Building a Mystery

It's no secret that I love SciFi and Fantasy books - especially if they have kick-ass chicks or vampires in them.

But I have another favorite Brain Candy, too: Detective/mystery stories.

Agatha Christie is probably my favorite mystery author of all time. And I do love the Sherlock Holmes stories, too. But, mostly, the common theme among my current favorite mystery/detective stories seems to be (no surprise) female authors and strong female protagonists.

So, some of my "must-run-out-and-buy-her-latest-book-right-now!" mystery authors include ...


Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum Series
I never laugh out loud so much as I do while reading about Stephanie Plum - Suburban Jersey Girl and Bounty Hunter.

The series started with One for the Money, and continued with Two for the Dough, Three to Get Deadly, etc. She's just come out with Finger Lickin' Fifteen. She also has several Between the Numbers books out now. And every single one of them is side-splittingly awesome. the plots are outrageous bordering on unrealistic, but they are so funny that you just don't care. Seriously, if Stephanie, Lulu and Grandma Mazur don't make you laugh, check your pulse.


JD Robb
In Death Series
Eve Dallas is one of my favorite cops. Ever. The In Death books are set about 50 years in the future, which is what primarily attracted me to the first book. But, while there are some futuristic elements to the plots, they don't really qualify as science fiction.

I think Robb's near-future is a realistic one and the stories and characters are interesting. Dallas is a tough as nails and dedicated -obsessive, even - detective and the plots are unique and engaging. I usually read these books within a day or two of getting them because I just can't put them down.

Robb is the pen-name for romance author Nora Roberts. And there is an element of romance in the In Death books as well. But, while long-term character development is definitely a big part of the appeal of this series, the romance does not overshadow the detective story - which I appreciate. But I think my favorite thing about the romance side is that it is between Dallas and her husband, Roarke. You don't see a lot of "married" romance in books like this. It's refreshing.


Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone Series
This series is also called the Alphabet Series because of the titles: A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, C is for Corpse, etc.

I've read A-S and I have T is for Trespass on my bedside table. Kinsey Milhone is a private investigator in fictional Santa Theresa, California (based on the real city of Santa Barbara). Kinsey is smart, tough and extremely independent. I like that the detective work in these books is realistic and not gussied up to be glamorous. Millhone is a straight-forward, no-frills kind of person doing a straight-forward, intellectually and physically challenging job.

To be honest, a couple of books in the middle of this series were just a little bit "meh" for me. But the rest have all been fun and entertaining. I like that I'm not always able to see where the plot is going ahead of Kinsey. And yet, I don't feel like Grafton has "cheated" the clues to keep the reader guessing, either. That's a nice balance and hard to do again and again in a series.

One side note: The first book was published in 1982 and the story is set in the same time frame. Each subsequent book is set only about 6 months or so after the last. So, even though the books have spanned 20 years, the internal timeline is much shorter. That means that even though S is for Silence was published in 2005, the book is set in 1987 or 1988.


Charlaine Harris
Aurora Teagarden series
The next three series are all by Charlaine Harris (who was also featured in my post about my favorite vampire book series). Basically, I've loved almost every character Harris has ever created. :)

Aurora Teagarden is a bit different from my other favorite characters, though, because she's not exactly what you'd call "tough" ... and yet she's incredible strong. "Roe" is a librarian, a bookworm, a thinker-not-a-fighter (anyone who knows me can see why this type of character would appeal to me, I think.). She's whip-smart, curious as a cat and can't resist poking her nose into a mystery.

Like many other books in this list, the long-term character development over the life of the series is a definite draw here as well. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but Roe's personal life is a driving factor in the "mysteries" in these books and Harris takes the readers to some bold and interesting places, I think. As she does is many of her other books to, including ...

Charlaine Harris
Lilly Bard series
I think these were the first of Charlaine Harris' books that I read. Lily Bard is a tough, fiercely private rape survivor who moves to the fictional town of Shakespeare, Arkansas. She just wants to mind her own business and run her one-woman house cleaning service. But she becomes unwillingly entangled in a series of interesting small-town mysteries.

She's not exactly Miss Marple, but Lily manages to untangle all of the small town secrets and lies and get to the usually ugly truth. There are five Lilly Bard books and Harris has said she'd finished writing the series.

Charlaine Harris
Harper Connelly series
This is Harris' most recent series. There are only three books out so far, but they're unique and interesting. Harper, like many of Harris' protagonists, seems delicate and vulnerable on the outside, but underneath that she has a strong, appealing core.

Again set in the south, the series dips into the realm of the supernatural in that Harper has a unique talent - she can find dead people and determine their cause of death. But, other than that strange little quirk, the books are realistic. The mysteries within the plot are interesting and well done, but, again, it's the characters - main and supporting - that really drive the story.


Sara Paretsky
VI Warshawski series
VI "Vic" Warshawki is an iconic character in women's detective stories and the books have a strong feminist undertone.

More than any other books on this list, this series is most like the traditional "hard-boiled detective" genre. Warshawski is a smart, tough, snarky-before-there-was-a-word-for-it, private detective in Chicago. She drinks Johnnie Walker Black, loves opera, and can hold her own in a street fight. She's proudly independent and yet fiercely protective of those she cares about. The plots are intelligent and unique, but it's Paretsky's tough, witty, kick-ass PI who kept me coming back for more.

Oh, and if you've seen the movie? Don't judge the books by that, okay? I like Kathleen Turner. And the movie wasn't bad. But it wasn't really a good representation of the books.

Also, I should mention that I've had a couple of guy friends tell me that the feminism was more over- than under- in tone and that factor made it harder for them to get "into" the story. I can see where that might come from. But it wasn't an issue for me.


So, those are some of my favorite mysteries. What about you? Do you like mystery/detective novels? What are your favorites? What is it about them that appeals to you?