# Can Someone Recommend A Mystery Series Not Well Known



## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

I love reading mystery series like Karin Slaughter books or Tami Hoag but I usually check my books from our Library to read on my Kindle. So many popular or new series are always checked out and I hate the long wait. I thought maybe someone may know of a older series or not well known that you have read that was really good. A year or so ago someone posted on here about a series about a gay detective by the author Joseph Hansen who is deceased now. They had said they would not usually read this type book but because the person liked it so much they decided to try it. Well so did I. It is not something I would normally read but I was able to find them all at my library online. I really liked the books and all the characters and I hated when it ended. So i figured there were probably more older series maybe people would be willing to share. I appreciate your suggestions.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

One of my favorites is L.J. Sellers Detective Jackson series. Don't let the title turn you off.



I just started reading the Detective Blackstone series.


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

I have read some of L.J's books. They are very good. My husband loves her books.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The problem is, you're in a sort of "Catch 22" situation. The lesser known authors may not be available at the library at all. 

FWIW, I've enjoyed Tana French's "Dublin Murder Squad" books. The first is In the Woods. Also series by Linda Fairstein (Final Jeopardy (Alex Cooper Book 1)) and Tess Gerritsen (The Surgeon: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel). That's the first in the series; it's different to the TV series and she also has some standalone books.


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

I have read all of Tess Garritsen's books. I loved them.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Have you tried Carol O'Connell?  Or Virginia Lanier?  Possibly Jan Burke, or Steve Hamilton would be of interest.  OH, I know.  How about Matthew Iden.  I think you'd like his stuff.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

MariaESchneider said:


> Have you tried Carol O'Connell? Or Virginia Lanier? Possibly Jan Burke, or Steve Hamilton would be of interest. OH, I know. How about Matthew Iden. I think you'd like his stuff.


Oh, yes. I forgot to mention Matthew Iden.

Bill Crider might be too well known, but he's also a possibility.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Bill Crider might be too well known, but he's also a possibility.


I love Bill Crider's mysteries. I'm halfway through binge-reading all of his Sheriff Dan Rhodes books on Kindle. I hope he's around to write more of them, he's doing chemotherapy at the moment.

A less-well known mystery series is the Sheriff Bo Tulley series (six books so far) by Patrick McManus. They are similar in tone to the ones by Crider.

There is also the Pierre Chambrun series by Hugh Pentecost. All enKindled save he first one.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Mike D. aka jmiked said:


> I love Bill Crider's mysteries. I'm halfway through binge-reading all of his Sheriff Dan Rhodes books on Kindle. I hope he's around to write more of them, he's doing chemotherapy at the moment.
> 
> A less-well known mystery series is the Sheriff Bo Tulley series (six books so far) by Patrick McManus. They are similar in tone to the ones by Crider.
> 
> There is also the Pierre Chambrun series by Hugh Pentecost. All enKindled save he first one.


Sorry to hear about the chemo. I'm just finishing a reread of Det. Jackson and I think I'll schedule a reread of Sheriff Dan Rhodes. I'll put Sheriff Bo Tulley and Pierre Chambrun on my list. Ooops, just checked. Too rich for my blood.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Sorry to hear about the chemo. I'm just finishing a reread of Det. Jackson and I think I'll schedule a reread of Sheriff Dan Rhodes. I'll put Sheriff Bo Tulley and Pierre Chambrun on my list. Ooops, just checked. Too rich for my blood.


If I recall it right, I got the entire set of Chambrun mysteries last year or the year before on that day Amazon sells ebooks at huge discounts.

Another lesser well-known series is the Mrs. Bradley series by Gladys Mitchell. They were written from the 1929 through 1984, over 60 books in all. She was considered the equal of Agatha Christie at the time, but few of her books were published here in the US until they were made as ebooks. They are all available as Kindle Unlimited. The first volume has one of my favorite lines from a book: "I've never cared much for the countryside. To me it's a soggy sort of place, where animals and birds wander around uncooked."


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Mike D. aka jmiked said:


> Another lesser well-known series is the Mrs. Bradley series by Gladys Mitchell. They were written from the 1929 through 1984, over 60 books in all. She was considered the equal of Agatha Christie at the time, but few of her books were published here in the US until they were made as ebooks. They are all available as Kindle Unlimited. The first volume has one of about my favorite lines from a book: "I've never cared much for the countryside. To me it's a soggy sort of place, where animals and birds wander around uncooked."


As a life-long mystery lover I can't believe I've never heard of Gladys Mitchell! Unfortunately the Kindle version of the first book, Speedy Death, is not currently available. I'm looking forward to trying it when it becomes available again.

eta: With a little looking around I found there is a second, newer Kindle version that IS available and it is now happily residing in my TBR pile. I'm not sure why the unavailable Kindle version came up first in my search.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

crebel said:


> As a life-long mystery lover I can't believe I've never heard of Gladys Mitchell! Unfortunately the Kindle version of the first book, Speedy Death, is not currently available. I'm looking forward to trying it when it becomes available again.


