Recommended Mysteries..

Although Sherlockians are devoted to the Canon, they read other mysteries and share their favorites with each other.

Members' Recomendations

Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii, Mr Monk Goes to the Fire Station, Mr Monk and the Blue Flue by Lee Goldberg.

Phil Rickman's books with Merrily Watkins, a parish priest, as the detective.

The Reginald Hill mysteries featuring the team of Dalziel and Pascoe. Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch Series.

Pastiches

Sherlock Holmes and the Plague of Dracula - Stephen Seitz, Shaftsbury, VT: Mountainside Press, 2006.

Dust and Shadow - Lyndsay Faye,New York: Simon and Shuster, 2009

Scholarly Works

Sherlock Holmes:Victorian Sleuth to Modern Hero - Ed Charles R. Putney, Joseph A. Cutshall-King, and Sally Sugarman Lanham, Md: The Scarecrow Press, Ltd., 1996.

The Science of Sherlock Holmes - E. J. Wagner. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley and Sons, 2006.

England's Secret Weapon: The Wartime Films of Sherlock Holmes, - Amanda J. Field, London: Middlesex University Press, 2009

General Mysteries

Martha Folsom writes a regular column on mysteries for the Martha Canfield Library newsletter in Arlington. She has graciously agreed to share them with us. I think you will find them to be particularly useful in thinking about the mysteries you want to read.
Each month we will be getting a list from Martha Folsom, so keep checking here.
THE CLERGY - A NICE QUIET PROFESSION

We tend to think the clergy have relatively quiet, peaceful, non-eventful lives. These sleuths prove that idea wrong.

Harry Kemelman – You first meet Rabbi David Small in Friday the Rabbi Slept Late. He is in a small town in Massachusetts, young, happily married, a bit absent-minded when buried in a book, disconcertingly honest and a “scholar” – meaning he is trained in Talmudic reasoning. He can figure out events using logic. Think of him as a charming, likeable Sherlock Holmes.

Ellis Peters – Brother Cadfael is a Benedictine monk in 12th century England. The books are excellent historical novels. Brother Cadfael solves crimes through his understanding of humanity and the ability to sense truth. He is helped by his friend, Hugh Beringar, the sheriff. Although not the first, The Potter’s Field is an award winner and a good introduction to the series.

Julia Spencer-Fleming – The 2001 Malice Domestic Award went to In The Bleak Midwinter. It takes place in upstate New York, during the cold winter. A baby is left on the church doorstep and a young mother is murdered. Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson, an ex-army helicopter pilot, and Police Chief Russ Van Alystyne, who was formerly a military policeman, must solve the crime. The chemistry between the two is wonderful.

Monica Quill & Ralph M. McInerny – Under the name Monica Quill, McInerny writes a series about three nuns, Sister Kim, Sister Joyce and Sister Mary Teresa. It is Sister Mary Teresa who actually figures out the mystery while Sister Kim does the leg work. Not A Blessed Thing! Is the first in the series. Under his own name, Ralph M. McInerny writes the Father Dowling series, the first of which is Her Death of Cold. This was the more enjoyable, to me, of the two series; both of which take place in Illinois.

Boris Akunin – Sister Pelagia is a nun, in Russia, during the late 1800’s. Her Bishop describes her as a “walking disaster with freckles”. Nevertheless, he and Sister Pelagia manage to be great sleuths. Recently translated into English, there are three Sister Pelagia books so far, the first is Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog.

William F. Love – If you are a Rex Stout fan you’ll enjoy Love’s series featuring Bishop Regan and his assistant, Jewish detective Davey Goldman, in New York City. They are Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, my favorite duo, in disguise. Start with The Chartreuse Clue, which was a finalist for two “Best First Novel” awards. There are only four books in the series. I wish there were more.

Sharon Kahn – Ruby Rothman is the Rabbi’s widow. I wish she were a real live person and lived in my neighborhood! She is 46, a red-head with green eyes, wears a size 14 and describes herself as having a “bizarre sense of humor”. The first book in the series is Fax Me a Bagel. Ruby is part owner of the Hot Bagel deli, in Eternal, Texas, where a customer drops dead after eating a cyanide laced bagel.

