# Looking for Humorous Mystery Series Recommendations



## RJMcDonnell (Jan 29, 2011)

I thoroughly enjoy a good hardboiled mystery series where humor is used during breathers between action scenes. My two favorites are the Elvis Cole Series by Robert Crais and the John Corey Series by Nelson DeMille. Can anyone recommend a comparable series?


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I like Elvis Cole and Joe Pike even better, but I don't consider either particularly humorous, so take this rec with that in mind--but you might like Steve Hamilton's work.  I enjoy his mysteries and read quite a few of the (Alex McKnight is the main character).


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## RJMcDonnell (Jan 29, 2011)

Thanks for the recommendation, Maria. The Alex McKnight series looks very interesting.


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

You might enjoy the _Sheriff Bo Tully_ mysteries, by Patrick McManus. They are somewhat tongue-in-cheek works, possibly not hard-boiled enough for you. I enjoy them a lot. Trying a sample would give you an idea of the style.



Or the _Dan Rhodes Mysteries_ by Bill Crider. Still not hard-boiled, but serious with a occasional light touches.



Mike


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## RJMcDonnell (Jan 29, 2011)

Thanks, Mike. I just added both of your recommendations to my reading list. Maria, I just finished the first novel in the Alex McKnight series and have no doubt I'll read all of them.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Glad you enjoyed it.  I don't remember how many I read.  At least three.  I'm not a big series reader; three is about my limit with most series.  He writes some good stories.


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## German_Translator (Jul 26, 2015)

I like the Monsieur Pamplemousse series - funny, often with a culinary theme. His faithful dog is names Pommes Frites;-)


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## RJMcDonnell (Jan 29, 2011)

Thanks, German_Translator. I enjoy dogs in supporting roles. My favorite was a Robert Crais stand-alone called "The Sentry." It had three or four scenes from the dog's POV.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Oh, I have not read that one yet!!!  WOOT!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I'll second the Bill Crider stories. The mysteries are good and the secondary characters lend interest and humor.

My favorite humerous mystery series is Death by Chocolate by Sally Berneathy. Not really hard boiled but good mysteries.


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## RJMcDonnell (Jan 29, 2011)

Gertie, I underlined Bill Crider on my reading list and added Death by Chocolate. I know I've see this title before. I think it was in the dessert section of a menu. The recommendations are appreciated. Maria - my mistake, the Crais novel featuring the dog is titled "Suspect."  I think it's his best novel in years.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Thanks for letting me know!  I"ll go change my wishlist.


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## RJMcDonnell (Jan 29, 2011)

Maria, I read another Steve Hamilton novel. It wasn't part of the Alex McKnight series you recommended, but was an exceptional stand-alone called The Lock Artist. It was more quirky than humorous, but very creative.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I'll check it out.  I really enjoyed his writing back when I was reading it.  Great pacing, interesting characters, good plots.  I am also partial to stand alones over series much of the time!


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

RJMcDonnell said:


> Thanks, German_Translator. I enjoy dogs in supporting roles. My favorite was a Robert Crais stand-alone called "The Sentry." It had three or four scenes from the dog's POV.


In that case have you read any of the "Chet & Bernie" series by Spencer Quinn? I've only read the first one (so many books, so little time) but it's got mystery, humor and a dog as narrator.


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## JadenTerell (Sep 7, 2015)

Timothy Hallinan's Junior Bender series is one of the funniest (without being silly) series I've ever read. 

His Poke Rafferty series, set in Bangkok, is also wonderful, but even though they have moments of humor, I wouldn't call them funny books. They can get pretty dark.


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## 67499 (Feb 4, 2013)

Not part of a series (and too bad, too) but a great humorous mystery read is Richard Hull's *The Murder of My Aunt.*


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Way back when, I used to read the Shell Scott mysteries by Richard S. Prather. They're now on kindle and in KU.  This is 1960s humor set in L.A. with good mysteries.


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## Anna Drake (Sep 22, 2014)

Laurance Sanders wrote a humorous mystery in his McNally series. His main character is a lot like Archie Goodwin in the Nero Wolfe books. I just found a copy of one of the books in KU. I don't know if there are others, but the series is funny.


