The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

I'm surprised I haven't seen more on the following mystery series, all of which I enjoy immensely:

Charles Todd: This is a mother-son writing duo that has two series, both of which take place during and after World War I.
-- Ian Rutledge: After being buried alive for days with the corpse of a soldier under him who he was forced to shoot for desertion, Ian Rutledge was found wandering in France. After some extensive therapy, he returns to his job as a Scotland Yard investigator, but hanging on to his sanity by a bare thread. The voice of the young soldier he was forced to shoot, Hamish MacLeod, is always in his head, and Ian lives in a constant state of terror that one day he will turn his head and the ghost will be real. Still, he grimly pieces his life back together, one mystery at a time.

-- Bess Crawford series: Much lighter than the Ian Rutledge series, though no less intelligent and well-researched, Bess Crawford is a nurse in World War I. A fascinating backdrop to the mysteries is the glimpse they offer into the social norms of the time.

Barbara Cleverly: This series features Joe Sandilands, an Investigator during the British Raj, though he does return to London a few books in. Not quite as light a Maisie Dobbs but not as dark as Alex Grecian, they're well-written, novel-esque mysteries.

Charles Finch: If you want the warm, affable narrative of Doyle's Watson and gaslit, foggy Victorian streets, you cannot go wrong with the Charles Lenox mysteries. This avuncular, affable, but very sharp gentleman amateur detective deftly navigates the class system, London and the city's changing political landscape.

That's about it for now. I read a lot of character mystery series, primarily from England and Ireland, as you can probably tell. You can read about more of the books I did (or didn't) enjoy on my blog, The Body on the Floor, at www.bodyonthefloor.blogspot.com

Hi Christina,
Enjoyed your post. I know Charles Todd and enjoy his/their book. Didn't know about their being a mother/son duo. I'm a fan. (Is that the proper use of their?)

Some of my favorites are Masie Dobbs and Elizabeth George's books.
If you haven't tried her (George's) books I highly recommend them. Expertly written and character driven with well-thought plots and mysteries.

I've read the first 3 or 4 of the Barbara Cleverly series. They get better from one story to another. I liked the first Ian Rutledge and have a few more on my shelf to read. I also enjoyed the first Maisie Dobbs a lot. I wasn't overly enthralled with Charles Finch, but should really give him another try.

I haven't tried Charles Finch, but enjoy the other three authors very much.

Garden ~ I almost included Maisie Dobbs, which I also read.

Bill ~ For several years, starting when I was about 17, I re-read the entire Doyle canon every November, and Charles Finch is just deeply evocative of Watson to me for some reason, so that may have something to do with why I enjoy them so much.

And Eliazabeth George is now on my list!