Genre Mystery Series

Yes, Virginia, there is a Mystery Section in our store. We read many of them before we shelve them - that's one of the perks of owning a bookstore - and there are some really good ones that are worth not only reading, but also collecting, because you'll re-read them.


Historical Mysteries

Ellis Peters: the Brother Cadfael Series
Retired Welsh former Crusader becomes a herbalist at a
monastery in Shrewsbury, England. Excellent history,
plot, and characters. Please disregard Derek Jacoby’s
portrayal of Cadfael on TV. Twenty-odd books in series.
Unfortunately, Ellis Peters (nee: Edith Pargeter) is no
longer with us. Read in Order !

Elizabeth Peters: the Amelia Peabody Series
The sexiest series ever written with no bedroom scenes,
foul language, or smut. Amelia Peabody, a fairly proper
late-Victorian lady decides to become an Egyptologist.
And does, with a little help from her friends, and
enemies. Also about twenty books in the series, but
Elizabeth Peters - or Barbara Mertz, Ph.D, or Barbara
Michaels - is still with us. Read in Order !

Michael Pearce: the Mamur Zapt Series
Only four or five titles, but quite worth reading. The
Mamur Zapt - British head of the British secret police
in Egypt during the time of the early twentieth-century
British Protectorate of Egypt faces not only crime, but
political unrest. More cerebral than action packed, but
hard to put down.

European Police Procedurals

Georges Simenon: Maigret
Michael Gambon portrayed Maigret on TV, and was
perfect. As is Maigret, the police Inspector, the person,
and the family man. Simenon wrote two or three million
books, many of them about Maigret, and every one is a
winner. Simenon was also quite the Lad, and his
biography makes very interesting reading. Quel Homme !

Janwillem van de Wetering: Zen Cops !
Gripstra & DeGier - the cops. One a drummer, one a
fluter, not flautist. Their boss, the Commissaris; his wife;
his turtle. Combine these with Amsterdam and the
problems of a welfare state where almost anything is
acceptable, and you have an extremely entertaining
but quite often convoluted read. Enough in series to let
you ration them out over time. Also: Inspector Saito.
Set in Japan. A series of stories making a unified
oneness. Van de Wetering was an Amsterdam auxiliary
cop and a Zen monk in Japan.

Nicholas Freeling: the Van Der Valk Series
A long, excellent series like Simenon’s . The Henri
Castang series is not as good.

Henning Mankell: the Kurt Wallender Series
AVOID AT ALL COSTS !

American Hard-Boiled

Andrew Vachss: the Burke Series
Moral outrage ! Down the mean streets ! Do right, even
if it kills you, or a number of others. Let’s hear it for
the vigilantes ! However, he makes you care. Read this
series in order. Start with Flood. Think Chandler and
Hammett, but with plots.

Stuart Kaminsky: the Toby Peters Series
This series has great cover art, even in the book club
editions. It also has a great premise: a PI who once
worked for a major studio tries to keep famous actors
out of trouble. You meet all the Hollywood biggies of
the 1930s. It’s got all the good elements, except
Kaminski’s work sucks even worse than Henning
Mankell’s. SHOOT YOURSELF BEFORE YOU READ
THIS CRAP !

American Contemporary

Faye Kellerman: Decker & Lazarus Series
Yes, she’s married to the Jonathan who writes dark,
psychological thrillers, but her books are much more
upbeat - which doesn’t really say much. The only down
side of Mrs. Kellerman’s books is the great amount of
Orthodox Jewish detail given. But, it’s to advance the
stories, and the reader may even learn something.
These should be read in order, starting with The Ritual
Bath.