Alys Clare – Clare has brought into being two wonderful characters, The Abbess Helewise and the Knight Josse d’Acquin. The time is the late 12th century, just as Richard the Lionheart is about to become King, in England. A young nun, from the Abbey, was found apparently murdered. Richard dispatches his knight to find the truth of the matter. They first come together in Fortune Like The Moon.

Sidekicks – the guys (and gals) that make our heroes look so good

I’ve been looking forward to this column. Some of these sidekicks really make the book a lot more enjoyable.

Archie Goodwin –There are lots of reasons to enjoy Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries and Archie is one of them. Stout’s creations are a great blend of the best in British and American mysteries. Wolfe is the brainy, logical one (think Holmes) and Archie is the all-American tough guy (think Spade). Archie’s a “sweetie” in my book.

Jeremy Proctor – There are three juveniles on this list. Jeremy is the 13-year-old orphan who becomes the eyes and ears for Bruce Alexander’s Sir John Fielding in his stories of the man who founded the first London Police Force.

Joyce McQuinnie – This 18-year-old Australian teenager is the assistant to Nury Vittachi’s C. F. Wong, the feng shui master in Singapore. There is not only a big age gap, but there is also a cultural gap and a language gap. In spite of the fact that they both speak “English” they don’t really understand each other (after all, one speaks very adult, proper Asian English and the other a teenage form of “Aussie English”.) Does it work? Emphatically yes. All the books are a delight.

Dogger – In a bit of a turn-around, Dogger is the sidekick for 11-year-old Flavia de Luce in the “first novel” runaway hit of the year by Alan Bradley, Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Dogger is the de Luce’s gardener and Flavia’s confidant and mentor in lock-picking.

Peabody – Initially a patrol cop, Peabody develops into the partner of J.D. Robb’s policewoman Eve Dallas. The development of Peabody’s character over the course of the series is fun to watch. And we must mention Summerset. Every mystery at some point needs a butler, right?

Milo Sturgis – Milo is the friend (dare I say, long–suffering?) of Jonathan Kellerman’s Dr. Alex Delaware. Milo is overweight, badly dressed (“crumpled” might be a good word) LA policeman with a big heart. He knows how to close a case.

Joe Pike – Lean, lanky and lethal, Joe is the partner and buddy of Robert Crais’ detective Elvis Cole. Remember the superhero pair called the “dynamic duo”? Well move over, guys, because Elvis and Joe are in town (in LA, actually).

Sgt. Barbara Havers – It is difficult to conceive of Elizabeth George’s policeman, Thomas Lynley without his stubborn opinionated partner. They are such opposites that their combination makes the novels almost perfect.

Estelle Reyes – Steven Havill has brought together two wonderful characters, Bill Gastner and Estelle Reyes. Gastner is a tough but aging sheriff, Estelle is young and smart. They deeply respect the abilities of the other and a caring relationship exists between them. It’s a series that is a pleasure to read.

And two classic sidekicks, Watson and Captain Hastings – Where would Holmes or Poirot be without their trusty companions?

“Off-the-Wall” (and then some) Authors

Since Halloween is in our calendar this month, it seems like a good time to look at some mysteries a little on the weird side. You can find most of the books in this column in your library, but some of them you may need to request on Inter-Library Loan

Jasper Fforde – The Tuesday Next series are sort of sci-fi, sort of alternative universe (it is possible for a human to move in and out of books and change things) and definitely mystery. In the first of the series, someone is trying to kidnap Jane Eyre and Tuesday must stop it. It is a very original series with a literary twist.

Jasper Fforde – The Jack Spratt series takes place in an England where nursery rhyme characters exist alongside regular folks. In The Big Over Easy did Humpty fall? Or was he murdered?.

Nury Vittachi – CF Wong is the Feng Shui Detective in Singapore. His assistant, Joyce, is a British-Aussie teenager. It’s a light series with cultural, language and age differences adding to the fun.

Jim Butcher – The Dresden Files features Harry Dresden, the only wizard with an ad in the Chicago Yellow Pages. Think Harry Potter meets Sam Spade. It’s a great series.

Dave Duncan – Alfa Zeno is apprentice to Nostradamus in an alternative history Venice. Mystery, assassinations, witchcraft and black magic describe this series.

