F-list! Do not die of shock - I can post without using the word Riptide! (Oh whoops - no I can't - I just did!) 

For seraphina_snape, katikatand anyone else who might be interested! Sera, it's probly another hard-to-find... Sorry!

*VBG* Anyway. Has been a while since I gave you a mystery rec, so here one is. And I am VERY happy to be able to recommend this to you, as Charlie is one of my all-time favourite detectives. The ONLY bad thing I have to say about this series is that there are only 10. However, a brand new one (Cold in Hand) is scheduled for release next year, which makes me SO happy - because I thought he'd finished the series.

By John Harvey, these wonderful and gripping mysteries are set in Nottingham, England. Charlie Resnick (a Detective Inspector) is a somewhat tragic character. He's divorced, he's overweight, he's a little slovenly. He is also an incredibly gentle, insightful man. He's written with wonderful compassion and honesty. His pain (of which there's plenty) is brushed off but we still see it hurt him.

I care about this man like I've seldom cared about characters in fiction. And through his eyes, we care - greatly - about the other characters in the series. 

I'm loth to say more, because the character interaction is so important to this series that it counts as a spoiler.

Basically, you'll care about everyone in these books.

And they're written so beautifully. I just about drown in them. Seriously - if you want to be gripped, thrilled, excited, saddened and left satisfied, John Harvey's Charlie Resnick is the man for you. 

(Note: John Harvey's currently writing a series with a detective called Frank Elder. Those ones? Bore me stiff. So if you've tried them, don't let them put you off Charlie.)

seraphina_snape - probably another hard-to-find for you!

Kate Ellis writes light-hearted, easy-to-read mysteries set in Tradmouth, in Devon, England. Her detective is DI Wesley Petersen, a black policeman, who was originally an archaeology student. (In the early books he's a Sergeant).

His best friend Neil is an archaeologist, and in each of the mysteries there is an archaeological 'mystery' of some kind, as well as a present day crime.

They're enthralling and well written. Wesley's an extremely interesting and likeable character. His wife's a bit of a bitch, and we've been waiting since around book 1 for her to either have an affair with Neil (whom she used to date), or for Wesley to have an affair with his Sergeant, Rachel.

The personal angst is given just the right amount of importance for it to add to the books rather than become a nuisance. It's nicely balanced, and Kate does a beautiful job of leaving you not even sure of the outcome you *want* to happen.

There's also nice interaction in the team at the police station. The UST with Wesley and Rachel is there, but not overwhelming, there's the chauvinistic Steve and the slightly eccentric boss, Gerry.

She's been publishing a new Wesley around every two years, I think. I see from her website http://www.kateellis.co.uk/ that a new one came out in paperback in March, and there's a brand new hardback due in August. So maybe it's one a year? It always seems like a long wait, at any rate.

Once again, these are not deep, meaningful literature. But they are extremely enjoyable, gripping and interesting and that's all I ask from my mystery reads :)

Enjoy!

James D Doss is an author I do enjoy, but in the last 2 books I've started to believe in him less.

The books are nicely written (not great literature guys - think sunny afternoon, pleasant dalliance) but somehow... I dunno... Charlie felt a bit less real in The Witch's Tongue, and Dead Soul. He seemed ooc too - like the story was contrived to put Charlie into certain situations/have emotions or motives, which for me were a bit un-Charlie.

I notice there's a new one out in hardback (Three Sisters) and another new one to come at the end of the year.

Charlie was excellently cool as the Ute policeman, but the whole rancher thing (post Grandmother Spider) has gone all angsty to me.  His wonderful, crabby relationship with Aunt Daisy (the shaman) seems forced and different.  There's too much romantic interest for Charlie, and not enough of his friendship with Scott Parris. 

Scott is an excellent character, and in the early books we get some cool glimpses of him.  I really want to hear more about Scott, and know him better.  Charlie is a nicer guy when he's working with Scott - I, and Aunt Daisy, always want to slap him the rest of the time which is a shame.

There's a lot good about these books, but a lot that could be better.  Hopefully the library will get the new ones - dont wish to pay money to be disappointed.

I just bought Jonathan Kellerman's latest Alex Delaware, Compulsion, to read on the plane to Palmerston North to visit my parents.

I'm up to chapter 10 and not feeling very inspired I'd have to say.  I mean, no-one can confuse him with great literature, but normally they're entertaining and they suck you in.

This time, Alex sounds tired, like he cant be bothered telling us the story.  He's told us at least 19 times how absolutely dreadul it is for Milo to be a gay cop... usually it's only 3 per story.

He's back with Robin, which just sucks, to be honest... there's just no sparkle in this book so far.

Maybe it'll improve. *sigh*

Maybe I should stop wasting my time with Alex, go refresh my memory of Richard and Melrose, or write some more Riptide fic.

catyah... I might have lied about the 4000 words *gulp* - I might be over that already :( I'll keep you posted.

 

For katikat , and seraphina_snape you'll probably like this too!

