Exceptional Books discussion

What is your favorite Private Detective fiction, whose investigator is not so hard edged?

There are plenty of private investigators who manage to avoid gloom. They probe into mysteries for a living, although they don't always collect monetarily.

This Private Investigators category includes people who hire themselves out, usually to rectify a situation that doesn't necessarily involve an obvious legal infraction. Protecting family honor, investigating insurance claims, shadowing suspicious characters, etc.

Hermione wrote: "How about Murder on the Orient Express? Definitely a classic, and Agatha Christie is the best-read mystery author of all time :)."

Hermione wrote: "I would recommend Christie's Murder on the Orient Express as a great first Christie mystery! :) She really is a mystery genius and her books have just the right amount of bizarre events, macabre deaths, and brilliant detective work that makes them so very much enjoyable to read :)

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie's first novel, is our introduction to Belgian Hercule Poirot, and thirty-three mysterious adventures.

Murder on the Orient Express is the entry for Top 100.

Would the Thorndyke stories fit into this category? Thorndyke is usually working privately or on the same case as the police but not usually with them. In Mr Pottermack's Oversight, which is my favourite, the police don't even realise that a crime has been committed & he is working for his own satisfaction.

Mma Precious Ramotswe, owner of the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and her assistant, Mma Grace Makutsi, investigate little annoyances and sometimes larger perplexing incidents in her beloved and beautiful Botswana. Alexander McCall Smith is the author.

Colleen wrote: "Have you read any of the Nero Wolf novels by Rex Stout. I've read many of them and love them, but I don't know if they are considered "hard boiled" or not...."

Love Nero Wolfe!!!

Wolfe does not apologize for his behavior. He is a cynic and a mercenary, but he cushions himself in savory cuisine, fine beer, and the botany of orchids. He is sequestered to a point near phobia. He is emotional. He may be gloomy, but his surroundings are not.

Archie Goodwin, on the other hand, is smart-mouthed, satirical, packs a .32 and inflicts his share of intimidation with a little roughing up. He travels the mean streets. He fits the hard-boiled description better. But Archie drinks milk! A personable guy, Goodwin deals with his boss, criminals, clients, law enforcement and the ladies with equally droll authenticity.

The Rex Stout novels do have elements of the Hard-boiled…but they are less dark, livelier and most often end favorably.

Fer-de-Lance

Linda wrote: "Would the Thorndyke stories fit into this category? Thorndyke is usually working privately or on the same case as the police but not usually with them. In Mr Pottermack's Oversight,..."

You know I hesitated because I wanted to call these books procedurals, but R. Austin Freeman's Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke really doesn't fit the Police Procedural category any more than Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes would. So here he stays!!!

Dr. Thorndyke is first introduced to us in novel form in The Red Thumb Mark. Freeman brought authenticity to his scientific approach by actually building and testing the murder devices that he used in his books.

With the story "The Case of Oscar Brodsky" , in the The Singing Bone, Richard Austin Freeman, is credited to have written the first inverted detective story . The crime, the prepetrator and all of the details are known from the beginning, and the reader wonders how and if the detective will figure everything out, a la Columbo.

The Hound of the Baskervilles - The best Sherlock Holmes novel and one of the greatest mystery novels of all time.

Lucy wrote: "My top soft boiled detective is Jane Marple by Agatha Christie. Lucy@12:05p.m.on 9-17-11"

Yeah pretty hard not to include Jane Marple. I am going to place your suggestion in the Cozy Mystery category, since Miss Marple does not make a living as a detective...although she is superb at detection.

Linda wrote: “The Moonstone is a great read…”

Hermione wrote: "The Moonstone is really such a great book, thanks for bringing it up! I need to go dig up my copy and re-read it... :)

William Wilkie Collins is sometimes credited to have written the first detective novel. Although this claim is often disputed, his work is a significant contribution to the genre, with red herrings and a final twist, etc.


Beginning with a collection of documents, an epistolary novel, The Moonstone switches to character narration to make some explanations.

It has been suggested that Jonathan Whicher, a real detective, is the model on whom Inspector Cuff is based, and that the Moonstone has a similar history to the Hope Diamond.

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Started Early, Took My Dog is an outstanding mystery. I was attracted by the title and was astounded at the character development, the insight, the pure, poetic writing."

Started Early, Took My Dog is fourth in the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson.

Tracey wrote: "Can still remember reading my first AC when I was a kid because my grandmother had just given my her Agatha books. My favs: Murder of Roger Ackroyd...

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Monica Also listed:

Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Paula Listed:


Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr.

and

If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O by Sharyn McCrumb, first in the Ballad Mystery series.

Melodie Wrote: 1.Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker...2.Gone, Baby, GONE by Dennis Lehane ...3. L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais ...

1. Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker. (That's "B" for Brown not Bogardus!) This is number six in a vast series of investigations by ex-boxer, ex-policeman Spenser, now a private eye.

2. With private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, in fourth in a series, Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane.

3. L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais with Hollywood P.I.s Elvis Cole and Joe Pike in their eighth adventure.

Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky features once attorney, now private eye, V.I. Warshawski. She is one touch lady!

Sid Halley, an injured steeplechase jockey in Dick Francis' first in series Odds Against. Many standalone novels and other series set with horseracing themes, from Francis, an ex-jockey himself.

Hamsih Macbeth by Rhys Bowen

Terri wrote: "Hamsih Macbeth by Rhys Bowen"

Actually Hamish MacBeth, a Scots police constable was created by M.C. Beaton, with the first in the series Death of a Gossip.

Rhys Bowen writes three series: Wales village constable Evan Evans-Evans Above, Irish investigator wannbe in New York Molly Murphy- The Amersham Rubies, English royalty Lady Georgiana-Her Royal Spyness.

Both deserve a place on the list. THANKS!

My favourite female detective is Kinsey Milhone in the Alphabet series by Sue Grafton. The first is A is for Alibi. She's edgy and independent but far from hard boiled :)

Linda wrote: "My favourite female detective is Kinsey Milhone in the Alphabet series by Sue Grafton. The first is A is for Alibi. She's edgy and independent but far from hard boiled :)"

I was waiting for someone to nominate this very popular series! Sue Grafton deserves to be on this list.

Almeta - my only problem with the series is that because Sue Grafton has a tight chronology throughout, I have aged by about 25 years since the first one was published but Kinsey is only a few years older! :O

Linda wrote: "Almeta - my only problem with the series is that because Sue Grafton has a tight chronology throughout, I have aged by about 25 years since the first one was published but Kinsey is only a few year..."

Heh, heh! Sooo depressing. ;o)