Need Book Recomendation: "Light" Crime / Detective Serier

[NewDCLGuy]

I enjoy detective and crime novels. But everything these days is so serious. Grisly murders, rape, torture, trying to get inside the mind of twisted psychopaths, etc. Bleah.

I'm not necessarily looking for comedy. Just something where the crime is closer to a complicated heist rather than murdered children. Any suggestions are more than welcome - and if you know of a book-related forum where this question is better asked, that would be good too.
'
Thanks

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Hmmmm, Jonathan Kellerman is pretty good. Psychologist is the protagonist, but it's not too grisly.

The Alphabet Mysteries (A is for Alibi... ect.) are fun, not too grisly at all. Protagonist is a woman PI. Kinsey Milhone.

 

[NMAmy]

I have a few suggestions:

Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series. They all take place at different national parks. They're not really grisly and I like reading about all the different parks.

Robert B. Parker's Spenser series.

And for funny mysteries, I love Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow books and Lisa Lutz's Spellman books.

ETA: Oh, I also really enjoyed The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. He has a new one, as well, I just bought it to take on vacation.

 

[clarabelle]

I second the Donna Andrews

Have you tried the "Cat Who" series? -they might be too tame for you.

Agatha Christie books are my all time fav mysteries.

"Death on the Nile" and "Evil Under the Sun" being a couple of my very favorites

Patricia Wentworth is similar to Agatha Christie
Ruth Rendell

 

[clarabelle]

Another series
"The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency"
by Alexander McCall Smith

 

[EdiePA]

If you enjoy cooking, Diane Mott Davidson has a cozy detective series that combines sleuthing with a caterer. Fun reads

Edie

 

[Certifiable WDW Nut]

I was going to suggest Diane Mott Davidson. I really like those. Also, the Janet Evanovich number series is hilarious. Love the grandmother!!

 

[MrsToad]

I like the Dick Francis books for light "solve the crime/mystery" reading. The author was a retired jockey and most of the books are written with horse racing as the background theme. The books are more mystery and less thriller and are not graphically dark. I find them enjoyable.

 

[KLAIT]

Definatley try a Stuart Woods book. He has several characters that he bases his books on. The girls in the office and I LOVE the Stone Barrington series. They are very fast reads and usually a good story. I started them in order from the earliest forward. There are several characters that pop up throughout the whole series. Also a good series by this author, although there are not many out yet are the Ed Eagle....

HIghly recommended/

 

[golfgal]

I don't know if they technically qualify as "crime" but the Vince Flynn books are a pretty easy read and the story line is good. I have recently started reading the David Baldacci books and they are interesting as well. Both authors write more in the CIA type genre.

 

[Sugardimples]

Try the Alpine series by Mary Daheim. They are about a small town in the Pacific Northwest and are centered on the local newspaper editor.

 

[java]

Very light and funny- The Stephanie Plum series of books by
Evanovich

One for the Money is the first one.

I love all the early Nelson Demile books Charm School is one of my favorite books of all time.

 

[Imzadi]

I enjoy detective and crime novels. But everything these days is so serious. Grisly murders, rape, torture, trying to get inside the mind of twisted psychopaths, etc. Bleah.

I'm not necessarily looking for comedy. Just something where the crime is closer to a complicated heist rather than murdered children. Any suggestions are more than welcome - and if you know of a book-related forum where this question is better asked, that would be good too.
'
Thanks

The type of mysteries you are looking for is a sub-genre called "cozy mysteries." They are light on the deaths, usually a person stumbles on the dead body. It doesn't get described in gory detail. (S)he wasn't really close to anybody. In fact, many people hated the deceased. Then the hero(ine) goes about looking for murderer. It's more of a mind twister, who-dun-it, than gory bodies and torture all over the place.

The Murder She Wrote mysteries, Diagnosis Murder, Agatha Christie's mysteries, fall into that category. There are younger hero(ines) too. Many of them fall into themes, named like, "Death by Chocolate," or mysteries with knitting/craft or food themes. Do an Amazon search for "cozy mysteries."

Join www.paperbackswap.com for free. They have a whole mystery forum and there are many people and threads about cozy mysteries. They can give you a ton of suggestions.

 

[PixieTopaz]

I agree-I returned James Patterson's latest to the library because I didnt want to read about bodies chopped up with a chainsaw!

And i usually like his books


Stuart Woods has a good cast of characters in his mystery novels.

 

[doxdogy]

Her Bed and Breakfast series are goo too.

Try the Alpine series by Mary Daheim. They are about a small town in the Pacific Northwest and are centered on the local newspaper editor.

 

[scotlass]

I have recently started reading the David Baldacci books and they are interesting as well.

I really like his books,I just got his new one for Mothers day.

I too love crime books and I would highly recommend Michael Connolly's Harry Bosch books.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Her Bed and Breakfast series are goo too.

I just finished Vi Agra Falls, which was predictably funny. I never read her Alpine series, but now it's on my list for the next time I go to the local "used paperback" store.

 

[Swimnoid]

I like several of the aforementioned series. Another I like is Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. Not real light bit an interesting character.

 

[themilesfamily]

Have you tried the "Cat Who" series? -they might be too tame for you.

Agatha Christie books are my all time fav mysteries.

I have to second the "Cat Who..." series by Lilian Braun. The first 15 or so in the series are the best. I would avoid some of the later books in the series as they have been reviewed poorly. You don't have to be a cat-person to love this series.

I also second Agatha Christie!!! "Ten Little Indians", (sometimes called "And Then There were None"), -- so good!!!! Not gruesome, but it will scare the pants off you. "Sleeping Murder" is another excellent one.

I also like anything written by Henning Mankell. He's a Swedish mystery writer. He's getting back into the murder stuff...so may not be what you want...but his writing and his Kurt Wallender character, (the lead detective), are just exceptional. "One Step Behind" is probably my favorite.

Another great mystery writer is Kate White. This series will appeal primarily to women. "If Looks Could Kill", "'Till Death Do Us Part", "A Body to Die For."

 

[MandM3]

I've read most of the above and loved them all. A couple more suggestions -

Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse and Aurora Teagarden mysteries.
Joanna Carl's chocoholic mysteries
Monica Ferris' needlecraft mysteries

A few British authors -
Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse
Caroline Graham's Inspector Barnaby
M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin and Hamish MacBeth
Ellis Peters' Cadfael

Have fun!