It shows as available as both KU and for Kindle purchase for $3.99 when I look at it. Strange.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Mike D. aka jmiked said:


> It shows as available as both KU and for Kindle purchase for $3.99 when I look at it. Strange.


Thanks, Mike, see edited post. Sounds like a great recommendation.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Mike D. aka jmiked said:


> If I recall it right, I got the entire set of Chambrun mysteries last year or the year before on that day Amazon sells ebooks at huge discounts.
> 
> Another lesser well-known series is the Mrs. Bradley series by Gladys Mitchell. They were written from the 1929 through 1984, over 60 books in all. She was considered the equal of Agatha Christie at the time, but few of her books were published here in the US until they were made as ebooks. They are all available as Kindle Unlimited. The first volume has one of about my favorite lines from a book: "I've never cared much for the countryside. To me it's a soggy sort of place, where animals and birds wander around uncooked."


More my speed. I bought the first one.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> More my speed. I bought the first one.


Despite my quote, the books are very much in the Agatha Christie traditional mystery genre and are not humorous or tongue-in-cheek.

BTW, the books were the source of the _Mrs. Bradley Mystery_ series from the late nineties starring Diana Rigg. She was horribly miscast, as Mrs. Bradley is described as 'reptilian', and cackles a lot. I always pictured Margaret Hamilton (the wicked witch in _The Wizard of Oz_) as Mrs. Bradley.

Mike


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Mike D. aka jmiked said:


> Despite my quote, the books are very much in the Agatha Christie traditional mystery genre and are not humorous or tongue-in-cheek.
> 
> BTW, the books were the source of the _Mrs. Bradley Mystery_ series from the late nineties starring Diana Rigg. She was horribly miscast, as Mrs. Bradley is described as 'reptilian', and cackles a lot. I always pictured Margaret Hamilton (the wicked witch in _The Wizard of Oz_) as Mrs. Bradley.
> 
> Mike


I meant price-wise.


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will check them out. Always looking for a good mystery to read. I have tons of books on my Kindle but I am always looking for more. Is that crazy or not?LOL


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I meant price-wise.


OK, I was just afraid I had inadvertently led you to believe that they were other than serious mysteries. 

BTW, if it's of any interest in the future should you decide you'd like to read more of the series but don't feel like plowing through all 66, I have a list of the half-dozen of the series recommended by a classic mystery connoisseur.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Mike D. aka jmiked said:


> OK, I was just afraid I had inadvertently led you to believe that they were other than serious mysteries.
> 
> BTW, if it's of any interest in the future should you decide you'd like to read more of the series but don't feel like plowing through all 66, I have a list of the half-dozen of the series recommended by a classic mystery connoisseur.


I noticed there were 66. Wow. What an accomplishment. I just started reading a few minutes ago so I'll let you know.


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

Thanks Mike for recommending Bill Criders books. My local library had them online for my Kindle and I am half way through the first one in the Dan Rhodes series.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I just remembered Inspector George Gently. I loved the TV series and then the books.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

I don't know how well-known the series is as it was published more than 60 years ago, but M. M. Kaye's Death In...series is very good. Kaye was the author of The Far Pavilions. She wrote the Death In...series when she was much younger. Her husband was in the British military and she made it a goal to set a murder mystery in every place where he was stationed. So she wrote Death In the Andamans, Berlin, Cyprus, Kashmir, Kenya, and Zanzibar. They are colorful, funny, suspenseful, and well-written, with lots of atmosphere and local history woven through the stories and chock-full of British flavor. If you like Agatha Christie you will like these. I actually like these better because Kaye really develops the characters and you care about what happens to them, something I always found lacking in Christie's books, as much as I like those.


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

I am loving the Bill Crider books. I am on book 4 and that is all my library has online for the Kindle. I will have to purchase the rest from Amazon but they are only $3.99 so that is not bad and so very worth it for me. Does anyone have any suggestions for similar books. I love the characters and the humor that is in the books. Thank you so much for the recommendations.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

padowd said:


> I am loving the Bill Crider books. I am on book 4 and that is all my library has online for the Kindle. I will have to purchase the rest from Amazon but they are only $3.99 so that is not bad and so very worth it for me. Does anyone have any suggestions for similar books. I love the characters and the humor that is in the books. Thank you so much for the recommendations.


Crider also has the 5 volume Truman Smith P.I. series, which is roughly similar in tone. Also, Patrick McManus has a 6 volume Sheriff Bo Tully series which is similar.


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

Thanks Mike I will check those out. You were the one who recommended the Bill Crider books to me and I so appreciate it. I usually do not read this type of book but i love them. I can't stop reading them. They are the kind of book you want to read them but you don't because you don't want then to end. I will check out the other series by Bill.


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## Carrie Rubin (Nov 19, 2012)

I recently discovered a series by a British author. It's a newer series, but maybe one that's not as well known yet (although I just saw on Goodreads she has over 20,000 reviews on the first book now, so maybe that's no longer true). It's Angela Marsons's DI Kim Stone series. I read _Silent Scream_ and was hooked. The second one was really good too. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Here's the first one:


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