Sharing my enthusiasm

What a delicious—and intimidating—opportunity.

A friend who is new to mysteries asked me to suggest books that exemplify the best of the genre.

This request delighted me because I love good mysteries and enjoy “converting” readers who are either unfamiliar with the genre or who denigrate it as not “literary” enough to signify.

The request also intimidated me—well, a little—because my friend is Shannon Ravenel, co-founder of Algonquin Press. She recently retired as an editor there, shepherding her own imprint, working with authors like Lee Smith and Jill McCorkle. Over her long career, she has worked with a range of top Southern literary lights, and, for 12 years, was series editor for the Best American Short Stories anthologies. Her tastes are discerning and she sets the bar high.

We met when I interviewed Shannon for an article about Algonquin a couple of years ago; since then, we’ve met every month or so for lunch and book chat. She’s a wonderful reader and shares her enthusiasms, and, often, books, generously. We lock horns occasionally—two recent short story collections drew our ire, as she loved the one I hated, and vice-versa—but we generally share the similar taste in books.

After Shannon read and enjoyed a “page-turner” I’d passed on to her (mainly because it centered on the contentious New York publishing scene), she asked me to recommend a few books in the mystery/suspense/thriller category. Such a great assignment—but daunting. I’ve been reading mysteries for decades: how to choose “the best”?

Perfectionism is futile, as we know, so I decided to do my best and recommend half a dozen authors that I find outstanding. Each has a series (or several), so a new fan can go deep, if the first book appeals. Here’s the list:

John Harvey—British author of a couple of police procedural series, poet, jazz lover. Fun to start with the first of the Charles Resnick series featuring a shambling, charming detective: Lonely Hearts. Harvey’s blog, full of observations on art, travel, soccer, music, and writing, is fun to follow.

http://mellotone70up.wordpress.com

Susan Hill—Another Brit who writes intelligent, character-driven police procedurals set in a cathedral city and featuring an enigmatic detective and his complex family. I’d vote, again, to start with the first one: The Various Haunts of Men.

http://www.susanhill.org.uk

Deborah Crombie—American who writes police procedurals set in England. She’s created two wonderful characters, Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, partners in work and life, who grapple with family and domestic matters while they solve crimes. Her website is a great place to explore and gives a list of the books in order: http://www.deborahcrombie.com

Henning Mankell—A Swedish writer and human rights advocate whose series featuring Kurt Wallandar sets the bar for socially conscious detective stories. The first in the series is Faceless Killers. His website is terrific.

http://henningmankell.com

Margaret Maron—Closer to home, this North Carolina writer has written many mysteries, including the wonderful series featuring Judge Deborah Knott and her vast, entertaining family. The mysteries accent good plotting, humor, and a concern for social issues.

http://www.margaretmaron.com

Louise Penny—Canadian author who creates the atmospheric Quebec settings and honorable detective, Armand Gamache. (I recently wrote about Penny in my May 1 blog.)

http://www.louisepenny.com

Oh—it’s so hard to stop. How can I omit the classics—work by George Simenon, Janwillem Van De Wetering, Josephine Tey, Ngaio Marsh? And how can I leave P.D. James off the list?

But my goal is to inspire, not to overwhelm, so I’ll contain myself.

Readers: what mystery authors would you add to the “must read” list?