Her series set in the Shetland Isles with a very likeable detective, Jimmy Perez, who can go half an hour without saying a word but who worries away at every detail of his
suspects’ lives. The writing conveys atmosphere – endless daylight in summer, mist and drizzle most of the time – and the quirky character of the islanders. Best read in order:
Raven Black
White Nights
Red Bones
Blue Lightning
Big Marg books by Aline Templeton
“Big Marg” is a detective wrestling with the distractions of a teenage daughter and the problems of the faming and sea-faring life in rural Galloway where drugs and foot-and- mouth disease threaten to tear the community apart. Again best read in order to appreciate the family dynamics:
The Darkness and the Deep
Cold in the Earth
Lying Dead
Lamb to the Slaughter
Dead in the Water
Stieg Larsson
The initial popularity of his Millennium series featuring the enigmatic heroine, Lisbeth Slander, and the sexy, but reliable investigative journalist, Kallie Blomkvist has been boosted by the recent release of the Swedish movie of the first book in the series. There is good writing, intricate plots and examination of relevant social issues with plenty of action and spicy stuff, but what stands out throughout these books is the fascinating character of the damaged and brave heroine – as Larsson seems to suggest, a modern day Amazon in an amoral society.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl who Played with Fire
The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
The Black Cat by Martha Grimes
Her style of tongue-in-cheek, meandering, part detective mystery part comic parody of the genre is as strong as ever in this, her latest book.
This Body of Death by Elizabeth George
George likes multiple plot lines and a strong dose of social commentary in her Detective Lynley series. Still off on a few English details but always a good, if long, read.
