Mystery Appreciation Week draws to a close and we officially end it with a giveaway of our top two reads of the week!
Ana’s pick is the fabulous Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood and Thea’s, the wonderful The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman, both reviewed this week for our Old School Wednesdays feature.
We have one copy of Cocaine Blues and one copy of The Ruby in the Smoke to giveaway. The contest is open to ALL, and will run until Saturday, February 16 at 12:01am PST. To enter, leave a comment here telling us what’s your favourite Mystery novel/series. Good luck!
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I was always partial to Dick Francis mysteries. And I have a new mystery writer that I can’t wait for you guys to read! (He’s in my writing group and his first book is coming out this summer).
Also, I have to say I absolutely adore the cover of Cocaine Blues.
Personally, I haven’t read many mystery novels–but these look like a great place to start! I would have to say, if these even count, that I have always loved the Monstrumologist Series, which while is not a mystery in the classical sense (it’s actually horror) but the characters in the story often have to solve some sort of mysterious case, put together shuffled puzzle pieces, and place them together before time runs out.
I’m very fond of Ruth Galloway in Elly Griffith’s series. Ruth is a forensic archeologist, and solves mysteries in Norfolk.
I don’t think it’s possible to play favourites, so instead I’ll give you a recommendation: Kate Ross’ (sadly only four book) series about a Regency dandy detective. Nicely different. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/351385.Cut_to_the_Quick
Liza Cody’s Anna Lee novels are a favourite of mine.
My favorites are kind of old school- I’d say at the top would be Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series – haven’t read one for years, but I can still clearly imagine the main characters and their individual quirks. Also Phyllis Whitney books and Dell Shannon (more police procedurals I guess). Yay mysteries!
I lurve me some Agatha Christie!
I recently read Murder On the Orient Express, so now I’m on a mission to get my hands on as many Agatha Christie novels as I can.
When I was a kid, Nancy Drew books and Joan Lowery Nixon’s books were my favorite. Nowadays I enjoy The Lady Julia Gray books.
I would have to choose Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence novels. I read them as a teenager and, along with Nancy Drew, those books really sold me on mysteries.
I just started reading Sherlock Holmes. I’m really enjoying Doyle’s stories
Nancy Drew has always and will always be my fav!
My favourite mystery series of all time is the Ruchard Jury series by Martha Grimes. That woman is insane, I’m pretty sure the series is into it’s twentieth-ish book and still going strong!
I’d love to read Cocaine Blues, as I just recently watched a tv episode of the Phryne Fisher mysteries, and it was hilarious!
xo leanna
**Richard Jury, not “Ruchard” haha. Morning typing
I’m not a big mystery fan, but when I was in my early teens, I used to DEVOUR Christopher Pike books. I’m curious to do a re-read and see if they are any good 15 years later…
I like Bill Knox’s Thane and Moss series. They are police procedurals set in Scotland.
I love Mary Higgins Clark’s early works
Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie will always be my go-to mystery authors but some of the crime fiction novels I absolutely loved recently were The Devotion of Suspect X by Higashino Keigo and The Alienist by Caleb Carr.
My favorite is a close tie between the Benjamin January mysteries by Barbara Hambly and the Gaslight mysteries by Victoria Thompson. Both of them have some truly great characters and do a fantastic job with their settings. On a happy note, both series have a book coming out next year!
I really enjoy Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mystery series.
Although not a traditional detective story, I love Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteen Tales. Absolutely gorgeous story, writing, and characters.
When I was a little kid, I adored Nancy Drew. Now I’m more into Agatha Christie, and I love Spencer Quinn’s Chet and Bernie mysteries. A dog who solves crimes? Definitely appeals to my inner child and dog-lover.
I’m pretty fond of Susan Hill’s Simon Serrailler books.
Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mysteries, hands down. Though, I also really love Agatha Christie (especially the Miss Marple stories) and Anne Perry’s Charlotte Pitt novels.
I don’t read much mystery, but I do really enjoy the Amelia Peabody series.
I’ve got many favourite series, and one of them is the Ian Rutledge mysteries by Charles Todd. Another is the Flavia de Luce series, by Alan Bradley. And the Bess Crawford mysteries, also by Charles Todd. And the Kate Shackleton mysteries by Frances Brody. Yes, I love historical mysteries.
I love the oldies- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. I can’t choose between the Sherlock Holmes stories, but I do know my top two favorite Agatha Christies. The first is is either the lovely first entry in the Tommy and Tuppence series or The Mysterious Mr. Quinn.
I recently have enjoyed the Brother Cadfael series, though I have only read through book 3.
I would have to go with Sherlock Holmes, followed by the excellent Mary Russell series.
My all-time favorite mystery writer is Sherlock Holmes. I’ve read all the stories at least twice…well worth over 1000 pages of awesomeness!
(Random fact…I tried to get into Agatha Christie but just couldn’t for some reason.) I’m so obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, that I was a complete sucker for the movie with Robert Downy Jr. and the BBC series. LOVE, LOVE, Sherlock and dear Watson! 
On a side note, read your short review about Cocaine Blues and Strong Poison with Lord Whimsey…so now I’m dying to get BOTH those books! hehe
Thanks for always posting such amazing reviews! I always look forward to checking out your sight!
I mostly like my mysteries as interwoven into the plot of my fantasy novels. But as far as straight up mysteries go, I did really enjoy the first two books of Stieg Larsson’s Millenium trilogy.
I like Don Winslow’s surfer themed mysteries. I just finished The Gentlemen’s Hour and thought it was terrific.
My favourite mystery series is still Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey series.
Nancy Drew..always be my favorite..i even play the game
My favorite mystery series are the books involving Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. I also love the Hercule Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie.
I love Sherlock Holmes and I love all the stories written about him later.
Not really a mystery reader, but The Minority Report was amazing. And yes, I realize it’s a short story (never watched the movie) but I absolutely loved it.
I was a huge Nancy Drew fan when I was younger!
Oh my gosh – how can I choose just one mystery series? I guess I’ll go with the amazing Louise Penny’s Three Pine series. I also love “Charles Todd”‘s Ian Rutledge series; Deborah Crombie’s Kincaid and James series; Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series; Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley series; Elizabeth Peter’s Amelia Peabody series; Julia Spencer-Fleming’s Fergusson and van Alstyne series; and Laurie King’s Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series.
Oops – didn’t mean to be anonymous. The lengthy answer above is mine.
Judy
Sarah Caudwell’s books are terrific! There are only four of them, and they’re so funny. The first one is Thus Was Adonis Murdered.
Also, Laurie King’s Mary Russell books are awesome — the first one is The Beekeeper’s Apprentice.
The nerdy chemist in me is loving Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mystery series – but Christy, Sayers, P.D. James…all come to mind.
My favorite mystery series? There are so many wonderful writers, it’s hard to choose. But I think I’ll go with Dorothy Sayers for her combination of terrific mysteries with fantastic writing (for example, Gaudy Night.) Close behind are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (because where would the mystery genre be without Sherlock Holmes?) and Laurie R. King (because where would Holmes be without Russell?)
I’ve always enjoyed a great Agatha Christie mystery.
OH the Ruby and the Smoke! I remember reading that in junior high and I loved it! I was also a bit scandalized cuz there was closed door *S…E…X* in it!
I love the Ophelia and Abby series by Shirley Damsgaard.
The original Sherlock Holmes.
I adored Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
I think my favourite is probably The Burford Family Mysteries by James Anderson. They’re formulaic in some ways and very much parodying/inspired manor house mysteries, but I find them charming and good fun.
I love myseries, I like the hamish macbeth series by m.c. beaton.
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