Over the last couple of years, I’ve been reading more and more mystery novels, and I’m curious about the genre. (Also, totally enjoying the genre, which is why I’m curious.)
It actually all started about five or six years ago, on one of the long driving trips. I was staying overnight in Wall, South Dakota, and spent much of my evening at the famous Wall Drug. One of the shops at Wall Drug had a special display of books about South Dakota, and I figured that I should get into the spirit of things and buy one. The book I picked up was a mystery novel, part of a series set in a small South Dakota town. (Mourning Shift by Kathleen Taylor, to be more specific.) It turned out to be a really entertaining book, and I thought it also gave me some insight into the nature of mystery series–the crimes and the detective work are part of the fun, but a lot more of the appeal comes from the characters and the setting. (This is the kind of “insight” that I’m sure is absolutely stupidly obvious to people who read a lot of mystery novels, but be kind to me! I was coming to this entirely oblivious.) Mourning Shift had a good mystery puzzle, one that (fabulously) genuinely hinged on the distinctive nature of the small-town experience, but more than that, it had the feeling that the reader was stopping by to visit some old friends for a while. I found that really compelling.
Since then, I’ve been seeking out mystery series. Some of the ones that I know are really popular didn’t really work for me–I liked the first couple Stephanie Plum books, but they grated on my nerves after a while, and I just never managed to get into Sue Grafton. But I’ve read my way through Donna Leon’s books as fast as I could find them, and the same with the Nero Wolfe books. (I also have a guilty-pleasure weakness for the Eve Dallas books by Nora Roberts, excuse me, J.D. Robb. Her real strength as a writer, I think, is how she builds networks of relationships between her characters, and she does that as well in the Eve Dallas books as she does in her romance novels. The futuristic-crime-novel aspect is maybe not as much her strength, because they feel a little trashy, but still a lot of fun.) In all of these, I think my theory about the appeal of the characters stands: readers talk about Stephanie Plum books, Guido Brunetti books, Torey Bauer books, Eve Dallas books, Nero Wolfe books. They’re books defined by the main characters more than the authors, by the person who solves the mystery more than the mystery.
So this is part of my question for you, O Internet Hivemind. I know that there are a lot of different ways to define “mystery” novels, and I’m resisting the temptation to use the term “category mystery” because I know that I don’t understand what makes a book “category mystery” in the same way that I know what makes a book “category romance”. But let’s say that this is the type of book I’m looking for: a mystery series, the kind that’s about the detective and setting as much as the mystery puzzle. I know there’s a huge contemporary publishing industry in these, I see shelves and shelves of them at Barnes and Noble, but I have no idea how to get oriented. Who are the major players? Who should I be reading if I want to get a sense of what’s being published today?
Posted Sunday, November 9th, 2008 at 9:28 am. Filed under: writing and editing.
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If you miss Boston, Linda Barnes is nice. She knows about Herrell’s and everything. Then there are the classics, like Dorothy Sayers.
Dorothy Sayers, for sure, and Josephine Tey, if you haven’t read her.
I tend to dip in and out of mystery — I’m a huge fan of Nicola Griffith’s Aud books, but they’re less mystery-y than most of what you’re describing. Dennis Lehane’s early series work is good stuff, though I haven’t read any of them in years. Christopher really likes Elizabeth George and Sharon McCrumb (I’ve liked the books of hers I’ve dipped into). I’m getting my mystery joys these days from some of the “urban fantasy” series, since those are more series mysteries than anything else, imo. I highly recommend Marjorie Liu’s The Iron Hunt, Ilona Andrews’ books and I’m just reading Devon Monk’s first in a new series that’s quite good thus far (Portland!). Those are my faves so far.
The thing I like about mystery series is exactly what you say — character, setting, etc. It’s much the same thing that will keep me tuning into a television show I like (say, Bones); affection for the “world” and the characters, and the pleasure of getting a certain kind of plot.
