Reply With QuoteThe Rebus series by Ian Rankin. Edinburgh based detective. But when you’ve read one of them, in essence you’ve read the lot. Why not widen your horizons and try something by Raymond Chandler?
Morning all on this snowy day,
Would anyone have any reccomendations about a UK based detective series?
I have usually read novels about ex special forces operators now working in the private sector etc, but have read a few detective stories recently and have quite enjoyed them.
The sort of thing I like are fairly simple stuff with not too many characters in it and not too graphic/much gore.
The ones I have read are the,
Nick Dixon series by Damien Boyd, probably my favourite so far as they are set locally to me in Somerset.
DS Cross by Tim Sullivan, only 2 books so far, set up the road in Bristol.
Ive just started a series called the Yorkshire murder mysteries by JR Ellis which seem ok.
Ive read the Stella Cole series so far, and the new Tom Ford one by Andy Maslen too.
Any other ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Rob
The Rebus series by Ian Rankin. Edinburgh based detective. But when you’ve read one of them, in essence you’ve read the lot. Why not widen your horizons and try something by Raymond Chandler?
Peter James...the Roy Grace books...16 in series so far.
DCI Ryan series by L.J.Ross are really enjoyable, maybe I'm biased as the series is based in the North East but well worth a read, start with "Holy Island"
A second vote for the Rebus series.
P.D. James. She did about a dozen detective novels. Some of them very good indeed
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The Shetland novels by Ann Cleeves take some beating. Plenty to go at too!
The Peter Robinson - DCI Alan Banks (Yorkshire) series are excellent.
Peter James - Roy Grace (Brighton) are very good too.*
Loved all of Mark Billingham's (not the ex SAS guy) - Tom Thorne (London) detective
* just noticed i'm too late on that as already recommended
If you read via a Kindle or Kindle app on a tablet/ pad there are plenty of box sets available for as little as 99 pence.
Another vote for the Rebus series and the Yorkshire series by J R Ellis are ok.
Last edited by mart broad; 24th January 2021 at 13:03.
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
May not meet your requirement for 'not too many characters' and a bit leftfield but I bought many of the 1950s Perry Mason novels by Erle Stanley Gardner years ago. Looking on ebay there are not many from that period for sale anymore but you might enjoy them as I did.
The Strike novels by Robert Galbraith are excellent too, really compelling reading.
Mark Billingham....the Tom Thorne novels. Excellent reading.
According to Mrs Smith there are literally hundreds of crime books to be downloaded on Kindle, free.
OT but the Dirk Pitt stories by Clive Cussler are a fun read and plenty of them - basically a James Bond type unravelling a historic mystery.
I really enjoyed bill rodgers dci canton series based in Manchester
Some great suggestions so far. Would add Peter Lovesey's Peter Diamond series. Best read in order. (Lovesey was Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association and has been presented with Lifetime Achievement awards both in the UK and the US).
Maybe not exactly what you want, but I enjoyed Douglas Adamas Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul and The Salmon of Doubt
Didn't care for the TV show
DON
UK based detective? Sherlock Holmes surely?
I prefer classic era detectives and John Creasey is a good shout for British stuff.
Cheers,
Neil.
All,
Thank you so much, I will probably spend the rest of the day looking at Amazon trying to work out which to start first!
village mentioned Mark Billingham's Tom Thorne novels, I know somebody who reads them, and may have myself, was the first one called Sleepy Head or something similar?
Will definetly look him up.
Cheers,
Rob
The Gower Street Detective series is a fun twist on the Sherlock Holmes genre or the Tom Wilde 30's spy series by Rory Clements is good too. As is his Shakespeare spy series. The SJ Parris and CJ Sansom books are also good Tudor/Elizabethan mystery detective series.
The Bosch novels by Michael Connolly or any of the Bernie Gunther series by Phillip Kerr
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Neither are UK based, though.Originally Posted by andymonkey
I'm a big fan of the Bosch novels, though, but haven't dipped into the Gunther ones yet.
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
AKA JK Rowling!
I really like Simon Kernicks work - he has some series, some standalones, UK-based detectives and crime, really enjoyable.
Another one that isn't strictly detective but not a million miles off is Jackson Lamb series by Mick Herron. Very good and has some good humour too.
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After Rebus, check out the Inspector Laidlaw books by William McIlvanny. Further afield, the Zen series by Michael Dibdin is excellent.
If you have a Kindle you could try the Lakeland Murders series, by JJ Salkeld, aka simoscribbler from this very forum
Most of my novels are by American authors, but one guy from England is exceptional:
Michael Robotham
Here is an Amazon.com list of his books, which are all 4-1/2 stars (of 5). Careful, the list includes a few other authors, too.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=michael+r..._ss_ts-a-p_5_9
In a slightly different vein, if you like (or don't mind) some graphic violence and a wild ride, I definitely recommend the 3-book "Henry Thompson" series by Charlie Huston. He grabs you by the belt and hurls you into a nonstop action thriller that doesn't quit until the end of the third (and final) book.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...oreType=ebooks
There's also the Logan McCrae series by Stuart McBride which I have enjoyed having loved Rebus through the years!
Joe
^Agreed
Yes Logan McRae was a good read
Leigh Russell, who writes the 'Geraldine Steel' series, was kind enough to guest-host a session at my book club (before she was really famous). Not really my genre, but well-researched procedurals with good reviews, and, as you might expect from one of the nicest people you could ever meet, grisly dispatches to make a Scandinavian coroner retch.
This ..!
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He’s Australian, I know we all sound the same to you lot ;)
- Indeed and yet many of those from the other side of the pond get quite upset if you muddle Canadians and Americans up! (I know there's a difference, but it seems far less to my ear than English and Australian!)
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Canadians are polite Americans aren’t they?
M
Just started reading these and really enjoying them, recommended.
Belinda Bauer
But...isn't Australia part of England?He worked in London for ten years, maybe that's what confused me.
James Crumley - The Last Good Kiss.
In fact, anything by James Crumley.
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