Help Young Bill Young Recommend Some Good Mysteries to a Friend
Young Bill Young here. Last Sunday a friend of mine asked what mysteries I’ve read lately that I would recommend. Other than suggesting The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I didn’t have much to offer. As I’ve said, after running through Agatha Christie’s books during junior high, I rarely pick up a mystery.
My friend knows I read lots of sci-fi, and he hasn’t read very much in that genre. So he also asked what science fiction books I would recommend to a sci-fi newbie. I pretty much aced that part of the interrogation. Here’s what I recommended:
Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Startide Rising and The Uplift War by David Brin
I’m calling it a list of five, since the second Simmons book completes the story that begins in Hyperion, and the Brin books take place during the same time period in his Uplift Universe.
So, tell me: what mysteries would you recommend to someone in the mood for a good whodunit?
Yes, I could look up the lists of award-winning mysteries, but I really want to know what you folks think. Come on mystery fans! I know you’re out there…
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Comments
Thanks, Sadie. I should have remembered your recommendation about the Thursday Next books. I do, I do, I do need to read Jasper Fforde. And my sister is a big fan of Patricia Cornwell. Like I said, my brain was just blank because I haven’t read these folks, yet.
And Ellen Raskin is… (are you ready for it!)… a *mystery* to me! (Groan!)
A couple of my Facebook friends have also weighed in on favorite mystery writers. Rebecca Howard loves Laura Lippman, and says Walter Mosley is also incredible. (My old friend Lee at work was also a big fan of Mr. Mosley.)
Heather Cook says for “fluffier” reading, she recommends Diane Mott Davidson and Nancy Atherton. For more cerebral reading, she suggests John Dunning.
Thanks, Facebook friends!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bill Young, girlreading. girlreading said: @YoungBillYoung: needs help recommending some good mysteries for a friend. What should I suggest? http://tinyurl.com/3ym6ld2 [...]
Twitter dude yoyology says if my friend likes his mysteries quirky and a little bit funny, then he should try the Fletch books by Gregory MacDonald.
Well, that would certainly keep him busy. MacDonald has written eleven of those suckers:
http://www.fletchwon.net/books.html
Thanks, yoyology!
Two of my favorites are the Nevada Barr books and Thomas Perry’s Jane Whitefield novels…the Perry books should be read in order. If you can’t find all of them at your library, ask for interlibrary loan.
[...] owned it for some time, but it wasn’t until I was discussing great works of science fiction with a friend that I was really moved to pick it up and crack the [...]
Ha, you’re lucky I only have 10 minutes
Ok favorite mystery of all time: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin – it won the Newbery some year. Yes it’s a “kids” book but still.
Favorite mainstream mystery series: The Kay Scarpetta books by Patricia Cornwell. They have taken a turn for the ‘wha?’ the past couple of books but the forensics research, the characters and the smooth writing are great.
Favorite fantasy mystery series: The Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde. It’s too hard to even explain without sounding crazy but they are so creative and imaginative and fun! He’s got another series called Nursery Crimes but it’s not as good, still pretty awesome though. Then he just released Shades Of Grey which is also indescribable.
I’ve always been fond of Agatha Christie.