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## RJMcDonnell (Jan 29, 2011)

Anna, I believe I own every book that Sanders ever wrote. You're right, the McNally series is fun. But I feel his Deadly Sins series and his Ten Commandments series represented his best work. They were top notch hard-boiled mysteries that took place in New York. The McNally series felt like a shift into retirement after moving to Florida. It was so popular that another author wrote six more McNally books after Sanders died, and actually did a credible job maintaining the voice and intrigue.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Speaking of Lawrence Sanders reminded me of Lawrence Block. I loved his Evan Tanner mysteries starting with _The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep_. Very funny but more suspense than mystery.

In truth, I really don't know how to classify this series, but I love it. I read the first book many years ago and didn't know that Block had written more Tanner books. I found out when I went looking for the first book on Kindle and then found them all.


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## TheEclecticScribe (Aug 25, 2015)

jmiked said:


> You might enjoy the _Sheriff Bo Tully_ mysteries, by Patrick McManus. They are somewhat tongue-in-cheek works, possibly not hard-boiled enough for you. I enjoy them a lot. Trying a sample would give you an idea of the style.


I was going to suggest the Bo Tully series, too. I read the first book in the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


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

Anna Drake said:


> Laurance Sanders wrote a humorous mystery in his McNally series. His main character is a lot like Archie Goodwin in the Nero Wolfe books.


Thanks for the heads-up on these. I'm most of the way through the first one, and have downloaded the next two.

Mike


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## RJMcDonnell (Jan 29, 2011)

I just finished reading Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath. It's the 1st in his Jack Daniels series. Jack is a mid-forties, female lieutenant with the Chicago Police Department. Lots of fast-paced action with ample humor throughout. I picked it up in a box set of the first three in the series, and plan to binge-read the set. Please keep the recommendations coming.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

Anna Drake said:


> Laurance Sanders wrote a humorous mystery in his McNally series. His main character is a lot like Archie Goodwin in the Nero Wolfe books. I just found a copy of one of the books in KU. I don't know if there are others, but the series is funny.


Thank you for recommending those books! I picked up a few in December and am enjoying them tremendously


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

For anglophiles among us, I'd recommend Sarah Caudwell. The plot is so-so but the language is great. The first book is Thus Was Adonis Murdered but I can only find a link for the third one (which I like best):



And then, from Down Under, there is the incomparable Miss Fisher. I own all 20 of them. Some are good, some less so, but they are great fun and there is a solid research behind this series that take place in 1920's. (Also, a great TV series.)


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I don't know if I mentioned the Mrs. Pargeter series by Simon Brett. Probably not since it just came out in ebook. I picked up the six-pack for about $50. Then I saw that he's finally written another one.

Here's the first in the series (1986).



Here's the link to the six book package of original stories.



And here's the new one, which I haven't read yet. Busy re-reading the series from the beginning.



Simon Brett has at least two more series.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Looks good, Gertie!

Note you don't really save by buying 6 in a bundle.

If $8 a pop is still too high, check your local library -- they're avaialable via OverDrive as a Kindle book!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Looks good, Gertie!
> 
> Note you don't really save by buying 6 in a bundle.
> 
> If $8 a pop is still too high, check your local library -- they're avaialable via OverDrive as a Kindle book!


It was just easier to buy them all at once. Funny, how I'll pay $8 for an ebook if it's something I really, really, really want.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm not familiar and was happy to see them in the library . . . actually a bit surprised too, as often it's only new and/or best seller list titles available. . . . rarely backlist titles unless they were HUGE at the time.


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## PB2016 (Jan 14, 2016)

Hard Boiled + Humor seems like quite a combination. I have picked up many new names for my TBR list on this thread.

I have found Tony Dunbar's Tubby Dubonnet books to be different..not sure how they are categorized.

M C Beaton's Hamish Macbeth is also unique.


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

I just posted about the books on the cozy thread, but I like the "Her Royal Spyness" series. They are very funny at times, and the mystery elements are pretty clever.


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## I&#039;m a Little Teapot (Apr 10, 2014)

Anna Drake said:


> Laurance Sanders wrote a humorous mystery in his McNally series. His main character is a lot like Archie Goodwin in the Nero Wolfe books. I just found a copy of one of the books in KU. I don't know if there are others, but the series is funny.


The Archy McNally series is the one I came here to recommend. Archy is one my all-time favorite sleuths and protagonists. He's quite the character.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Reminder from your friendly neighborhood moderator:

Self promotion is not allowed in the book corner.

So, no, if you're an author, you can not suggest your own book.


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## nikkidog (Apr 8, 2016)

The High Heel Mystery series by Gemma Halliday.  At times they make me laugh out loud.  I've read them all to date and they are very good.  May appeal more to women than men.


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