or a Jack Reacher.

Susan wrote: "Is this like picking your favorite child? ..."

LOL Susan - it's just an opener! And a way for us to pick each others' brains :)

Jean wrote: "so often I've seen writers who do one thing well but flop on others ..."

Yes, I've been surprised that I like all Simon Brett's continuing characters, wildly diverse though they are! "Charles Paris": jaded, unsuccessful, divorced, ageing actor, "Mrs Pargeter": wealthy widow of a shifty crook, "Carole and Jude": completely mismatched middle aged-elderly neighbours. All are great mysteries :) Yet for some reason I don't like Agatha Christie's "Tommy and Tuppence" books.

Bionic Jean wrote: "Jean wrote: "so often I've seen writers who do one thing well but flop on others ..."

Yes, I've been surprised that I like all Simon Brett's continuing characters, wildly diverse th..."

Simon Brett has been on my 'to try' list for quite awhile.

Maybe I should go on record now that I don’t really care for Agatha Christie 😳

I don't really have a favourite series since I read most of the classic series over 20 years ago and don't remember liking one more than the other. If I liked them, I read them all-Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Agatha Christie, Ellis Peters (both the Cadfael and Inspector Felse series). Of those four, I think Christie has the weakest writing style but her plots are generally clever and fun.

I have recently discovered Edmund Crispin, who wrote a series about Gervase Fen, an Oxford don. They are funny.

Sandy wrote: "Simon Brett has been on my 'to try' list for quite awhile..."

They are great - light and amusing - good if you're a bit under the weather and need something that won't challenge you :)

I think there are 11 books in the series, Rita.

Allie wrote: "Maybe I should go on record now that I don’t really care for Agatha Christie 😳"

LOL I'm sure you're not alone, Allie :) Although I really enjoy her books now, it's taken me a good 30 years to come round!

Rita wrote: "I've never heard of Simon Brett. What kind of mysteries does he write ..."

Other than light and amusing? And details in my comment 6? Oh there's a 4th series too, "Blotto and Twinks", which I don't really care for. This and the Fethering ones are the most recent.

There are some stand-alones too, such as Dead Romantic or A Shock to the System. They are a bit darker, and perhaps more to your taste. A Shock to the System was made into a film starring Michael Caine.

I'm not sure what else I can say. There are lots of them on my GR shelves.

I'm all about historical mysteries, and have been reading them for years. Not sure I could pick a favorite... I loved the Falco mysteries (ancient Rome) by Lindsey Davis (The Silver Pigs), and the U.S. Civil War mysteries by Owen Parry (Faded Coat of Blue), and Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series (Crocodile on the Sandbank), and the Kate Ross Regency mysteries with Julian Kestrel (Cut to the Quick)... (blah blah blah).

As for "contemporary" mysteries, I assume Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books wouldn't qualify (LOL), although I love them. I think Charles Todd is a genius, but his Rutledge series is too dark for me. If Craig Johnson's Longmire books qualify, I definitely would list them. As Rita already mentioned, I also enjoyed The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books very much.

My opinion is that many of the current "mystery" series are actually thrillers, so that is how I catalog them. It's not a favorite genre for me, obviously.

I know what you mean, Rita.

Jan wrote: "My opinion is that many of the current "mystery" series are actually thrillers, so that is how I catalog them. It's not a favorite genre for me, obviously"

No worries all - this group has a wide remit!

Modern mystery fiction goes back way before Agatha Christie to a story called "Das Fräulein von Scuderi" by E. T. A. Hoffmann in 1819. Then Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

But nobody is forced to read any of them.

I like Simon Brett but have never read Crispin. I'll have to give him a try. I agree with Jean as usual. I don't really care for Tommy and Tuppence by Christie.

I thought I was alone in that, Susan!

I like Tommy & Tuppence on television, never read any of their books.

Re: McCall-Smith... I like No. 1 Ladies, but hated Scotland Street.

I read Agatha Raisin, but no interest in Hamish Macbeth.

I'm right there with you on Tommy and Tuppence, Susan and Bionic Jean. I also agree with Susan on McCall-Smith and Agatha Raisin. I've read several Hamish Macbeth ones when I was desperate, but they aren't very good. So many spiteful unlikeable characters! I did like Sonsie . . . .