Lillian Braun – She writes a series featuring that Halloween animal - cats. Another author to try if you are a cat fan is Carole Nelson Douglas. Her characters are Temple Barr and her cat, Midnight Louie.

Douglas Adams – Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is sci-fi and very much a mystery. It is very funny, more so than the Hitchhiker series.

Donna Andrews – Turing Hopper is an AIP (Artificial Intelligence Personality). She has a couple of humans do the leg work for her. If you feel your computer has a mind of its own you should enjoy this series.

Eva Garcia – Vinny Rubio is an undercover dino-human Velociraptor in Los Angeles. Of course he is “undercover”, what dino-human wouldn’t be? Of course it is set in LA.

Mike Resnick – The Fable of Tonight series begins with Stalking the Unicorn. John Justin Mallory is a detective in the “noir” style, but his universe goes just a little weird when he is approached by a short green person (who turns out to be an elf) and is asked to track down a missing unicorn. John Justin is every detective that every graced the pages of pulp fiction. The books are 100% fun. The other books in the series so far are Stalking the Dragon and Stalking the Vampire.

Ten “Police” Authors to Combat Wits With

These are strictly American police at work. The British must, of course, have their own list, as will other countries with wonderful mysteries. These books are not “cozy”; some have quite graphic descriptions of violence.

Suzanne Chazin – With a twist on regular police stories, her series stars Georgia Skeeham, a fire marshal in NYC. I held my breath and turned the pages as fast as possible. These are non-stop excitement.

Patricia Cornwell – When it comes to forensics any list worth its salt has to include Cornwell’s Dr Kay Scarpetta and also Kathy Reichs’ Temperance Brennan.

Jeffery Deaver – Well known for the Lincoln Rhyme series he now has a new heroine, Kathryn Dance, a brilliant interrogator and body language expert with the California Bureau of Investigation. She first appeared in the Lincoln Rhyme book, Cold Moon, and I was hoping she would appear in more of Lincoln’s adventures.

Tony Hillerman – This Grand Master of mystery writing has 18 books (and they are all great) featuring his two characters, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, Navaho tribal police officers. Some books feature one or the other and many feature them both.

JA Jance – She has three different characters, but my favorites are JP Beaumont, a Seattle policeman and Joanna Brady, sheriff in Arizona. In two books they even work together.

JA Konrath – The Jack Daniels series. “Jack” is a female Lt. in the Chicago Violent Crimes Division. She’s hard-nosed, has gray in her hair and is a good read. All the books have titles of drinks. The first in the series is Whisky Sour. Start there.

Archer Mayor – If you live in Vermont and you like mysteries, surely you are reading the Joe Gunther series already!

Ed McBain – McBain started his 87th Precinct series in 1956 and the last was published just after his death in 2005. They are considered THE definition of the “procedural” due to the accuracy of police work. They are deadpan and violent.

Colin Wilcox – Here is a very good “procedural” writer. His character, Frank Hastings, is co-commander of the SFPD Homicide division. Wilcox is not as well known as many current “hot” authors, but his books are solid.

Stuart Woods – Woods has many non-series books that seldom disappoint and a series character Holly Barker, a former military police commander and now a police chief in a small Florida town.

The Mystery Genre

I’ve often said that a book was a “such and such” type of mystery. What do all these terms mean? And if we want definitions – what is a mystery? A librarian, when asked the difference between mainstream novels and mysteries replied, “If it’s got a dead body in it, it’s a mystery!”.

The English Manor – The suspects and the victim of the crime are members of a closed group (for example: in a snow-bound manor house, on a non-stop train or a ship at sea). Read Agatha Christie’s Murder at the Vicarage, Dorothy Sayers’ story The Queen’s Square and Margery Allingham’s Police at the Funeral.

The Locked Room – The crime has been committed under impossible circumstances and the villain has escaped into thin air. The “king” of this genre is John Dickson Carr. His book The Hollow Man (The Three Coffins in the US) is considered by many to be the best mystery novel of all-time. Also try Jeffery Deaver’s The Vanished Man.

The Hard-boiled Detective – The US’s contribution to mystery fiction features a tough-guy main character that faces danger and violence on a regular basis. Originally short stories in the ‘pulp’ magazine ‘Black Mask’, and later as novels in paperback (called pulp), the genre has become known as ‘pulp fiction’. Best known are Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade, Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe and Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer.

The Noir Mystery – The difference between the ‘hard boiled mystery’ and the ‘noir mystery’ is that in the latter genre the protagonist is tied directly to the crime, he isn’t an outside detective brought in to solve the crime. Check out Elmore Leonard’s La Brava.

Police Procedural – These feature the detailed investigation of a crime from the police point of view. Their immense popularity came not from a novel but from the radio program ‘Dragnet’. Try Ed McBain’s Sadie When She Died, Joseph Wambaugh’s The New Centurions or Tony Hillerman’s Dance Hall of the Dead.

Historical – The definition of historical mysteries is quite loose. All agree that the story must take place before the book was published, but there is no agreement on how long before. Many think it should take place before the birth of the author; again no one agrees on how long before. And there seems to be no agreement about how accurately the period must be portrayed. There are mysteries set in every time period from ancient Rome to WWII.

Alternative History – Alternative history is when the author has changed the past. A good example is The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon. The State of Israel was destroyed in its infancy and many of the world’s Jews now live in a strip of Alaska. His Yiddish policeman is in Sitka.

Secret History – Here, events that are not known to have happened are used, but they have not changed the past. This popular style has real life people (Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Truman, Oscar Wilde and William Shakespeare among others) becoming amateur detectives.

The Cozy – Cozies are “comfortable”. Instead of graphic violence, language or sex they feature a series character that solves cases through intuition, gossip and knowledge of human nature rather than forensics. (They all require a suspension of belief – after all, how many murders can a nice, elderly lady in Maine stumble across in a year?)

The Inverted Mystery - In these, the reader sees the crime committed and knows the identity of the villain. The attraction is in seeing how he, or she, is caught. On page one of Francis Iles’ Malice Aforethought you learn of a man’s plan to murder his wife. You are privy to his thoughts until a surprise ending.


