British detective novels

Hello guys!

I am a big fan of British detective stories/novels. I have read almost all of Agatha's works and a couple of books written by Caroline Graham. Can anyone suggest similar books written by contemporary British authors?

Had you seen this: http://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/if-youve-run-out-of-agatha-christie-mysteries.h... ? :)

Other from that - look at the Agatha awards - you will need to pick and choose obviously but this is where you will find the new works with the same style.

>1 Ad_raf:: You could try Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Mark Billingham, Barbara Vine.
I'll add more as I have a think about it.

There are some excellent British crime authors. Who are you reading just now?

>3 TheGingerDetective:

As much as I love all of the ones that you mentioned, all of them are a a bit too... explicit in describing the crimes compared to Graham and Christie.

If we are looking just for British detective and crime authors, yep, those are great.
If we are looking for someone with subtle handling of the gory details - not really :)

thanks for the reply! I'm gonna check it right away!

To tell the truth, I have run out of detective novels. So I am rereading Agatha's chronologically. Tonight I'll start again Murder at the vicarage starring Miss Marple!

in general, any detective book will do for me but a good book with a british touch remains my 'top priorities'!

>7 Ad_raf:

Then look at the ones mentioned by >3 TheGingerDetective:

And also look at the recommendations that LT generates for the books by them :)

Happy reading!

You might find something in this series:
https://www.librarything.com/publisherseries/British+Library+Crime+Classics
Certainly British but not contemporary - mostly from the inter-war years. They are nicely produced with attractive covers (imho!)

i have just had a lookt at the website. This seems to be well-shelved. I am sure I'm going to enjoy it. thank you so much!

The authors are unknown to me. I'm too thrilled to starting them; thanks a lot Ginger dick!

Peter Lovesey is the best writer of British mysteries today. He combines the classic Golden Age style of Agatha Christie with the more modern police procedural. His novels are relatively mild, so there is little gore or violence.

His Peter Diamond series is especially recommended.

They're not British, and I've only read one, but the books by Louise Penny have that small town British "feel" to them.

Michael Innes - pen name of J. I. M. Stewart - is excellent in my opinion. Old school, and sometimes more mystery than crime. I just love his use of language.

Another source: SYKM!

>14 Noisy: I too love the Appleby series but I wouldn't call them contemporary! He started writing them in the 1930s so they are contemporary to Agatha Christie. Another from this era that is great is the Edmund Crispin Gervase Fen series.

For contemporary British mysteries, has anyone mentioned Peter Lovesey?

I see that Barbara Vine has been mentioned, but this writer as Ruth Rendell wrote the wonderful Inspector Wexford series set in fictional Kingsmarkham in southern England. The earlier ones in the series are not overwhelmingly violent , although they do become darker later. I have just read the first one again, From Doon with Death and strongly recommend it.

There are loads of great British crime/detective writers. Peter Robinson has a whole lot featuring DCI Alan Banks, plus several stand alone ones. Scotland has some wonderful writers - Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Denise Mina, Peter May. Alison Taylor wrote some novels set in North Wales. Elly Griffiths does Norfolk. And for quirky there's Kate Atkinson.

>14 Noisy: Noisy: I heartily second Noisy's suggestion of Michael Innes and would add Ngaio Marsh and Cyril Hare. Elizabeth Lemarchand , Alan Hunter, Margery Allingham, Christianna Brand, Catherine Aird, are all lovely if you haven't already read them all.

>19 JoLynnsbooks: Cyril Hare is a new name to me. I'll keep my eyes open.

P.D. James, G.M. Malliett fit the bill. Have you tried Josephine Tey? I know you said contemporary, but she is great.

I recommend Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' mysteries featuring Bill Slider.

Try Reginald Hill, Stephen Booth,Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins series, John Harvey, Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse series, Elizabeth George, Deborah Crombie, and Martha Grimes' Inspector Jury series.