Rosemarie wrote: "I don't really have a favourite series since I read most of the classic series over 20 years ago and don't remember liking one more than the other. If I liked them, I read them all-Dorothy Sayers, ...

I have recently discovered Edmund Crispin, who wrote a series about Gervase Fen, an Oxford don. They are funny."

I love Edmund Crispin! Except perhaps the first book...

I have recently (in the past year or so) been rereading some of my favorite series from the past - Lord Peter Wimsey by Dorothy L. Sayers, Joe Leaphorn & Jim Chee by Tony Hillerman, Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout, Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peters, Miss Silver by Patricia Wentworth, Inspector Alleyn by Ngaio Marsh, Inspector Gamache by Louise Penny - filling in missing books and revisiting favorites.

I tried rereading some Campion books by Margery Allingham and discovered that I don't really like those any more.

Not rereads for me is the Dr. Thorndyke series by R. Austin Freeman - I discovered these books about 18 months ago and have been working my way through them pretty steadily. I like Thorndyke's style but my guess is that it won't have universal appeal.

Other series I like but aren't English are the Inspector Montalbano series by Andrea Camilleri and the Bruno, Chief of Police series by Martin Walker.

Me too, Rita. Maybe we could do an Edmund Crispin buddy read in the group.

Modern authors I’m addicted to (but not limited to) are; Tana French, Catriona McPherson, Kate Ellis, Peter May & Elly Griffiths
😊

An Edmund Crispin buddy read sounds good to me too.

That's too bad. I live in Canada so it is easier to get British authors here. I am sure there are lots of other authors we could pick, Rita.

Rita wrote: "Is Edmund Crispin an English author that never crossed the ocean?My library has none of his books."

I am American & have had no trouble getting his books at my local library but in print (in person) not through Overdrive. It may be that they haven't been digitized or are expensive...

He certainly has been sold here as I was first introduced to his books by my parents who owned several.

Rita wrote: "My library doesn't even have physical books by him."

You can try Inter Library Loan (ILL).
Your library will request whatever book you’re looking for from another library. You’ll get it for the same number of weeks your own library lends books out...usually they just can’t be renewed.

Allie wrote: "Rita wrote: "My library doesn't even have physical books by him."

You can try Inter Library Loan (ILL).
Your library will request whatever book you’re looking for from another library. You’ll get ..."

My library charges $5 per item for I. L. L.

John wrote: "Allie wrote: "Rita wrote: "My library doesn't even have physical books by him."

You can try Inter Library Loan (ILL).
Your library will request whatever book you’re looking for from another librar..."

GET OUT!!!
Wow. That sucks, man.
I use ILL alllllll the time, knowing that now I’m extremely grateful mine is a free service!

Rita wrote: "You are brilliant. I've done that before I don't know why I didn't think about it now."

😊

Everywhere is different ... and there are exclusions sometimes, on age or health grounds. Mine are free because I'm visually impaired - but not children's books, for some odd reason!

I know you're chatting about Edmund Crispin on the buddy reads thread, so maybe now there are 4 interested, you could firm up there? It would be nice to get some buddy reads going :)

All done now :)

So ... any other mystery series we have not mentioned? What about "Father Brown"? There were only a few based on the original stories by G.K. Chesterton, but I'm really enjoying the current series on its own terms. It's set in in the 1950s! Some series depart from the original source - like "Lewis" or "Endeavour" did - but can still seem good :)

I find that I like the current TV series of "Father Brown" more than I liked the stories. Of course, I think that basically they took the name 'Father Brown' and wrote an entirely different character from Chesterton's - I think at least once each episode about the fact that the original Father Brown didn't have a parish!

I do too Leslie! Yet the premise doesn't sound very promising. I watched one a few months ago, and just got hooked! I miss the chauffeur though. I thought it was a better balance to have him and Lady Felicia, than her niece. But Mark Williams makes it for me; he's such an unlikely hero :)

So do Father Brown and Flambeau count as an adversarial duo, do you think? (Ooops - wrong thread!)

