It’s hard to beat a good detective book, with its clever clues and exciting mysteries. you’ll be swept up in excitement and intrigue, good luck trying to figure out who it was before the end.
We’ve rounded up some of the best crime series of all time. these span multiple books that generally feature the same crime solver, so you can spend a lot of time and fully invest in the characters.
You are reading: Best detective novels series books
10. kinseymillhone
kinsey millhone is a former police officer, now a private investigator, created by sue grafton. Millhone is a bit eccentric, fussy, but she gets the job done.
One of the cool things about this series is that each book is named after a letter of the alphabet. sadly grafton died before finishing the last book on the letter z. “As far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends in y,” his daughter said.
9. harry’s hole
Detectives can be live wires and that’s especially true of Harry Hole. he’s a brilliant crime solver, but the way he solves cases can be a bit unusual.
harry hole comes from the pen of jo nesbø, the norwegian author. one of the books was made into a movie starring michael fassbander, but best avoided: the novel is so much better than the dubious adaptation.
8. the dublin assassination squad
Instead of introducing a character, each book in the Dublin Murder Squad series follows the case of a different police detective. however, read the series in order and you will notice that the protagonist of the next one always appears in the previous one.
The series is often dark and creepy, doesn’t rely on tropes, and is very well written. if you want to be engaged and restless while reading, this is the series for you.
7. miss marple
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another agatha christie detective, this one in the form of white-haired old lady miss marple. It’s the perfect cover, as it’s simple and no one would suspect that the woman who knits a cardigan is also solving a crime.
Miss Marple was first featured in Tuesday Night Club, a 1927 short story, before appearing in 12 full-length novels. all of them, along with the 20 stories, demand your attention.
6. harry bosch
harry bosch is the brainchild of michael connelly. He is a LAPD Police Homicide Detective who has a strong sense of right and wrong, which usually leads him to clash with his fellow officers.
While some detectives try to play fair and please, Bosch is only interested in justice. The series has also been adapted into a major Amazon Prime Video original show.
5. inspector maigret
the writer georges simenon certainly did not rest during his life. His lead detective, Jules Maigret, appeared in 75 novels and 28 short stories. each one is just as nice as the last.
Simenon described Maigret as “a corpulent, strongly built gentleman… a pipe, a bowler hat, a heavy coat.” he is a quintessential French detective and enjoys working with a select group of police officers to help deliver justice.
4. hercule poirot
If there’s one person you want to be around when the going gets tough, it’s Hercule Poirot. he will bring his calm and Belgian charm to the proceedings and use his little gray cells to solve the case.
the adventures of poirot encompasses more than fifty books written by agatha christie. they are cheerful, easy to digest, and can be read in virtually any order. Notable ones include Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, but you can’t go wrong with either.
3. he does not. 1 detective agency for ladies
the no. 1 Ladies Detective Agency was first published in 1998, and the series is named after that novel, though it did not immediately find an audience. however, it is clear why the books are now selling in the millions.
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The main character is Mma Gorgeous Ramotswe, who resides in Botswana. she believes that a good detective must understand people, after which solving their mysteries is simple, and it’s this focus on character that makes the series so great.
2. cormorant strike
Cormoran Strike is written by one of the best-selling authors of all time: Robert Galbraith. You’ll be forgiven if you don’t know the name, as it’s a pseudonym for Harry Potter author J. k. rowling.
A private investigator, Strike combines an exhaustive investigation and the help of his colleague Robin to solve mysteries.
strike is an interesting character, dealing with the ramifications of a post-military career, and his evolving relationship with robin is a nice ongoing thread.
1. sherlock holmes
sherlock holmes is probably the most famous detective of all time. You may know him from books, TV shows, or even the great single-player Sherlock board game. however, nothing can top the classic novels of arthur conan doyle.
sherlock is an obsessively logical man, able to deduce almost anything by applying his deduction skills, with the help of his friend and biographer john watson.
Set in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, Sherlock Holmes is a masterpiece of writing, crime thriller or otherwise.
what about true crime?
if you decide to read all these detective books, they will probably last you a lifetime. but they’re awesome, so everyone wins!
If you want to mix things up but stay within the detective realm, you might want to expand your circle and start listening to murder and mystery podcasts as well. they are just as attractive!
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