It's a Mystery!
I have recently been sampling a wider range of mystery novels than ever before. So in the spirit of sharing and all of that, here is a recent list of mystery authors that I love.
- Agatha Christie > unsurprising, but there is a reason why she is the best selling novelist of all time. She is awesome and whilst her work is quite structured it is nearly always riveting. The latest I have read is N or M? which is a WWII spy mystery starring a v. sweet and endearing couple.
- Dorothy L. Sayers > Sigh, Lord Peter Whimsey is dashing, witty and generally as nosey as is possible in the most polite of ways. These books (well, as yet I have only read two An Unnatural Death and Nine Tails) are focused on the characters and the world, the incidental-ness of the murder is quite interesting. It isn't the catalyst to the action it is a part of it!
- Ngaio Marsh > A writer from NZ with a background in theatre which comes in handy for a very realistic portrayal of elements of theatre life in Death at the Dolphin.
- Kerry Greenwood > who I have written about here before. Love her stuff and they are making an ABC television series of the Phryne books which I am terribly excited about.
- G.K Chesterton > I am yet to read these but they are at the top of the pile as I found a The Penguin Complete Father Brown!
All very enjoyable and well worth some light reading that is not mind-numbingly vapid.