by Raewyn Whyte
(updated occasionally)
When I have spare time, I love to read mystery novels — or really, to immerse myself in the worlds they offer.
I have a preference for noirish mysteries, police procedurals, and female protagonists. I tend to read each series from start to end, and have for the several years been exploring Tartan noir (mysteries by Scots writers) and Scandinavian noir (mysteries by Scandanavian writers). I am also reading New Zealand and Australian writers, who are very much under-represented in the reviews of mystery novels on sites such as Booklover, plus other writers from anywhere who I read about or somehow discover..
For the record, here are some of the writers whose series I have been following over the past year:
Scandinavian noir:
- Viveca Sten – Swedish writer – the Sandhamn mysteries. So far only 2 of 7 available in translation to English (Still Waters and Closed Circles) – I so wish the others would become available.
- Leena Lehtolainen – two different series: the Mario Kallio Series ( 4 books so far, book 5 due out soon) ; and The Bodyguard Trilogy – book 3 recently published (May 2016)
- Camilla Lackberg – Patrick Hedstrom and Erika Falck series – 9 books so far, most recently The Ice Child
- Liza Marklund – investigative journalist Annika Bengtson series – #11 The Final Word (published in June 2016) completes this series by tieing off dangling threads from earlier books in a satisfactory manner. I have the feeling the police researcher Nina Hoffman will emerge as protagonist of a new series…
- Mari Jungstedt – selected titles across several series
A good place to look for more information — https://scandicrimeproject.wordpress.com/
Tartan noir
- Caro Ramsay – Scots writer- the DCI Anderson and DS Costello series – 6 published to date. most recently The Tears of Angels
- Lin Anderson – the forensic pathologist Rhona MacLeod series, most recently The Special Dead (2015)
- Ann Cleeves – books in the Shetland series
- Denise Mina – the Alex Morrow series
- Ian Rankin – the John Rebus series
- Peter May – several series plus standalones
- B A Steadman – Scots writer – 2 so far in the Detective Hellier series
- Harry Bingham – DC Fiona Griffiths crime series – 5 books to date – #6 due in 2017
- Sarah Hillary – the DI Marnie Rome series
- MJ Arlidge – the DI Helen Grace series
- Andrea Sokoloff – The Huntress/FBI trilogy
Other UK mystery writers
- Val McDermid – Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series – most recently Splinter the Dead (2015)
- GK Parks – the Alexis Parker series (personal bodyguard) –
- Deborah Crombie – James/Kincaid series
- Linda La Plante – Anna Travis series – waiting for book 10
- Tana French – the Dublin Murder Squad series
New Zealand and Australian writers
- Trish McCormack – three books set in the South Island comprise a trilogy set at Franz Joseph glacier and in nearby Westland
- Vanessa Skye (Australian writer, series set in Chicago) – The Edge of Darkness trilogy
- I have yet to read books by Jane Needham and Paddy Richardson — see more at kiwicrime.blogspot.co.nz
- for news about new Australian crime writing visit afterdarkmysweet.blogspot.co.nz
Chinese writers
- Qui Xiaolong – book 9 in the Beijing-based Inspector Chen was recently published – Shanghai Redemption
American writers
- Dana Stabenow – while awaiting the continuation of her two Alaska series, have read most recently book 3 of the Silk & Song series, The Land Beyond
- Faye Kellerman – Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series – most recently The Theory of Death
- Linda Fairstein – the sex crimes DA Alexandra Cooper series – most recently Devil’s Bridge (2015)
- Toby Neal – Hawai’ian writer – the Lei Texiera series which recently published book 12 Bitter Feast more-or-less brought to an end, though she is also writing a series of spin-offs for companion character Sophie Ang of which book 1 has just been released.
- Marcia Muller – the Sharon McCone series is still going strong
- Alafair Burke – the Elle Hatcher series
- Alison Brennan – the Lucy Kincaid series
- Connie Shelton – the Samantha Sweet series of “cosy” mysteries, and the Charlie Parker “cosy” mysteries
- Katherine V Forrest – have started reading a series from the 1960s
and some very mainstream series:
- J D Robb – the “in Death ” series – somewhat uneven quality
- Janet Evanovich – the Stephanie Plum bounty hunter (chicklit) series – which has steadily become more and more formulaic and dull.
- James Paterson – the Women’s Murder Club series – co-written, very uneven quality
Other genres
- Neal Stephenson – Seveneves
- Ben H Winter – The Last Policeman trilogy
NB recent article in the Atlantic in praise of women crime writers is worth a read also: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/07/women-are-writing-the-best-crime-novels/485576/?utm_source=atlfb
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