Mystery lovers, got recs for me?

[scribblinlenore]

Once upon, I was a very avid reader of mysteries. I loved Patricia Cornwell's early books. I love Minette Walters. I like Nancy Picard's amateur detective Jenny Cain. But at some point, mysteries and I just seem to drift apart, and I have no idea who's writing what in the genre anymore. Recently, though, I read The Thirteenth Tale, which I adored. It isn't a genre novel, but mystery is a big part of what makes it so compelling. And that, in turn, inspired me to read The Woman In White, pretty much the grandparent of the genre. And now I want to read more.

If there are any mystery lovers out there, do you have any writers you'd recommend? I especially like female detectives, tend to prefer amateur detectives to P.I.'s, and I'm more in the mood for contemporary fiction, although something in the vein of The Woman In White would also be fantastic.

Rec me?

Comments

[writerlibrarian]

Just a few titles

Snake Agent Liz Williams http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/429890.Snake_Agent_A_Detective_Inspector_Chen_Novel

The Death Artist Jonathan Santlofer http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/331198.The_Death_Artist

Edward Sklepowich's Urbino series set in Venice. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/331198.The_Death_Artist

Donna Leon's Venice mysteries Death at La Fenice http://www.amazon.ca/Death-Fenice-Commissario-Brunetti-Mystery/dp/006074068X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219071160&sr=8-4

Both have gay characters and set in every day Venice.

Amanda Cross' Kate Fansler novels http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/567038.In_the_Last_Analysis

and Jonathan Lethem's Motherless Brooklyn which I just loved. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/328854.Motherless_Brooklyn

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the recs! The ones of these I've read are the Amanda Cross books, which I enjoyed very much.

[writerlibrarian]

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