After being disappointed in a lot of books of different genres (DNF Babel, The House of God, The Book of Dave, The Stand, The Final Nail), I took a break from reading. Now I would love to read some mystery or crime book with a lot of twists and unforeseeable outcomes. I really like (urban) fantasy, horror, or even violent elements in the book, but I don’t want to read about the intimate problems/psychological issues/substance abuse of the “detective”/main character or anyone else, if it is not directly affecting the plot (in my job i work with people in similar situations and reading about this just reminds me of work). I would like if the “social” aspect of the characters would lean more into family/friendship and less into a lot of drawn out romance. Also I would prefer if the book was not too old (less than 5 years), but it’s not a dealbreaker.
I understand English, German, and Norwegian – if you have any ideas, please let me know. I’d appreciate any suggestion that could prevent me from stopping reading completely. Thank you!
by KaffeemitCola
7 Comments
The Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly is really good. He’s a detective who works homicide cases in Hollywood. Each book focuses on a different case. You get to learn about his family and personal life, as well as how his work affects them.
The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson is also really good. It’s a mystery thriller with lots of twists and turns. It’s pretty edgy, though. It’s very violent and even has sexual abuse in a few parts of the story. It’s probably the best mystery thriller series I’ve ever read.
No problem!
And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
Best mystery book I have ever read. Best writing, super clever, and I couldn’t figure out what happened until the end. I usually can about 1/2-2/3 of the way through. Definitely older than 5 years, but amazing.
I love the Nero Wolfe series! So full of fun characters and witty dialogue. I started with Champagne for One. They are over 5 years old, but I think they’re worth it.
Check out Riley Sager, Ruth Ware, Alice Feeney, and Megan Goldin. Specifically I recommend: Lock Every Door, One by One, Rock Paper Scissors, and The Escape Room.
If you prefer upmarket, try The Push by Ashley Audrain.
Oh my god – you have to check out the Nursery Crime series by Jasper Fforde,
The Fourth Bear is about what happened to Goldilocks after she ran away from the bears house.
The Big Over Easy is about who killed Humpty Dumpty.
It’s set in an anamorphic world and Jack Spratt is the happily married detective assigned to solve these cases.
So, so good and original. Can’t recommend enough for mystery fans.
If you want a really wild one, try _The City and The City_. Police procedural crossed with sociological science fiction.