Mystery

Funny

Janet Evanovich
Hysterically funny (One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) is the first in the series)

J.A. Konrath– writes a lot of horror–very avoidable especially “Rusty Nail” which was too…well, it had too many torture scenes for me. However, I read The List and it was funny, fast-paced and fun. (The List on Kindle is much more reasonably priced.)

Police Procedural

Carol O’Connell — (Mallory’s Oracle is the first in her more hard boiled series.)
New York police procedural. Main character was a street orphan and there’s some fascinating pieces of her past that get explored in a number of the novels. Most excellent! Her stand alone, The Judas Child, is a MUST READ.

Linda Fairstein

New York prosecutor police procedural. Final Jeopardy is the first in the series.

Kay Mitchell — UK setting; police procedural; great characterization; these can be hard to find because they are out of print.

Detective/Sleuth

Jan Burke
I like that her character solves mysteries–along the thriller line–no cozies here! and does so without constantly re-introducing conflict between the main character and her husband. In the books I’ve read the characters seem to have a realistic flow to their relationship without forced conflict.

Kaye C. Hill – Dead Woman’s Shoes.
Just a lot of fun and an excellent read. It’s got everything–a chihuahua, a woman on the run who must solve a crime to make enough money to eat, a cat, a vet, criminals everywhere…

Karen Cantwell: Take the Monkeys and Run (A Barbara Marr Murder Mystery) – cozy; mystery; romance

I love a good cozy mystery and this caper has laughs, fun, romance and a pace that had me finishing it it one session. Barbara Marr starts off as your ordinary soccer mom with a mid-life crisis. When she gets involved with monkeys and murder, it’s going to take old romances, new romances and all the help she can find to keep herself out of trouble!

Anne George
Murder on a Girls’ Night Out is the first in the series about two sisters–in their sixties! The family fun in these books is what makes the story. You can see yourself, your relatives–the characters reach out and draw you in.

Evelyn Coleman

maybe this will come out in Kindle someday…Jouralistic sleuth, but no amateur stuff; thriller; suspense

Off the Beaten Path

Virginia Lanier
— Bloodhound tracking; Excellent, better than 10 stars! (Death in Bloodhound Red
is the first in the series.) These have remained all-time favorites over the years; thriller, suspense–mystery; the series has it all.

Elizabeth Cosin
Zen and The Art of Murder: A Zen Moses Mystery
I loved, loved, loved this character. These were out of print for a long time, but are now available in Kindle. Zen and the City of Angels: A Zen Moses Mystery

Elizabeth Peters —

(Also writes the Egyptian historical setting Amelia Peabody series, all excellent.) I LOVE the contemporary setting, Vicky Bliss mysteries. She also writes darker, noir suspense as Barbara Michaels. (Vicky Bliss first in the series is: Borrower of the Night. Available in Kindle and paperback). Order of the series:
Borrower of the Night
Street of the Five Moons
Silhouette in Scarlet
Trojan Gold
Night Train to Memphis
The Laughter of Dead Kings

I’ve had this series on my TBR for a while (a looong while). Well, I finally got around to reading the first The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (See all Mystery Books) and I LOVED it!!!

This is sort of the American version of Amelia Peabody or the American version of Miss Marple. I’d categorize it as a cozy thriller. Yes, a cozy thriller. Perhaps a new category, but it’s very fast-paced and more dangerous than your average cozy. The international intrigue and tough guys make it a thriller. Most of the violence happens offstage but it does color outside the strict cozy lines.

Historical Mysteries

Elizabeth Peters —
Egyptian historical setting and other works, all excellent. I LOVE her Vicky Bliss series and she finally finished the series in August 2008. Awesome! (Vicky Bliss first in the series is: Borrower of the Night. Available in Kindle and paperback)

Indian and Gypsy Lore

Sandra West Prowell
Montana setting; light Indian lore; Absolutely superb stories. I’m hoping these come out in Kindle. One of the few books I have reread; they are just that good.

Kirk Mitchell
Excellent American Indian lore without being overdone or stuck on a reservation/reservation concepts. Both a male and female protagonist that play important parts and through the series develop individually and as partners.

Meredith Blevins– amateur sleuth; touches of gypsy lore. Out of print.