	Home Meetings Meeting Information Meeting Archives Conference Wrap-up Photo Gallery About Us Club History Newsletters Sherlockian Events Sherlockian Events Book Discussion Series Fun Information Chat Room Articles Quizzes Book Reviews Mysteries Links Contact Recommended Mysteries.. Although Sherlockians are devoted to the Canon, they read other mysteries and share their favorites with each other. Members' Recomendations Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii, Mr Monk Goes to the Fire Station, Mr Monk and the Blue Flue by Lee Goldberg. Phil Rickman's books with Merrily Watkins, a parish priest, as the detective. The Reginald Hill mysteries featuring the team of Dalziel and Pascoe. Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch Series. Pastiches Sherlock Holmes and the Plague of Dracula - Stephen Seitz, Shaftsbury, VT: Mountainside Press, 2006. Dust and Shadow - Lyndsay Faye,New York: Simon and Shuster, 2009 Scholarly Works Sherlock Holmes:Victorian Sleuth to Modern Hero - Ed Charles R. Putney, Joseph A. Cutshall-King, and Sally Sugarman Lanham, Md: The Scarecrow Press, Ltd., 1996. The Science of Sherlock Holmes - E. J. Wagner. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley and Sons, 2006. England's Secret Weapon: The Wartime Films of Sherlock Holmes, - Amanda J. Field, London: Middlesex University Press, 2009 General Mysteries Martha Folsom writes a regular column on mysteries for the Martha Canfield Library newsletter in Arlington. She has graciously agreed to share them with us. I think you will find them to be particularly useful in thinking about the mysteries you want to read. Each month we will be getting a list from Martha Folsom, so keep checking here. THE CLERGY - A NICE QUIET PROFESSION We tend to think the clergy have relatively quiet, peaceful, non-eventful lives. These sleuths prove that idea wrong. Harry Kemelman – You first meet Rabbi David Small in Friday the Rabbi Slept Late. He is in a small town in Massachusetts, young, happily married, a bit absent-minded when buried in a book, disconcertingly honest and a “scholar” – meaning he is trained in Talmudic reasoning. He can figure out events using logic. Think of him as a charming, likeable Sherlock Holmes. Ellis Peters – Brother Cadfael is a Benedictine monk in 12th century England. The books are excellent historical novels. Brother Cadfael solves crimes through his understanding of humanity and the ability to sense truth. He is helped by his friend, Hugh Beringar, the sheriff. Although not the first, The Potter’s Field is an award winner and a good introduction to the series. Julia Spencer-Fleming – The 2001 Malice Domestic Award went to In The Bleak Midwinter. It takes place in upstate New York, during the cold winter. A baby is left on the church doorstep and a young mother is murdered. Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson, an ex-army helicopter pilot, and Police Chief Russ Van Alystyne, who was formerly a military policeman, must solve the crime. The chemistry between the two is wonderful. Monica Quill & Ralph M. McInerny – Under the name Monica Quill, McInerny writes a series about three nuns, Sister Kim, Sister Joyce and Sister Mary Teresa. It is Sister Mary Teresa who actually figures out the mystery while Sister Kim does the leg work. Not A Blessed Thing! Is the first in the series. Under his own name, Ralph M. McInerny writes the Father Dowling series, the first of which is Her Death of Cold. This was the more enjoyable, to me, of the two series; both of which take place in Illinois. Boris Akunin – Sister Pelagia is a nun, in Russia, during the late 1800’s. Her Bishop describes her as a “walking disaster with freckles”. Nevertheless, he and Sister Pelagia manage to be great sleuths. Recently translated into English, there are three Sister Pelagia books so far, the first is Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog. William F. Love – If you are a Rex Stout fan you’ll enjoy Love’s series featuring Bishop Regan and his assistant, Jewish detective Davey Goldman, in New York City. They are Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, my favorite duo, in disguise. Start with The Chartreuse Clue, which was a finalist for two “Best First Novel” awards. There are only four books in the series. I wish there were more. Sharon Kahn – Ruby Rothman is the Rabbi’s widow. I wish she were a real live person and lived in my neighborhood! She is 46, a red-head with green eyes, wears a size 14 and describes herself as having a “bizarre sense of humor”. The first book in the series is Fax Me a Bagel. Ruby is part owner of the Hot Bagel deli, in Eternal, Texas, where a customer drops dead after eating a cyanide laced bagel. Alys Clare – Clare has brought into being two wonderful characters, The Abbess Helewise and the Knight Josse d’Acquin. The time is the late 12th century, just as Richard the Lionheart is about to become King, in England. A young nun, from the Abbey, was found apparently murdered. Richard dispatches his knight to find the truth of the matter. They first come together in Fortune Like The Moon. Sidekicks – the guys (and gals) that make our heroes look so good I’ve been looking forward to this column. Some of these sidekicks really make the book a lot more enjoyable. Archie Goodwin –There are lots of reasons to enjoy Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries and Archie is one of them. Stout’s creations are a great blend of the best in British and American mysteries. Wolfe is the brainy, logical one (think Holmes) and