Reddit mentions: The best detective mystery books

I've got a series of short stories: The Supernatural Case Files of Sherlock Holmes that's gotten a lot of sales and comments because it's a pairing of Holmes and Dracula, which was a lot of fun to write. That's 'The Adventure of the Solitary Grave'. Other titles in the series include tie-ins with Lovecraft's Innsmouth and further vampire related adventures. These were a challenge to get right, for sure, because you absolutely HAVE to get these characters' voices write for the stories to be worth reading. That took an enormous amount of research and detail to get right but I was pretty happy with the result.

http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Count-Dracula-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B002ZVPTA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421696910&sr=8-1&keywords=christian+klaver

http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Innsmouth-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B004774O90/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1R2TTVY6A6T96YRRXVNP

I've also got a book series starting with 'Shadows Over London' in which a teenage girl struggles with discovering that her family is actually part Faerie. This gets even more complicated when the Faerie invade and occupy London and her family members fall onto different sides during the occupation. Again, that took a lot of research. You want to get the details of Victorian London correct, even if you're tearing the society to pieces by the middle of the book. There's also a lot ship sailing and combat at sea, which is an entire new load of fun to write, but also more details to research.

http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Over-London-House-Thorns-ebook/dp/B00LMD7N8G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1421697651&sr=8-3&keywords=Christian+Klaver

I'm currently on the second book of a science fiction series in an alternate modern day Detroit where Aliens have made contact. The new resulting technology and mass exodus into space makes for a post-apocalyptic setting for our down-and-out ex-military hero, Hansa. He's not at all prepared for being knee-deep in the aliens or for the redemption story that he's part of.

Which is the answer to your next question: I enjoy writing different kinds of things, but it can be a marketing challenge to go back and forth from YA to Dark Fantasy to sci-fi and noir, but that's part of the fun, too.

Book recommendations: My favorite authors going back have been Roger Zelazny's, Tanith Lee, & Guy Gavriel Kay, mostly just for style and wonder of language. And I mean almost everything from these three. Karen Joy Fowler's 'We Are All Beside Ourselves' is a great example recently of style. You cannot put this book down! Other favorites include Emma Bull's 'War for the Oaks', Terry Pratchett's Discworld, Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate. Also relatively new: Lev Grossman's the Magician Trilogy. Loved the %^&* out of that.

Outside of F&SF, I'm a big Robert B. Parker as well as Raymond Chandler and Hemingway. I just picked up Martha Gellhorn's war 'The Face of War' which is amazing.

A Monstrous Regiment of Women. I recently listened to The Beekeeper's Apprentice as an audiobook on a road trip, which is the first book by Laurie King to feature Mary Russell. I thought it was so fantastic and I've been dying to read the others in the series since then. I'm on a huge Sherlock kick and the writing and style of the book are great. It puts a new twist on old characters and I really like it. Also, having a highly intelligent female protagonist is awesome. Reviews of the book have mentioned that the romance in the book is sparse - something which appeals to me. I don't want it to overwhelm the book, but sometimes it's nice to have a little bit in there. Additionally, the character development in the first book was astounding. I usually hate long pages about characters, but in the first book, it was interesting, well written, and never seemed to drag on or get very boring. Granted, this may be due in large part to the narrator of the book being amazing. But still. Reviews, again, state that the character development in this book is just as awesome - especially when relationships are thoroughly examined. I loved the entire plot of the first book and would love to read more in the series.

I'm currently reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I just finished reading Divergent by Veronica Roth and next on my list is Insurgent, again by Veronica Roth and the second book in the Divergent series.

So it goes.

I have been super obsessed with Agatha Christie this summer! Here are three of my favorite novels so far:

The Secret Adversary: Really smart dialogue and the characters are just so refreshingly original. Tuppence is such a unique female detective. I like her a lot. There are so many twists in the plot that will keep you guessing. The book is very fun to read. I finished it in two days!

Amazon link: The Secret Adversary

The Poirot mystery series is really fun to read because it is both intriguing and humorous. I enjoy the dynamics between Hastings and Poirot. The dialogue is really witty and the plot is fascinating. I just finished the first two books in the series both are great reads. Hope you enjoy them!

Amazon Link: The Murder on the Links, The Mysterious Affair at Styles

YA lit is my favourite genre, and i remember being that age and being bored with what the school had us read.
Ideas for you: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Dealing with Dragons series by Patricia C. Wrede (anything by her, actually, but that's where I'd start)

I'll second the Redwall books, there are a BUNCH!

On a slightly different topic, 9 was the age I started reading Dorothy Gilman (specifically, Caravan and Incident at Badamya)and Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody books. If she is a sophistocated reader, they are pretty awesome mystery/exotic books with light romance but nothing narsty.

I myself have just spent my summer re-reading Tamora Pierce's Tortall books for the heck of it, and those are super awesome, if she hasn't read them already. Why don't you have her look over our suggestions, haha?

Yes, I knew that! I adore those stories. I can't solve any of them, but I love them. Haven't seen that anthology, That anthology is now on my wish list lol. I think i have all of Futrelle's stories.

This is the first Raffles collection, it's a freebie :), there's 4 or 5 books total I think, all free, or the collection of all the stories for 1.99.

It's kinda like sherlock holmes, except he's a [very respectable] cat burglar instead of a detective.

you're practically a neighbor :-)

Wow, awesome contest! :)

I've always wanted to get myself a Kindle so I could get back into reading. I used to read so many good books, be caught up with all the series... Now it feels like I just abandoned that after I didn't have enough money to keep buying the books I wanted. A Kindle would be perfect! I'd be able to keep hundreds of books with me all on one device! I've always wanted to read a good murder/mystery story like this one. I'm always interested in suspenseful stories! :)

Thank you for the contest!! You're the most generous person I've had the pleasure to talk to on the internet!

I thought of a few more, including this one that was especially great in audio format: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin. I don't know if it's because I bought the e-book, but it appears right now to be $3.50 as Audible.
The Nero Wolfe books are awesome. I recommend starting with Prisoner's Base.
Here are a few great mysteries, for which I can't vouch for the readings/audiobook performance, but I highly encourage you to give them a try anyway.
The Long Goodbye - Raymond Chandler - Classic Phillp Marlowe.
The Hound of the Baskervilles - Arthur Conan Doyle - Classic Sherlock Holmes.
The Kenzie-Genarro books by Dennis Lehane (who later wrote Mystic River, Shutter Island and Gone Baby Gone) starting with A Drink Before The War.
The Good Son - Michael Gruber - More a thriller, but I just remembered I had listened to it, so yes, a good audiobook.
Carter Beats The Devil - More high adventure than mystery, but a favorite of mine.
Where The Truth Lies - Rupert Holmes - great lesser known mystery with a female protagonist.

I would recommend the Tom Douglas series by Rachel Abbott. Personally, as a fan of the mystery or detective genre, I found these to be outstanding, top-in-their-class novels, but with a softer approach and far more character development than your typical hard nosed detective thrillers (these are positively soft nosed, and it works). Really well written and perhaps my pick of thriller novels for the past few years. But still, more gentle and complex than thrillers. Try the first book anyway, Only The Innocent. It was Rachel's first effort in novel writing, so naturally isn't her best, but if you like it, the later books in the series really are masterpieces that build upon its humble beginnings.

I'd recommend the Llimona 5 series from Irene Rodrian, here's a link to the first one: https://www.amazon.de/Meines-Bruders-Mörderin-Llimona-Barcelona-Krimi-ebook/dp/B00AAHHWUY/ref=sr_1_4?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&keywords=llimona+5&qid=1554152551&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Straightforward thrillers/Krimis, nice pace, not too much dialect. Language level perhaps slightly above C1 but if you get the kindle version it's pretty easy to look up new words by touching the screen :)

Dorothy Sayers' Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane detective novels. The series starts with Strong Poison but romantically very little happens in the first books. Eventually comes Gaudy Night and Busman's Honeymoon where their relationship takes a more central role.

It is wonderful to see how their romance progresses from the signature lightweight banter to real feelings.

Besides, it's said Gaudy Night is the first feminist detective story.

The Great Illustrated Classics series aren't graphic novels. They're reworked versions of the classic stories. I don't want to say dumbed down, but that's a pretty accurate description. Here's Sherlock Holmes on Amazon. You can click "see inside this book" to get an idea of what I'm talking about.

And I have no problems with graphic novels. I even have a copy of Nicki Greenburg's adaptation of The Great Gatsby. They art is fun and whimsical, yet it fits. I see it the same way I see Cliffs Notes: It's there to supplement the book, not supplant it.

A book from one of my favorite mystery series! =D

It's one cent off, but hopefully that works! (?) Thank you so much for hosting this contest! =)

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amazon.co.uk

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amazon.com.au

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amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

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There's been a successful mystery novel that backs your point in a very funny way: The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" - Eleanor Roosevelt

If I win, I'd like this. I read the first book in the series and it was so good...I need more!