For me, the best ones are the series that have now ended with the deaths of their authors, but that showed the characters aging and leaving their primes over many books. Of course, Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series is a must here. John D. McDonald’s Travis McGee books (the titles all have the name of a color in them) work as well.
I also have to be a jerk and suggest reading non-series mystery, as that is where most of the good stuff is, honestly. (Sort of like fantasy in that way). Dope by Sara Gran is a must of recent works, and the legendary Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson is crucial.
Hmm. I tend to read mostly what I call ‘cozy’ mysteries, but probably in error. Donna Andrews, her bird themed mysteries are really good. Jill…Clark? I think. Has two sets of mysteries, one set Grace and Favor, which is set in the 1930s, one contemporary, both of which I LOVE. They’re both very much about the lives of main characters in the story, as well as the mysteries, which I think is how I designate ‘cozy’. I’m liking Kate Collins flower store mysteries too, but they’re a little annoying read back to back. I think a lot of these can verge on that because the conventions seem to call for explaining (ightly) previous mysteries in the story as you go.
You also need to talk to Laurence Schmiel who is also all about the mystery novels.
I like Lisa Gardner mystery novels, but they’re not always with the same series character. She does have one though, named Quincy, a female FBI agent.
Patricia Cornwell does the Kay Scarpetta series though the earlier stuff is much better than what’s being published recently. She’s a medical examiner.
Tess Gerritsen does a series with Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli. One’s a medical examiner and the other is a detective.
Lisa Scottoline has a series with Mary DiNunzio, who’s a lawyer in Philly.
These may be obvious, but the only mystery series I have been able to stick with and enjoy are those by P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, and Elizabeth George. James and Rendell can be a bit prissy and socially conservative; George is not quite as good as the other two. They definitely rely on character and setting.
Rendell writes some things that are outside of the genre — her Barbara Vine stuff is almost closer to horror than mystery — but I am most fond of her Inspector Wexford books. These three writers typify, to me, the best of the English mysteries. (George is an American but her novels are set in England.)
Since you have a long commute, I will also note that James and Rendell are available on audio, and that is a fabulous way to “read” mystery novels. (I have a bad habit of peeking at the last page to check my guesses, and that is too much trouble with an audio book!)
Oh, and for what it’s worth: mystery novels, specifically by these three authors, are the only literary tastes that have stuck with me from high school until the present. I’ve sort of outgrown everything else over time.
Sayers Sayers Sayers! God, I love her work.
For lightness, start with the various Lord Peter Wimsey short stories. They’re delightful, and do give a nice sense of his character, or at least hints towards it.
And if you want to keep going in order, then read the Wimsey individual novels. Add depth to his character.
But her best work is when she introduces Harriet Vane: Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, Gaudy Night (the last is a truly kick-ass academic mystery). That trilogy (must read in order) is just amazing in terms of character depth and subtlety. Also, I love both the main characters. Follow them up with Busman’s Honeymoon for the sheer delight of it.
Oh, so good. Now I’m wondering if I can squeeze out some time to re-read them this week…
I rather like Stuart Kaminsky, whom no one has mentioned. The ones I like are the police procedurals — the Chicago ones with Abe Lieberman, and to a slightly lesser extent the Moscow ones with Inspector Rostnikov.
You know how all great detectives have, like, a specific superpower? Sherlock Holmes has ratiocination, Philip Marlowe has dogged tenacity far beyond the point where he should really give up, others have intuition or whatever (Maigret?), Miss Marple I forget but I think it’s a combination of smarts, practicality and being underestimated…? Well, Abe Lieberman is a stooped, tired, defeated-seeming little Jewish guy with a headache, and his superpower is integrity. Like, this rogue cop has taken some people hostage and the cops are all like “come out and we’ll take you in peacefully!” and he’s like “send me Lieberman!” and Lieberman goes up there and he says “are they really going to take me in peacefully?” and Lieberman is like “no, probably we’ll shoot you.”