Archie is the all-American tough guy (think Spade). Archie’s a “sweetie” in my book. Jeremy Proctor – There are three juveniles on this list. Jeremy is the 13-year-old orphan who becomes the eyes and ears for Bruce Alexander’s Sir John Fielding in his stories of the man who founded the first London Police Force. Joyce McQuinnie – This 18-year-old Australian teenager is the assistant to Nury Vittachi’s C. F. Wong, the feng shui master in Singapore. There is not only a big age gap, but there is also a cultural gap and a language gap. In spite of the fact that they both speak “English” they don’t really understand each other (after all, one speaks very adult, proper Asian English and the other a teenage form of “Aussie English”.) Does it work? Emphatically yes. All the books are a delight. Dogger – In a bit of a turn-around, Dogger is the sidekick for 11-year-old Flavia de Luce in the “first novel” runaway hit of the year by Alan Bradley, Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Dogger is the de Luce’s gardener and Flavia’s confidant and mentor in lock-picking. Peabody – Initially a patrol cop, Peabody develops into the partner of J.D. Robb’s policewoman Eve Dallas. The development of Peabody’s character over the course of the series is fun to watch. And we must mention Summerset. Every mystery at some point needs a butler, right? Milo Sturgis – Milo is the friend (dare I say, long–suffering?) of Jonathan Kellerman’s Dr. Alex Delaware. Milo is overweight, badly dressed (“crumpled” might be a good word) LA policeman with a big heart. He knows how to close a case. Joe Pike – Lean, lanky and lethal, Joe is the partner and buddy of Robert Crais’ detective Elvis Cole. Remember the superhero pair called the “dynamic duo”? Well move over, guys, because Elvis and Joe are in town (in LA, actually). Sgt. Barbara Havers – It is difficult to conceive of Elizabeth George’s policeman, Thomas Lynley without his stubborn opinionated partner. They are such opposites that their combination makes the novels almost perfect. Estelle Reyes – Steven Havill has brought together two wonderful characters, Bill Gastner and Estelle Reyes. Gastner is a tough but aging sheriff, Estelle is young and smart. They deeply respect the abilities of the other and a caring relationship exists between them. It’s a series that is a pleasure to read. And two classic sidekicks, Watson and Captain Hastings – Where would Holmes or Poirot be without their trusty companions? “Off-the-Wall” (and then some) Authors Since Halloween is in our calendar this month, it seems like a good time to look at some mysteries a little on the weird side. You can find most of the books in this column in your library, but some of them you may need to request on Inter-Library Loan Jasper Fforde – The Tuesday Next series are sort of sci-fi, sort of alternative universe (it is possible for a human to move in and out of books and change things) and definitely mystery. In the first of the series, someone is trying to kidnap Jane Eyre and Tuesday must stop it. It is a very original series with a literary twist. Jasper Fforde – The Jack Spratt series takes place in an England where nursery rhyme characters exist alongside regular folks. In The Big Over Easy did Humpty fall? Or was he murdered?. Nury Vittachi – CF Wong is the Feng Shui Detective in Singapore. His assistant, Joyce, is a British-Aussie teenager. It’s a light series with cultural, language and age differences adding to the fun. Jim Butcher – The Dresden Files features Harry Dresden, the only wizard with an ad in the Chicago Yellow Pages. Think Harry Potter meets Sam Spade. It’s a great series. Dave Duncan – Alfa Zeno is apprentice to Nostradamus in an alternative history Venice. Mystery, assassinations, witchcraft and black magic describe this series. Lillian Braun – She writes a series featuring that Halloween animal - cats. Another author to try if you are a cat fan is Carole Nelson Douglas. Her characters are Temple Barr and her cat, Midnight Louie. Douglas Adams – Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is sci-fi and very much a mystery. It is very funny, more so than the Hitchhiker series. Donna Andrews – Turing Hopper is an AIP (Artificial Intelligence Personality). She has a couple of humans do the leg work for her. If you feel your computer has a mind of its own you should enjoy this series. Eva Garcia – Vinny Rubio is an undercover dino-human Velociraptor in Los Angeles. Of course he is “undercover”, what dino-human wouldn’t be? Of course it is set in LA. Mike Resnick – The Fable of Tonight series begins with Stalking the Unicorn. John Justin Mallory is a detective in the “noir” style, but his universe goes just a little weird when he is approached by a short green person (who turns out to be an elf) and is asked to track down a missing unicorn. John Justin is every detective that every graced the pages of pulp fiction. The books are 100% fun. The other books in the series so far are Stalking the Dragon and Stalking the Vampire. Ten “Police” Authors to Combat Wits With These are strictly American police at work. The British must, of course, have their own list, as will other countries with wonderful mysteries. These books are not “cozy”; some have quite graphic descriptions of violence. Suzanne Chazin – With a twist on regular police stories, her series stars Georgia Skeeham, a fire marshal in NYC. I held my breath and turned the pages as fast as possible. These are non-stop excitement. Patricia Cornwell – When it comes to forensics any list worth its