'I LIKE A GOOD MURDER'
'I like a good murder that can't be found out' says Mrs Hopkinson in Emily Eden's novel The Semi-Detached House [1859]
There is 'a detective fever' [The Moonstone:Wilkie Collins] all these years later with crime fiction still the most popular genre.
In 2005 Johanna McGeary in Time magazine noted "Six Detective Series to savor", which were:
Maisie Dobbs- Jacqueline Winspear
Marcus Didius Falco-Lindsey Davis
Alan Banks -Peter Robinson
Guido Brunetti- Donna Leon
Bernie Gunther- Philip Kerr
Frederick Troy- John Lawton
How are these series going nearly six years after the Time article?
I haven't read either Jacqueline Winspear or Lindsey Davis, clearly an oversight I must remedy soon.
The Bruce Alexander Award was won in 2010 by Rebecca Cantrell's A Trace of Smoke, a novel I championed on this blog.
Lindsey Davis has written her twentieth Marcus Didius Falco book, Nemesis, is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2011 CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger, and is a featured guest author at Crime Fest 2011 in Bristol.
The other four series are all among my favourites, and are all still very successful.
Here is a link to my Euro Crime review of Bad Boy, the latest in the Alan Banks series.
The idiosyncratic career of Frederick Troy proceeds in various time frames, and I reviewed John Lawton's latest book A Lily of the Field here. There are also links to reviews of the rest of the series. John Lawton is attending 2011 Crime Fest.
I really enjoy Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series and If The Dead Rise Not, the sixth novel in the series, won the 2009 CWA Ellis Peters Award for Best Historical Crime Novel. The seventh novel in the series Field Grey sits temptingly on my TBR shelf.
I recently finished reading Donna Leon's A Question of Belief and was reminded how much I enjoy reading about Guido Brunetti and his supporting cast; perfect Paola, cool Signorina Elettra, reliable Vianello and the truly obnoxious Vice- Questore Patta.
Thanks to the ever generous Maxine of Petrona I have the next book in the series Drawing Conclusions on my TBR shelf.
What other detective series do you enjoy, and do you think they will still be going strong in five or six years time?
posted by Uriah Robinson at 6:54 AM
6 Comments:
Norman - Thanks for the reminder of why detective series are still as popular as they are. You've mentioned some series that I like very much. I'm also a fan of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch/Mickey Haller series, Andrea Camilleri's Salvo Montalbano series and Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole series, among others. I think these series will continue, and I think one reason for that is that the authors are talented at integrating new kinds of plots, new characters and so on. There's a freshness about the longest-lasting series that keeps them going.
Ditto to all of the series listed by Margot above.
I am a serious fan of Donna Leon's series, have read all but the newest, but am waiting eagerly for it to hit my library. If not, a trip to the Book Depository.
Am new to Nesbo's, but am hooked. Love the Sjowall/Wahloo classics, the Arnaldur Indridason series with Erlendur, Fred Vargas' Inspector Adamsberg series, Yrsa Sigurdadottir's series; the fairly new series writer, Teresa Solana; and in the U.S., many--Sara Paretsky's, Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller. Lots more, too many to name.
Thanks Margot and Kathy. I will probably do a follow up post with some new selections in a few weeks.
Donna Leon is one of my favorites.
Ann
News of Donna Leon's series is that the next one is in the works (after Considering the Evidence), and she has ideas for the book after that.
Sorry; Donna Leon's new book is "Drawing Conclusions."
Post a Comment
<< Home