I really like the historical mystery series by Bruce Alexander featuring Sir John Fielding. Blind Justice is the first book. Sir John Fielding is the magistrate of Bow Street court in 1768 and head of the Bow Street Runners (which had been created 20 years earlier by his brother Henry Fielding as the first professional police force in London).

Bionic Jean wrote: "All done now :)

So ... any other mystery series we have not mentioned? What about "Father Brown"? There were only a few based on the original stories by G.K. Chesterton, but I'm r..."

I prefer the original television series from a generation ago to the recent one.

John wrote: "I prefer the original television series from a generation ago to the recent one ..."

There's a vague memory - but I'm struggling to catch it! Black and white? Who played "Father Brown", John?

Kenneth More played Father Brown in the 70s but without the humour in the current version that stars Mark Williams . I prefer the current series 😉

Icewineanne wrote: "Kenneth More played Father Brown in the 70s but without the humour in the current version that stars Mark Williams . I prefer the current series 😉"

Thanks Anne - Oh I don't remember that at all. We didn't really have a television for much of the 70s. I'm not that keen on Kenneth More though.

I thought there might be an earlier one ...

Icewineanne wrote: "Kenneth More played Father Brown in the 70s but without the humour in the current version that stars Mark Williams . I prefer the current series 😉"

The current series seems much more like recurring cozy mystery books, whereas the Kenneth More films (not video) were more dramatic and serious.

I do remember enjoying a film with Alec Guinness as Father Brown. But then I enjoy absolutely anything with him in :)

My favorite right now is the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffith. Makes me wish I was an archeologist. Also loved her stand alone novel, The Stranger Diaries.

I really don't think I've ever read a Father Brown, although I have caught the odd snippet of Mark Williams as the eponymous hero. They seemed quite "fun", but I had no idea if they were true to the books.

(i know its not English but I'm really enjoying reading the Simenon Maigret's , as I've noted in another thread - as an aside I even enjoyed Rowan Atkinson as Maigret despite him looking nothing like the Maigret described by Simenon)

Bionic Jean wrote: "I do remember enjoying a film with Alec Guinness as Father Brown. But then I enjoy absolutely anything with him in :)"

That’s right Jean.....thanks for tweaking my memory, it was called Father Brown-Detective from 1954 & starred the great Sir Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Peter Finch & the always terrific Sidney James. Really want to watch this one again. Must see if I can find it.

Icewineanne wrote: "Bionic Jean wrote: "I do remember enjoying a film with Alec Guinness as Father Brown. But then I enjoy absolutely anything with him in :)"

That’s right Jean.....thanks for tweaking ..."

Wow! That's one I'm glad to know about. Hope it's still available! I can't stand the preciousness of the current (in reruns) TV series -- implausible plots as well as characters -- but I remember Agatha Christie was a Father Brown fan, & ever since Tinker Tailor I would happily watch Alec Guinness in anything.

Adrian wrote: "I really don't think I've ever read a Father Brown, although I have caught the odd snippet of Mark Williams as the eponymous hero. They seemed quite "fun", but I had no idea if they were true to th..."

I got into the British TV Maigrets with the great Michael Gambon, & they led me to discover the longer & more wonderful French series with Bruno Cremer. Especially fun is watching the same book in both versions.

C.J. wrote: "I got into the British TV Maigrets with the great Michael Gambon, & they led me to discover the longer & more wonderful French series with Bruno Cremer. Especially fun is watching the same book in both versions. ..."

Thanks for that CJ, I really must look out for Bruno Cremer as I have never heard of him

Suzanne wrote: "My favorite right now is the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffith. Makes me wish I was an archeologist. Also loved her stand alone novel, The Stranger Diaries."

Me too.

CJ - also really enjoyed Bruno Cremer as Maigret in the french subtitled version. We’re so fortunate that our library has all of the dvds available.

This reminded me of the excellent series by Martin Walker set in France. The detective is a small town policeman by the name of Bruno. The stories are excellent and include lots about the French countryside and food.

I have also enjoyed Scandiavian crime novels such as 'The Ice Princess" and others by Camilla Lackberg