salt has to include Cornwell’s Dr Kay Scarpetta and also Kathy Reichs’ Temperance Brennan. Jeffery Deaver – Well known for the Lincoln Rhyme series he now has a new heroine, Kathryn Dance, a brilliant interrogator and body language expert with the California Bureau of Investigation. She first appeared in the Lincoln Rhyme book, Cold Moon, and I was hoping she would appear in more of Lincoln’s adventures. Tony Hillerman – This Grand Master of mystery writing has 18 books (and they are all great) featuring his two characters, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, Navaho tribal police officers. Some books feature one or the other and many feature them both. JA Jance – She has three different characters, but my favorites are JP Beaumont, a Seattle policeman and Joanna Brady, sheriff in Arizona. In two books they even work together. JA Konrath – The Jack Daniels series. “Jack” is a female Lt. in the Chicago Violent Crimes Division. She’s hard-nosed, has gray in her hair and is a good read. All the books have titles of drinks. The first in the series is Whisky Sour. Start there. Archer Mayor – If you live in Vermont and you like mysteries, surely you are reading the Joe Gunther series already! Ed McBain – McBain started his 87th Precinct series in 1956 and the last was published just after his death in 2005. They are considered THE definition of the “procedural” due to the accuracy of police work. They are deadpan and violent. Colin Wilcox – Here is a very good “procedural” writer. His character, Frank Hastings, is co-commander of the SFPD Homicide division. Wilcox is not as well known as many current “hot” authors, but his books are solid. Stuart Woods – Woods has many non-series books that seldom disappoint and a series character Holly Barker, a former military police commander and now a police chief in a small Florida town. The Mystery Genre I’ve often said that a book was a “such and such” type of mystery. What do all these terms mean? And if we want definitions – what is a mystery? A librarian, when asked the difference between mainstream novels and mysteries replied, “If it’s got a dead body in it, it’s a mystery!”. The English Manor – The suspects and the victim of the crime are members of a closed group (for example: in a snow-bound manor house, on a non-stop train or a ship at sea). Read Agatha Christie’s Murder at the Vicarage, Dorothy Sayers’ story The Queen’s Square and Margery Allingham’s Police at the Funeral. The Locked Room – The crime has been committed under impossible circumstances and the villain has escaped into thin air. The “king” of this genre is John Dickson Carr. His book The Hollow Man (The Three Coffins in the US) is considered by many to be the best mystery novel of all-time. Also try Jeffery Deaver’s The Vanished Man. The Hard-boiled Detective – The US’s contribution to mystery fiction features a tough-guy main character that faces danger and violence on a regular basis. Originally short stories in the ‘pulp’ magazine ‘Black Mask’, and later as novels in paperback (called pulp), the genre has become known as ‘pulp fiction’. Best known are Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade, Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe and Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer. The Noir Mystery – The difference between the ‘hard boiled mystery’ and the ‘noir mystery’ is that in the latter genre the protagonist is tied directly to the crime, he isn’t an outside detective brought in to solve the crime. Check out Elmore Leonard’s La Brava. Police Procedural – These feature the detailed investigation of a crime from the police point of view. Their immense popularity came not from a novel but from the radio program ‘Dragnet’. Try Ed McBain’s Sadie When She Died, Joseph Wambaugh’s The New Centurions or Tony Hillerman’s Dance Hall of the Dead. Historical – The definition of historical mysteries is quite loose. All agree that the story must take place before the book was published, but there is no agreement on how long before. Many think it should take place before the birth of the author; again no one agrees on how long before. And there seems to be no agreement about how accurately the period must be portrayed. There are mysteries set in every time period from ancient Rome to WWII. Alternative History – Alternative history is when the author has changed the past. A good example is The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon. The State of Israel was destroyed in its infancy and many of the world’s Jews now live in a strip of Alaska. His Yiddish policeman is in Sitka. Secret History – Here, events that are not known to have happened are used, but they have not changed the past. This popular style has real life people (Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Truman, Oscar Wilde and William Shakespeare among others) becoming amateur detectives. The Cozy – Cozies are “comfortable”. Instead of graphic violence, language or sex they feature a series character that solves cases through intuition, gossip and knowledge of human nature rather than forensics. (They all require a suspension of belief – after all, how many murders can a nice, elderly lady in Maine stumble across in a year?) The Inverted Mystery - In these, the reader sees the crime committed and knows the identity of the villain. The attraction is in seeing how he, or she, is caught. On page one of Francis Iles’ Malice Aforethought you learn of a man’s plan to murder his wife. You are privy to his thoughts until a surprise ending.