{Guest post from my bookish friend and cohort, Tina}
I enjoy a good page-turning mystery. When I pick up the newest Mary Higgins Clark, I know I’ll be done with it within two days. However, I won’t walk away feeling attached to the characters or pondering the plot. I’ll have enjoyed the ride but won’t remember much about it afterward.
If you, like me, are looking less for a page turner and more for a mystery that immerses the reader in a particular time or place, and also offers a temporary escape from our media-saturated life, I have a few suggestions.
I particularly love the following series because they have well-developed main characters with moral fiber as well as being written with a strong sense of place and time.
“The mystery story is two stories in one: the story of what happened and the story of what appeared to happen.”
~Mary Roberts Rinehart
THE MAISIE DOBBS SERIES BY JACQUELINE WINSPEAR
Maisie Dobbs served as a nurse during WWI. With the war over, Maisie sets up shop in London as a private investigator. As readers follow Maisie through her cases they are also given an intriguing look into the issues of rebuilding as well as changes in class and social standing in England after the war. As the books unfold we learn that Maisie, originally a maid in a wealthy home, was given unusual opportunities for education and advancement by the family she worked for. While grateful for this, Maisie struggles to find her place, neither fitting into the world she grew up in or the world she has been educated for. While her cases are intriguing, it is the growth in Maisie herself that I find most intriguing and which makes her an unusually keen investigator. (Paperback & Kindle)
THE INSPECTOR GAMACHE SERIES BY LOUISE PENNY
I’ve eagerly looked forward to each new installment in this series as they have been published. But a part of me wants to go back and start them all over again (with 15 books so far that’s a lot of reading!). I want to read them slowly this time so I can once again fall in love with the small, quaint village of Three Pines located somewhere in rural Quebec. And I want to re-read them so I can see in greater detail how Perry writes about relationships which is the heart of her novels. Her detective, Inspector Gamache, is a man of strong character, a man who sees far beyond the surface to the potential in people others have discarded, and is a man who loves his wife and friends unreservedly. (Paperback & Kindle)
{Caveat ~ There is definitely some language in these and some dark subject matter. But Penny’s deft writing weaves threads of hope, humor, and friendship to get me through the harsher moments in her stories.}
THE THOMAS AND CHARLOTTE PITT SERIES BY ANNE PERRY
These novels begin in the 1880’s and focus around the characters of Thomas Pitt, a London detective, and his wife, Charlotte. Theirs is an unusual marriage, as Charlotte was part of an aristocratic family and gave up a great deal to marry Thomas. She was raised in a home with servants to meet her every need and now she must learn to cook, clean, and how to get by on a small salary.
The mysteries are intriguing, well-written, and take the reader right into the social and class issues of turn-of-the-century England. But it is the interaction between Thomas and Charlotte (along with members of her upper class family) that are the center of the story. It’s lovely to see a marriage that grows in depth, understanding, and appreciation of who one’s spouse is over the years. And it is often great fun to see how Charlotte slips back into the upper class world from time to time to gain information that Thomas could not obtain in his role as a detective. (Paperback & Kindle)
{Caveat ~ These novels are often quite sad, as they center around difficult issues and the heartbreak of the poverty that was prevalent during this time period.}
THE LANE WINSLOW SERIES BY IONA WHISHAW
Lane Winslow is trying to put the years of the war behind her as she settles into a small village in British Columbia. Readers meet her just after she has bought a home so that she could recover and write. The writing doesn’t come easily, but the making of friends in her small village does. Before long, Lane finds herself in the midst of a mystery that reveals snippets about her past serving as a courier/spy for the Special Branch of England during the war.
As the series unfolds, we learn more about Lane’s history as well as enjoying the ups and downs of her relationship with Police Inspector Darling. These novels have a quirky cast of supporting characters and Lane is an intelligent, resourceful and strong heroine. I’m in the midst of book four as I write this (which takes Lane back to England) and I particularly enjoy the author’s strong sense of place. (Paperback & Kindle)
THE PUMPKIN FALLS MYSTERY SERIES BY HEATHER VOGEL FREDERICK
For anyone looking for a fun, fairly light-hearted read check out this mystery series by one of my favorite YA authors, Heather Vogel Frederick.
Truly Lovejoy and her family have made a big move from Texas to the small town of Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire to run the family bookstore. Truly is less than thrilled by the move until she finds herself in the middle of a mystery, centered around a letter found in an old copy of Charlotte’s Web. As Truly investigates the letter and its origins she learns more about the history of the town and gains new friends along the way.
The second book in the series develops those friendships more deeply and takes the readers into another historical adventure that has them learning about local ties with the Underground Railroad. The third installment comes out this summer and both my teen daughter and I are looking forward to reading it! (Paperback & Kindle)
. . . . .
In my (biased) opinion, these are perfect book picks to add distraction and flavor to these housebound days. Grab the first book of one of these series along with hot tea, iced coffee or lemonade and settle in.
In the hope of threading stories, threading lives,
Tina 🙂
Extra Threads
- Follow on Instagram @literaturethreads
- The Books That Saved My Summer ~ Blog by Tina
- Beach Reads for Summer Respite ~ Blog by Stephanie
- A Favorite Summer pick, Savvy by Ingrid Law
- Tween Movie Night Menus (including Soul Surfer, Bethany Hamilton’s story)
{All Amazon links are affiliate links, at no cost to you.}