Archy McNally is a detective created by Lawrence Sanders.  On Sanders' death in 1998, his estate selected Vincent Lardo to continue the series. 

Archy lives in Palm Beach.  He's a bit of a playboy (or thinks he is anyway).  He works as an investigator for his father's law firm.  He was supposed to become a partner, but got kicked out of Yale for an unspecified wrongdoing which he will not name.

He lives at home with his wealthy parents in a self contained upstairs apartment, and his family/personal interactions are at least as entertaining as his detective exploits.

The books are witty, easy to read, and complex enough to keep interest.  Archy is delightful.  (And definitely gay, girlfriends or not.  We get long descriptions of his outfits, from him. Not of the girlfriends. Also long descriptions of his mother. Go figure.)

The Palm Beach society he describes is very amusing. He successfully positions himself as one with the ability to move in the top circles, but not the inclination, to his father's constant annoyance.  

I should say right now that I have only read the Vincent Lardo books.  I've never been able to get hold of any Lawrence Sanders.  But many fansites say you cant tell the difference - I've even come across one suggestion that Lardo wrote ALL the books, as a ghost.

They're not my most favourite detective novels in the world, but when I've exhausted my top 3 authors, I love to while away an afternoon with Archy.  Hope he brings you pleasure too.

For katikat *snuggles* 

My current fave mystery writers are Peter Bowen (Gabriel Du Pre Montana Mysteries) and Andrew Vachss (Burke). 

In brief, both authors give me chills... Peter Bowen especially makes me yearn to live in the world he creates and BE one of the people in it. Vachss is more of a window into a world I'll never see.

Peter Bowen's world is Toussaint, a small town in Montana with a primarily Metis population.  Gabriel Du Pre, his hero, is Metis, in his 50s, a fiddler, a tracker, and everything that many current heros are not.  I have used the word "hero" on purpose here.

I have never been to Montana, never seen the Big Sky country this incredible series is based in, but the books make me feel like I am from there and long overdue to go home.

Bowen writes these books in part because “the Métis are a great people, a wonderful people, and not many Americans know anything about them.” 

Du Pre is an old fashioned hero.  He does the right thing nearly all the time, and if he does the wrong thing it is for the right reasons.  He is never weak or lazy, and he does not have the "tortured superhero" thing going on.  There is enough personal drama in the books to keep it interesting, and Du Pre's best friend, the unhappy Bart, shows us that Bowen knows people has feelings, and so does Du Pre.  It's just that the Montanan? Cowboy? Metis? way of dealing with these things is different from towny ways, and somehow cleaner.

The relationship between FBI Agent Harvey Wallace, young Ripper, Du Pre and Bart are also beautifully drawn. 

I love every character in these stories, and I can never get enough of them.  This is one series I read and reread, over and over.  

Andrew Vachss writes about Burke, the original anti-hero.  Burke was an abandoned child, a product of abusive foster homes and prison. He is a crook/gun for hire.  In his first stint in prison, he met up with the Professor, learnt the value of family and on getting out was inducted into a new family - various criminals who nevertheless place each other first.

Burke is a vigilante against child sexual abuse, in between getting on with paid crime.  Every book I've read has involved him saving kids one way or another.

Burke doesn't do the right thing, even for the wrong reasons.  Every time he saves a kid, he saves his youthful self.  These stories are full of angst - his own pain, the pain of the different women he is involved with in the stories, the pain inherent in his relationships with his "family".  

Vachss' writing is gripping and often abrasive.  He himself is driven in the fight against child sexual abuse and I believe that his writing is aimed at raising awareness.  The crafting of the stories makes it impossible not to like and even identify with the characters - even though they all openly engage in crimes against good people as well as bad ones.

I recommend these series to anyone wanting a read you cant put down.  

Also good:
Diana Gabaldon's Lord John series.  Lord John is gay, in the mid 1700s.  They're excellent as drama, historical or detective stories - whichever way you want to look at them.  Lord John is just angsty enough, with plenty of humour to go with it.  *Note: I DONT like Diana Gabaldon's other work, so if you dont either, dont let it put you off Lord John.

All time old favourite: John D MacDonald's Travis McGee.
Oh, and Leslie Charteris' The Saint - the OLD books, NOT the ones based on the TV series, not the TV series and not the movie (although Val Kilmer *woof woof* made it quite watchable - it just wasn't Simon I'm sorry.)

See last post for Martha Grimes

Jonathan Kellerman is also good, although Alex Delaware needs to book some time with himself, come out of the closet, dump Robin and generally get a life.  I enjoy one, but have discovered reading 2 in a row is a silly, silly idea.

On another note:
Who's read Mabel Maney's spoofs on Cherry Ames, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys?  These are retakes of these series, in the same cheesy style, with all the main characters gay.  *Loves* Mabel Maney.  These are no longer in print as far as I know *clutches own second hand copy of The Ghost in the Clost - A Nancy Clue and the Hardly Boys Story close to chest*