All Mysteries, All Thrillers, All the Time

Jenn Northington Apr 27, 2017

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Amanda, Jenn, and guest expert Katie discuss mysteries and thrillers!

This episode is sponsored by Start Up by Doree Shafrir and Perfect by Cecilia Ahern.

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Questions

1. My friend enjoys mystery/thrillers (Michael Crichton and Agatha Christie) and the James Bond books but also recently discovered erotica. Are there books that COMBINE these flavors? Would love to get her a new read!
–Lexie

2. Hey,

I’m looking for a YA/NA mystery/crime series with strong writing.

Thanks,
–Mark

3. Hello! I am looking for book recommendations for my mother. She is a huge fan of Agatha Christie and is also especially fond of the Mrs. Polifax books by Dorothy Gilman. She loves that they feature older women solving mysteries, conducting espionage, finding romance, and leading full, exciting lives. What series or stand-alones should I get her to keep me firmly in the favorite daughter category? Thanks so much and love the show!
–Cate

4. I really love gothic books with supernatural themes and characters, like ghosts and witches. Lately I’ve been craving a good supernatural mystery and was hoping you guys could point me in the right direction. Thanks!
–Sally

5. Hello! Thank you so much in advance for your help and recommendations.

I’ve been a huge lover of mystery novels for a long time, but up to now I haven’t really been able to expand my library in that genre the way I’d like to. From what I’ve been able to figure out, my favorite mysteries are ones that are more character than plot driven, though of course I want the mystery itself to be very intriguing and well-thought out. Authors that I’ve already read and love include: Robert Galbraith, Tana French, Elizabeth George, Lyndsay Faye and Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine. (I’m also a highly devoted lover of Sherlock Holmes, if that helps.)

I would highly appreciate any recommendations you could give me that in your opinion fall under the descriptor of “character-driven mysteries.” They can be either stand-alone’s or the first in a series, and even though all of my listed authors above (other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) are female, that’s not a requirement for me. Also, I’m highly open to mysteries that drift into other genres, such as romance and/or sci-fi/fantasy, though that’s not a specific request.

Thank you so much!
–Katie

6. Hi ladies!

I’ve been an avid mystery reader my whole life. “The Westing Game” was my favorite book growing up (and, to be real, is still one of my favorites), I’ve read all of Agatha Christie & Dorothy Sayers. I’ve read “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” series, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” series, & “The Eyre Affair” series, & loved all of those books dearly. I’ve read all of Gillian Flynn & Jo Nesbo (Enjoyed both authors, Flynn more than Nesbo). With singular books, I’ve loved “The Tokyo Zodiac Murders”, “The Girl On the Train”, & “I Let You Go” by Clare Mackintosh. My favorite movie is “Clue” & one of my favorite t.v. series is “Murder She Wrote” (although I may be partial to that series, because Jessica Fletcher is my kindred spirit).

After all those likes, what I’m looking for is more mysteries! Any and all. I’m very partial to stories with a lot of twists, locked-room mysteries, mysteries with a large suspect list, and, my personal favorite, a large group of people stuck at one location for an extended period, dealing with a mystery of some kind. Although I will happily read any kind of mystery you ladies throw my way!

Thanks so much! I love listening to your podcast every week!
–Lauren

Books Discussed

Madame X by Jasinda Wilder

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Jackaby series by William Ritter

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R King

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear

Aunty Lee’s Delights by Ovidia Yu

Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton (The Quiche of Death #1)

The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles