Funny, smart mystery rec!

[Anonymous]

I’ve started the Sarah Caudwell mystery series and they are really great. The first is Thus was Adonis killed. (Cozy, funny, well written, with the interesting facet that it’s not clear whether the narrator is a man or a woman.) I listened as audiobooks and they (only the first two are available so far though the books were written in the 80s) are really gems.

If anyone else has recs in the smart funny mystery genre I’d love to hear!

[Anonymous]

Agree the Sarah Caudwell books are perfect gems— I literally give copies away to people I love them so much.


The Flavia de Luce books are ok— not as good and I didn’t even read the latest but they have a touch of cleverness at least.

[Anonymous]

I just started Sarah Caudwell (I think we must have read the same NYT piece?)

I find Sayers to be smart and funny but as a scholar she has some very…niche…interests. So if you can learn a bunch about church bell ringing AND have a great mystery, she’s a great place to start.

[Anonymous]

Flamingo Fatale, and the rest of the Trailer Park Mystery series by Jimmie Ruth Evans

[Anonymous]

The Archy McNally series by Lawrence Sanders. I read them all when they first came out in the early 90's and just started again. Highly recommend!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve started the Sarah Caudwell mystery series and they are really great. The first is Thus was Adonis killed. (Cozy, funny, well written, with the interesting facet that it’s not clear whether the narrator is a man or a woman.) I listened as audiobooks and they (only the first two are available so far though the books were written in the 80s) are really gems.

If anyone else has recs in the smart funny mystery genre I’d love to hear!

Am loving Jane Harper mystery books:
The Dry
Force of Nature
Exiles
The Lost Man
The Survivors

Books are smart (though not funny), set in various locales in Australia. Extra points for narrator of the audiobooks- sexy Aussie manly man
; ))

[Anonymous]

Dortmunder novels by Donald Westlake
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/dortmunder/

[Anonymous]

Much older, but the Fletch series by Gregory McDonald

[Anonymous]

Everyone in my family has killed someone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just started Sarah Caudwell (I think we must have read the same NYT piece?)

I find Sayers to be smart and funny but as a scholar she has some very…niche…interests. So if you can learn a bunch about church bell ringing AND have a great mystery, she’s a great place to start.

Ok, this really made me laugh! But most of Sayers’ books don’t go that deep into a specific subject. OP, check out Dorothy Sayers. Read them in order, though, in order to get the great payoff of Gaudy Night.

[Anonymous]

The Case of the Missing Servant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dortmunder novels by Donald Westlake
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/dortmunder/

YES! Very funny and the audiobooks are great.

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series is pretty funny, too.

[Anonymous]

Ver Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dortmunder novels by Donald Westlake
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/dortmunder/

YES! Very funny and the audiobooks are great.

Thanks! I'd never heard of him, and the NYPL has a bunch of the audiobooks available.

Is it better to try to go back to the early ones first or read them in order? Are some better than others?

Here's the list I found (not all available on audio via the NYPL, though.)Publication Order of Dortmunder

The Hot Rock (1970)
Bank Shot (1972)
Jimmy The Kid (1974)
Nobody's Perfect (1977)
Why Me? (1983)
Good Behavior (1985)
Drowned Hopes (1990)
Don't Ask (1993)
What's The Worst That Could Happen? (1996)
Bad News (2001)
The Road To Ruin (2004)
Watch Your Back! (2005)
What's So Funny? (2007)
Get Real (2009)

[Anonymous]

Dortmunder PP - I don't remember any duds, but it's been a while since I read them. I always try to read series in order, but you don't absolutely have to in this case.