Thirteen of my Favorite Mystery Authors This is by no means a complete list :o), just a few to add to your (always growing) to be read list. Enjoy! (I'm putting them in alphabetical order, cause I can't do the whole I like her books better thing- if I didn't like the first book, I wouldn't read the second. And I wouldn't go around throwing their books in my friends hands and saying "read this- it's awesome). 1…. Madelyn Alt- The Trouble with Magic and A Charmed Death. Good mysteries, enjoyable characters, interesting series premise, and of course, witches. :o) 2. Deborah Crombie- a police procedural that treats its characters like people, not just ubercops. And they're set in England. They make me miss London. Sigh. 3. Elaine Cunningham- Shadows in the Dark and Shadows in the Starlight- a former vice cop finds out she is a changeling- can't wait for book 3. 4. Shirley Damsgaard- Witch Way to Murder, Charmed to Death, and Trouble with Witches. More witches :o), this time with a grandmother/granddaughter team solving the mysteries. 5. Kerry Greenwood- Phryne Fisher, Greenwood's main character, is a flapper in Australia after WWI- and the supporting characters are equally three dimensional- even the the strong silent types. 6. Tany Huff- I'm enjoying the series that Lifetime has made of her Blood Ties books. Vickie Nelson, Mike Celucci, and of course Henry FitzRoy (I do think they should have kept him a romance writer- romances have been around a lot longer than graphic novels and what was Henry doing before then for money? I ask you) all three of the main characters are pretty true to the books. I must complain a wee bit, though, about the absence of the street kid Tony- I mean he is the main character in her next set of books. Anyway, back to the list. 7. Tamara Siler Jones- I read on her blog that she calls her books forensic fantasy- CSI with swords. Whatever you call them, they are good reads. Complex characters that you can believe in, mysteries with enough twists to keep you guessing, and a well developed world. 8. Laurie R. King- Laurie R. King (and if you haven't read her books yet, you should- they're all amazing books with beleiveble characters, complex and compelling plots, and ideas that keep you thinking long after you've put the book down. 9. Marjorie Liu- I know the B & N in my area shelves them in the romance section, and there is a romance with the whole happily ever after thing going on, but there are also mysteries and a plot complex enough that those readers who don't normally read romances would find them enjoyable. 10. Victoria Thompson- Her books were recommended to me by my walking partner (actually she requested I purchase some for the Day Job to fill in the gaps) and having ordered them I promptly went out and bought the whole set for myself. I also share them with anybody who asks (except my sisters- they live out of town and it takes too long to get them back- they can get their own copies). 11. Charles Todd- One of the first WWI mystery series that I found (before it became one of those themes that pop up in my reading periodically)- the main character is believably flawed, some of the situations he finds himself in are heartbreaking, and the language itself approaches poetry. 12. Eileen Wilks- Tempting Danger, Mortal Danger, and Bloodlines- found book 3 in B & N and then read an entry on PBW about it, so channeling my inner Monk I went back and ordered the first 2. You can read any of them without the others, but then you miss out on the development of the characters, as well as the development of the writer's talent. 13. Jacqueline WInspear- Another of the WWI Mysterie series- her first book won the Agatha for first novel- her second won the Agatha- I don't know about the other two, but I do know I want to write like her when I grow up. Sorry if some of the descriptions are skinnier than others, but I have to go eat lunch and get ready for work. I'll try to get links up after work, I won't have a chance until then Links to other Thursday Thirteens! (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!) 1. Joely Sue Burkhart 2. You're next!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants