LibGuides: Mystery Reads: British

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Multi-media

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Deception on His Mind
Call Number: DVD 791.4572 Inspector
Inspector Lynley is the classic British policeman: witty, dashing and brilliant. So that even when he solves a murder while vacationing in Mexico, the tale is still a British Mystery.

If you are a fan of the PBS Mystery! series, you will find many of these DVDs very familiar.

Marple: Murder at the Vicarage, Nemesis
Call Number: DVD 791.4582 Marple
ISBN: 0767088549
Many actresses have played Miss Jane Marple over the years, and Joan Hickson is seen as the best by many people. See what you think of her rendition of the classic Agatha Christie character.
Misomer Murders: Hidden Depths
Call Number: DVD 791.4572 Midsomer
Inspector Barnaby is at it again, hunting down murderers through the idyllic British villages in the fictional Midsomer County. Good plots and quirky characters are the norm in this charming BBC series.

Welcome to British Mysteries

British Mysteries

Though British Mysteries often follow the case of Police detectives and are generally Cozy Mysteries, they really deserve a page of their own. The British setting is what makes these Mysteries appealing - after all, England is the home of the Classic Mystery.

Sometimes a Mystery just isn't a Mystery without those dreary, gray skies and a big, spooky manor house. - or at the very least, a cup of tea.

Genre Giants

Catherine Aird
Margery Allingham
Colin Dexter
E.X. Ferrars
Elizabeth George
Caroline Graham
Martha Grimes
P.D. James
Ngaio Marsh
Ruth Rendell
Dorothy L. Sayers
Josephine Tey
Sara Woods

Get your hands on

Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George
Call Number: Mystery George
ISBN: 9780525952961
Publication Date: 2013-10-15
In this gripping child-in-danger story, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and her partner, Inspector Thomas Lynley, investigate the kidnapping of a friend's little girl from an Italian marketplace. With both her job and the life of a little girl on the line, Barbara must decide what matters most, and how far she's willing to go to protect it.
The Water's Lovely by Ruth Rendell
Call Number: Mystery Rendell
ISBN: 0307381366
A foggy childhood memory becomes essential in this suspenseful British Mystery by one of the masters of the field.
The Black Cat by Martha Grimes
Call Number: Mystery Grimes
ISBN: 9780670021604
Publication Date: 2010-04-06
Grimes' popular police Inspector Richard Jury is on the case again, this time delving into the world of escorts.
Clutch of Constables by Ngaio Marsh
Call Number: Mystery Marsh
ISBN: 0312970846
Give one of the authors in the Golden Age of British Mysteries a try with this traditional Mystery.
A Ghost in the Machine by Caroline Graham
Call Number: Mystery Graham
ISBN: 0312324219
Publication Date: 2004-08-01
Another installment in the popular Midsomer series. Inspector Barnaby tackles a case involving an authentic torture device
The Lamp of the Wicked by Phil Rickman
Call Number: Mystery Rickman
ISBN: 0333908058
Rickman takes the spooky British setting a step further in placing his sleuth, Reverend Merrily Watkins, in the role of exorcist. His books feature a strong cast of characters and a unique protagonist.

If you like Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse

try . . .

Inspector Lewis: PBS Mystery!
When your eyes get tired from reading, watch this latest spin-off from the popular Inspector Morse programs. Upon Morse's death, his partner, Sgt. Lewis, becomes Inspector himself and leads his own complex murder investigations with a new Sergeant.